‘Night Drive’ available on 15th January 2020
Limited edition 12” available on 14th February on Tough Love Records.
On the third floor of an abandoned textile mill to the north of Preston, a wave of strange musical beauty is blossoming. Brought up on the sounds of 80s Manchester though too young to have experienced it first hand, White Flowers, made up of Katie Drew and Joey Cobb, make gloriously gothic dreampop that’s as ambiguous as it is beautiful and exciting.
On 15th January 2020, the duo release Night Drive the first track from their debut double A-sided single Tough Love Records which also features the track Portra.
Co-produced by Doves’ guitarist, Jez Williams, Night Drive’s guitars carry a Kevin Shields-esque drone, as they swirl above its fragmented arrangement. Apocalyptic in nature, it twists and turns – thematically covering anxiety, fragility and frustration, while reminding that, even in the lowest of moments, one should not lose hope.
‘Creating and crafting the songs has always been a therapeutic outlet for us,’ Cobb stated. ‘It’s been a long process, but it’s been one which has helped us deal with the frustration, worries and difficulties that come with every day life. It’s definitely a very cathartic record. It serves as a kind of journal of growing up and maturing in the 21st Century.’
Having begun life as scraps of ideas on a laptop, the songs were carefully crafted by the pair, before Williams got on board.
‘At times, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when you’re so involved in the song,’ Drew noted. ‘Jez was great at drawing out the most important aspects. A lot of the songs are first takes – recorded at home in a very lo-fi way, but Jez gave us confidence. He made us realise that the rawness and the accidents are where the magic is. As fans of Doves, we’ve always admired the soundscapes and sampling techniques that they use, so it was a privilege to work with him.
Prior to the release, White Flowers will be heading out on tour with Toy to celebrate Independent Venue Week. The dates are as follows:
25.01.20 – Independent – SUNDERLAND
26.01.20 – The Live Rooms – CHESTER
27.01.20 – The Boileroom – GUILDFORD
28.01.20 – The Cookie – LEICESTER
29.01.20 – The Smokehouse – IPSWICH
20.01.20 – Esquires – BEDFORD
31.01.20 – The Joiners – SOUTHAMPTON
01.02.20 – Ramsgate Music Hall – RAMSGATE
The double A-side single, Night Drive / Portra will be released on 12” vinyl on February 14th and is limited to 100 copies. It comes in a hand stamped sleeve and includes a ‘zine produced by the band. The band’s debut album will be released later in 2020.
