After Jake Mattison‘s gig at a rainy Jubilee Square during Brighton’s Great Escape Festival last Thursday afternoon (10 May), our friends over at Beatwolf Magazine cornered him at The Mash Tun pub across the road for a chat about his influences and inspirations, the Manchester scene and touring with Emeli Sande last year, amongst a few other things.

Jake also performed a powerful, scruff-of-the-neck-grabbing version of his forthcoming debut single “Sorrow”, out on LFC Records in a few weeks, which left those in the room speechless. Check the interview and performance out above, and be sure to grab a copy of the 7″ vinyl on pre-order, because they’re flying out as we speak.

Jake’s next live shows are the “Sorrow” single launch parties on the 6th and 7th June, in Manchester and London respectively. Head over to our events page for further information and ticket details.

Monday 14 May

Haim @ The Shacklewell Arms FREE
The xx @ Electrowerkz
Andy Burrows @ Old Queens Head
The Front Bottoms @ Old Blue Last FREE
My Best Fiend @ The Lexington

Tuesday 15 May

The xx @ Chats Palace
Troumaca + The Night + Zena Kitt @ Hoxton Bar & Kitchen (Gold Dust)
Icona Pop + Dante @ Electricity Showrooms (The Line Of Best Fit)
Israel Cannan @ Notting Hill Arts Club (No Quarter)
Lower Dens + Porcelain Raft @ Madame JoJo’s (White Heat)

Wednesday 16 May

Nikki & The Dove + Elliphant @ XOYO
Willis Earl Beal + Gwilym Gold @ The Tabernacle
Oliver Tank @ The Lock Tavern FREE
Bleached + Mazes @ The Shacklewell Arms
Bear In Heaven @ Hoxton Bar & Kitchen
Emma Louise @ Electricity Showrooms FREE

Thursday 17 May

St. Lucia + Foxes + Savoir Adore + Yadi @ CAMP (Popshop UK)
The Lovely Eggs + Yukon Blonde @ Old Queens Head FREE
Zulu Winter + Duologue @ Boston Arms
Spector @ Electric Ballroom
Emma Louise @ Notting Hill Arts Club (YoYo)

Friday 18 May

The xx @ Battersea Arts Centre
Mystery Jets + Slow Club + Theme Park + Peace @ O2 Academy Brixton
New Ivory + Swim Deep @ Old Blue Last FREE
Concrete Knives @ Koko (Club NME)
The Barker Band @ The Wheelbarrow FREE

Saturday 19 May

Lone @ Plastic People (Dollop)
I Dream In Colour @ The Borderline
Born Blonde @ 93 Feet East

Sunday 20 May

N/A

A short while ago, South London quartet Mt. Wolf introduced themselves to the world with two impressive and accomplished demos, “Underground” and “Life Size Ghosts”. Reincarnated from a previous band, they arrived for round two with the same lineup – just with a new name, a new image and simply better songs. A tried and tested and often successful formula, this – see White Lies, The Vaccines and Swiss Lips before them (amongst a number of others who found the right alchemy at the second attempt).

Indeed, a few months in, things are starting to heat up. If our Twitter and Facebook feeds are to be believed, the outfit are very much the band of the moment. This bank holiday weekend just gone has seen them play two shows, one at Queen Of Hoxton, and one at XOYO, to much fanfare on the aforementioned social networks.

It’s not overly surprising – the tracks certainly live up to their venerable ‘dream folk’ / ‘folktronica’ billing – they’re beautiful, spacious compositions that call to mind people like Bjork, Ellie Goulding and James Yuill. “Underground” is a nailed-on dance floor hit, with a powerful chorus that we imagine would translate very well live, whilst “Life Size Ghosts” is one of those all-encompassing / completely-lose-your-bearings for its duration kind of tracks.

It’s Kate Sproule’s lead vocal that really sets the songs apart from the crowd, though – quirky and hypnotic and the same time, they have a real ace up their sleeve here that could potentially prove decisive in a notoriously crowded market for new bands.

