Acclaimed alt-rock/folk troupe HOLY MOLY & THE CRACKERS kicked off 2019 touring and they’ll see it out doing much the same – bringing their riotous party music to the masses. Their recently released third album, ‘Take A Bite’ (released April 5 th 2019 on the band’s own Pink Lane Records), captured the band’s concise, passionate take on folk, blues and indie rock, rammed with melody, energy and positivity.
‘Take A Bite’ saw the band further adorning their naturally expressive take on British folk with sizeable dollops of rock’n’soul, sharp indie-rock, vulnerable balladeering and festival-ready psychedelic trips towards the Middle East, ‘Take A Bite’ sets its stall confidently in the previously unoccupied space between the Gossip, Arctic Monkeys, the B52s and Gogol Bordello. It is the sound of a band who have been searching and experimenting for several years; arriving at a place where they can say “this who we are and this is where we want to go”.
The band’s most recent single, the effervescent ‘Upside Down’, crystallizes this approach to performance and songwriting over a thrilling 3 minutes. And now the band have captured all the elements they’re famed for – the performance, the passion, the sonic ingenuity and their classy feral energy – in a live-in-studio performance of ‘Upside Down’, shot at Newcastle’s Loft Studios, shot by Craig Newton (Counterfeit., Hello Operator).
Another co-write between singer Ruth Patterson and accordion player “Squeezebox” Rosie Bristow (authors of the band’s breakthrough single ‘Cold Comfort Lane’ from 2017, which featured on the end credits of 2018 summer blockbuster movie, Oceans 8), ‘Upside Down’ is inspired by the travelling circuses of North East England. Rosie, who works with the circus when she’s not touring with the band, says: “I’ve met some very weird, beautiful and talented performers from all over the world, and been invited to some crazy festivals and big top shows. I’m now even working on an act myself involving playing a tiny accordion whilst hanging upside down.”
Of ‘Take A Bite’ itself, it’s seen the band go from strength to strength in 2019. It afforded them a European tour alongside peers Skinny Lister, saw the band headline festival stages up and down the UK including closing Cambridge Folk Festival on the Friday night. And this October they tour the UK again, after a sell-out headline run in the Netherlands and Germany. The band’s dates in October are their biggest and best yet, including the Sage in Gateshead and London’s legendary Scala venue.
“This album is asking the audience to take a chance on us,” explains Ruth. “Obviously we’ve got a bit of a daft name and we look a bit mad, but I think once people actually come to a gig, they’re always swept up in the music and the energy. We get kids, old people, Goths, hippies, whatever. Everyone’s invited, everyone’s part of it. And people seem to lose themselves. No one’s like, “Oh, how do I look?’ while dancing. They don’t care. It brings everyone together.”
“All roads lead to the stage,” Conrad continues. “The arguing, the loving, the making, the listening – it boils down into one manic, riotous party. That’s where we connect with the audience and with each other and that’s what we’re all about.” It’s an all-systems-go mentality. “We’ve arrived at a place here, with this album, where we can start the journey that we want to be on. This is who we are now; this is what we’re doing.”
OCTOBER
4 – Gateshead, The Sage – SOLD OUT
5 – Ayton, Hemelvaart
6 – Glasgow, The Art School
10 – London, Scala
11 – Bristol, Thekla
12 – Southampton, Joiners
17 – Southport, The Atkinson
18 – Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
19 – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
25 – Aldershot, West End Centre
26 – Cambridge, The Junction
NOVEMBER
3 – York, Crescent – SOLD OUT
* * * * *
PRAISE FOR HOLY MOLY & THE CRACKERS – ‘TAKE A BITE’
Louder Than War – 4/5 – “Take A Bite refreshes the parts that other bands struggle to reach ”
The Crack Magazine (Monthly) – ALBUM OF THE MONTH – “One of Newcastle’s finest continue their ascendancy with a firework display of an album which is sure to elicit many “Oohs” and “ahhs”
NARC Magazine (Monthly) – 4/5 – “Newcaslte Band on fine form… This is Holy Moly as their usual ‘up for it’ selves, whilst at the same time being inspired by their search for progression.”
North East Lifestyle (Monthly) – 4/5 – “North East Rock’n’Soul doesn’t get much better than this… Great to have such an incredible talent on our doorstep”
Three Songs And Out – 5/5 – “album of the year 2019”
The Free Press – “Holy Moly and The Crackers come belting out of the speakers like a breath of fresh air. Combining folk, blues and indie rock, it’s a riotous blend of styles.”
The Express and Star – 8/10 – “a riotous blend of dancefloor fun and rocky undercurrents”
Silent Radio – “This is an album filled to bursting with joie de vivre.”
Album Review: The Sails – BANG! Best of 2006 to 2020
Music: Holy Moly & The Crackers announce date at The Bodega 15 November 2017
Music: Barry Adamson announces new album and tour date at Rough Trade, Nottingham
Review: Into The Groove – The Ultimate Madonna Tribute – The Royal Concert Hall Nottingham