Monday 7 May

Bowerbirds @ Cargo
Savoir Adore + Cut Ribbons + Good Dangers @ Queen Of Hoxton
I Like Trains @ The Borderline

Tuesday 8 May

Chet Faker @ The Social (Huw Stephens presents) FREE
Howler @ The Garage
Trailer Trash Tracys @ Hoxton Bar & Kitchen
YACHT @ XOYO
French Wives @ Bull & Gate

Wednesday 9 May

Amics Del Bosc + Maika Makovski + We Barbarians + Dante + School Is Cool @ Proud Camden (Music Week Breakout)
Gold & Youth + Eight And A Half @ The Lexington
Cloud Nothings @ Cargo
Milagres + Vadoinmessico + Peter & Kerry @ Barfly (XFM X-Posure)
Hoodlums + Look, Stranger! @ Notting Hill Arts Club (Death2Disco) FREE

Thursday 10 May

The Black Belles @ Barfly
Aluna George + Chet Faker @ Notting Hill Arts Club (YoYo)
Houses @ The Lexington
Perfume Genius + Cate Le Bon @ St Pancras Old Church

Friday 11 May

THE GREAT ESCAPE – BRIGHTON
Ladyhawke @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Virals + Novella @ The Shacklewell Arms
The Front Bottoms + Being There @ Power Lunches
Retro Stefson + White Arrows @ Koko (Club NME)

Saturday 12 May

THE GREAT ESCAPE – BRIGHTON
Cocknbullkid @ The Macbeth

Sunday 13 May

THE GREAT ESCAPE – BRIGHTON
NZCA/Lines @ The Lock Tavern FREE

Well it wouldn’t be a proper single release without a big launch party, would it? In this case, we’ve decided to really push the boat out and throw TWO parties on consecutive nights (6 & 7 June), in Manchester and London respectively, so both sides of the Watford Gap can have a piece of Jake Mattison action.

Support in Manchester comes from Tawse, whilst Australia’s Israel Cannan will be opening up in London, all before Jake comes on to celebrate the release of his first ever single. There’ll be special guest DJ sets too, and we’ll most likely be dusting off our own 12 inches in time for the occasion.

Grab your tickets HERE (includes a ticket / 7″ vinyl deal) and be sure to let us know you’re coming by RSVP’ing to the Facebook events. If for some reason you can’t make either show but still want a seven inch, pre-order is now open here. There aren’t many tickets (or vinyls) at all, so be quick if you want in.

This morning, as promised, here’s the artwork to Jake Mattison‘s “Sorrow” single which will be out in just over a month (4 June). Manchester based designer Daren Newman came up with the minimal yet striking image, and we can’t wait to hold the seven inch sleeve in our hands.

Also, the B-side to the release, “You’re Too Old” is now available for streaming alongside the lead track. It’s a remastered version of one of Jake’s early demos, and was recorded at Stockport’s Eve Studios alongside “Sorrow” last October.

Following on from the two sold out Communion London shows with Matt Corby (at Ballyhoo and The Garage), Jake plays Brighton’s Great Escape Festival next week – he’ll be appearing at The Hub on Jubilee Square at 2pm on 10 May. We’ll be there, board shorts on and ice lolly in hand.

Monday 30 April

Matthew Dear + Post War Years @ Hoxton Bar & Kitchen
Grimes @ The Garage (Upstairs)
Club Smith @ Barfly

Tuesday 1 May

White Rabbits + Sunless 97 @ XOYO
The Hives @ The Borderline
The Staves @ Tabernacle (Communion)
Brendan Rogers + Shere Khan + Bernadette Ryan + Rob Bravery @ Metropolis Studios (Power Down) FREE

Wednesday 2 May

Gwilym Gold @ The Sebright Arms (Bronze Club)
Pete Hickman & The Divers @ Proud (Akira)
Polarsets + Spring Offensive @ Hoxton Bar & Kitchen
The Rapture + Factory Floor @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire
The Shutes @ Barfly

Thursday 3 May

Siren @ The Shacklewell Arms FREE
Alabama Shakes + Palma Violets @ Brixton Electric
Lulu James @ The Sebright Arms FREE
Clean Bandit @ Notting Hill Arts Club (YoYo)
We Are Augustines @ Dingwalls
Exlovers @ The Lock Tavern (Young & Lost Club) FREE
Mystery Jets @ The Hippodrome, Kingston (New Slang)

Friday 4 May

Little Boots @ XOYO
Citizens! + Singtank @ Koko (Club NME)
Hoodlums + Daytona Lights @ The Wheelbarrow FREE
Space Fight @ 93 Feet East (Back To The Future) FREE
Visions Of Trees @ Old Blue Last (Club.The.Mammoth.) FREE

Saturday 5 May

CAMDEN CRAWL
Here We Go Magic + Porcelain Raft @ The Sebright Arms
Seye + Detour City + Mt. Wolf @ Queen Of Hoxton (Wolf Club) FREE

Sunday 6 May

CAMDEN CRAWL
Amber States + Savoir Adore + Let’s Buy Happiness @ Notting Hill Arts Club (Communion)

Monday 23 April

Jack White @ HMV Forum
Cate Le Bon @ Village Underground
Ewe @ Power Lunches
Gomez @ Koko

Tuesday 24 April

The Echo Vamper + Maker + Jake Emlyn + The Near Death Experience @ Bull & Gate (Club Killing Moon)
Clock Opera + Fiction + Duologue @ Scala
Atlantics @ Notting Hill Arts Club (No Quarter)
Gaz Coombes + Fractures @ Barfly (XFM Xposure)
THEESatisfaction + Young Fathers + Pandr Eyez @ Madame Jojos (White Heat)

Wednesday 25 April

Matt Corby + Jake Mattison @ The Garage (Upstairs) (Communion)
Nedry + Worship @ The Lexington
Chairlift + Outfit @ Scala
Red Kite @ Surya
AU + Beaty Heart @ The Shacklewell Arms
Of Montreal + Nzca/lines @ Koko

Thursday 26 April

Big Deal + Fear Of Men + Yadi @ Old Blue Last (Vice Issue Launch) FREE
Gabriel Bruce @ Old Queens Head (Chess Club) FREE
Santigold @ Heaven
The Antlers + Arthur Beatrice @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Matt Corby + Dan Croll + Joe Banfi + David McCaffrey @ Shepherd’s Bar (Communion Records 2nd Birthday)
The History Of Apple Pie + Pale Seas + Mt. Wolf + Arp Attack @ CAMP (Smashing Blouse)

Friday 27 April

Foster The People @ O2 Academy Brixton
Tribes + Sharks + The Brute Chorus @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire (aftershow @ Ginglik)
Holy Esque @ Barfly
Escapists + The Supernovas @ Vibe Bar (This Feeling)
Losers + Mr Fogg @ Koko (Club NME)

Saturday 28 April

Bombay Bicycle Club + Lianne La Havas + Rae Morris @ Alexandra Palace
Miles Kane @ HMV Forum
Foster The People @ O2 Academy Brixton (2nd date)

Sunday 29 April

Foster The People @ O2 Academy Brixton (3rd date)
Stealing Sheep @ Lock Tavern FREE

When we come across a band that reminds us of being obsessed with Interpol and Bloc Party in 2005, getting into Pixies back in the day and also a brief flirtation with American emo music back in the early noughties (your Thrices, your Something Corporates, your Ataris’), we’re pretty much sold on first listen. Nostalgia is a very powerful thing, and when music passes through our ears that gets us looking through the rose tinted glasses, the game’s pretty much up.

Middlesbrough’s Eeves, and their sterling track “Silhouette”, had this effect on us the other day, and we haven’t looked back. Some impressive guitar work that might have Daniel Kessler turning his head is on show here, as is an uplifting chorus that sounds built for an early evening / sun-going-down slot at a major festival.

The quartet appear to be generating some buzz in their North East locality (becoming the latest in a long line of new and exciting bands from the region – see Mausi, Lulu James, The Lake Poets and Polarsets of late), as a result of this arresting four and a half minutes, and as such are picking up support in the right places.

Amazing Radio have got behind the group (check out the band in session for the station here), as have the organisers of a Newcastle multi venue event called Evolution Emerging, who have booked the band to open the city’s Cluny venue on 1 June, where they’ll share a stage with Lulu James and Beth Jeans Houghton. For once, perhaps, London ain’t the place to be on that day.

Since the US release of their debut album “If You’re Young” last August, The Static Jacks have been a busy bunch. Two tours of the States and two of Europe / the UK have happened, with the band sharing stages with the likes of Howler, The Cribs and The Wombats along the way (famously appearing at Brixton Academy in February with the latter).

They’re currently showing no signs of slowing down, either – the band are back on the road in the US this week, again lending support to The Wombats on a 13 date tour (23 April – 9 May) – which includes notable appearances at Webster Hall in NYC and the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles.

Also, rather like Arctic Monkeys did after their debut LP, the band have just announced a new standalone 4-track EP, “Spray Tan” (a reference to the orange looking lady on the “Into The Sun” single, we wonder?), will be released next month to bridge the gap between first and second albums.

Recorded with producer Andrew Maury (also the producer of debut EP “Laces”) in five fast days last summer, we’re told, the opening track “Young Guns” displays a rough and ready grit we’ve come to associate with their live shows, and is as hard hitting and memorable as anything on their debut album. Pick it up for free below, and if you’re heading out to any of current dates, expect to hear it in the set alongside the other newbies.

MP3: The Static Jacks – Young Guns