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Envy and Other Sins
May. 6th, 2008
01:06 pm - A night with Envy and Other Sins
Life as an unsigned band can be hard. After three and half years’ experience of this Envy and Other Sins are more than qualified to comment. However, at the end of last year they won a £1,000,000 record deal with A & M records on Channel 4’s talent show ‘Mobile Act Unsigned’. Well, that’s not very cool is it? I bet it’s all egos and ‘get me a bottle of water you mere peasant’ these days. Is it really all happily ever after in the cold hard world of music?
Heralding from Birmingham, Ali (vocals and guitar), Jarvey (keys and backing vocals), Mark (bass and backing vocals) and Jim (drums) sit in the backroom of the Carling Academy Oxford, in the early days of their first headline tour. Mark lurks right behind, milling in and out of the room, clearly keen to avoid a journalist. The other three cling to their beer (Newcastle Brown Ale?!) and so we begin.
The history between them is evident; they smile to each other as they recall the ‘old days’ as an unsigned, local yet popular band in their hometown. So how have things changed?
‘There’s a bit more riding on it now but our approach to playing hasn’t changed.’ (Jim)
Recording?
‘We never got anything to sound how we wanted it to when we recorded ourselves. We just didn’t know how.’ (Jarvey)
‘A good producer and engineer are extra members of the band really. Their vision is as important to the record as the band.’ (Jim)
‘And they work so tirelessly on it as well’ (Ali)
‘We’d already recorded all the songs previously ourselves. The bread and butter of it was already there. They’ve got the ability to step back from it.’ (Jarvey)
Their debut album ‘We Leave At Dawn’ was released on the 31st of March. Finishing at just over forty minutes with a mere ten tracks, it leaves you wanting more. The album is a testimony to the genuine talent they possess and to what can be achieved through working hard as an unsigned band.
And they always have worked hard at this music malarkey, with a snazzy website and a whole host of songs written. On T4’s Mobile Act unsigned they stood out by a mile; they were polished, accomplished and had that certain something that makes you want to know more.
And they certainly aren’t going to stop working hard now. So what tips do they have for unsigned bands?
‘Its want you wanna get out of being in a band. Local scenes need a good local magazine that gives a lot of coverage, good lot of promoters, one or two venues and you need good touring bands to visit and locals to be able to support them. People need to get excited.’ (Jarvey)
‘We have put on some amazing gigs in a couple of places you would not expect. We went to Corby once and we turned up and there’s this switched on promoter whose got tons of kids in this pub and it was great.’ (Ali)
‘Bands do need to take it seriously.’ (Jim)
‘Main piece of advice. Don’t hang around waiting for a record label….get your music out there. Don’t wait around thinking that one day the holy grail of this wonderful record deal will descend and say ‘it’s you’. That kinda happened to us but only cos we’ve spent 3 and a half years going round the country so when it came to a vote we had a fanbase.’ (Jarvey)
So has it been a bed of roses since winning? What are the consequences of winning a record deal through a programme?
‘NME have been funny. They always said we were amazing (live) so we were like well we know they’re gunna hate it because they’re the NME but they have been nice to us (looks hopeful)…..oh no they do hate us’ (Jim)
‘They basically hate us cos we were on the telly’ (Ali)
‘Yeah but it’s inevitable. We have sort of made our beds with it.’ (Jim)
‘Then we couldn’t get the single on the radio. The reason they gave was that they couldn’t play us because we won a talent show and that was frustrating.’ (Jarvey)
‘NME comes and goes but not getting on the radio…’ (Jim)
‘The only way we will be able to overcome the stigma of winning a TV show is people being able to hear what we do and people to realise that there’s music there’. (Jarvey)
So you get out and play?
‘Yeah that’s the sum total of our options!’ (Ali)
‘The only thing we can do is just try to play to as many people as we can that’s the only way to have a direct relationship with people.’ (Jim)
And that is just what they do. As they take to the stage I absorb their appearance…it looks like they raided the BBC costume and props cupboard. Ali sports a pair of trousers so ridiculously big for him they may well be a statement against the culture of skinny jeans. They have the sense of having made the effort…but they sort of missed the target, with a post Victorian melodramatic, ‘we just threw this on’ appearance. They are the anti-cool band. They have lamps onstage with them and a stuffed pheasant (?!) - probably why they have earnt themselves the label of ‘furniture rock’.
As they kick off with ‘Step Across’, the guitar riff cutting through the crowd’s chatter and demanding everyone to turn, stare and spend the next forty minutes open mouthed….they have an energy and a true pop essence that is infectiously happy. Then in a very disarming manner, they finish with ‘Shipwrecked’, a melancholic anthem that spirals out of control and reveals a much darker, deeper side to them, and a possible avenue for future Envy material. The audience know they have been well and truly sucked in. My inner ‘music snob and proud’ attitude has taken a severe battering tonight; a band that ‘won a record deal on some stupid programme on T4’ (audience member’s words, not mine) have made me forget how to spell T4 and wonder why ‘pop’ is such a taboo word these days.
‘Hopefully there aren’t very many bands who are like us. We’re quite honest when we say that we’re a pop band, it seems to be some thing where people go ‘oooh we’re indie’. But we’re all making pop music and we’re quite happy to come out and say that.’ (Jarvey)
And I respect them for that. If you like to keep things ‘alternative’ in the music department (so alternative its pronounced alter-nay-tive) you’ll pretend to hate Envy and Other Sins, but secretly love them. It’s time ‘pop’ wasn’t a dirty word that reminded you of dancing to Steps’ ‘5,6,7,8’ at a school disco. Now it is honest and heartfelt, quirky and upbeat but capable of melancholy with lyrics that strike a chord.
But my final question to them…I always wanted to know…why pick Envy of all the other sins?
‘We liked envy the best. It looks good as a word and its kinda the most complex.’ (Jarvey)
‘As a small fat ginger man my experience in life is of envy. It was envy or wrath as far as I was concerned’ (Jim)
‘We couldn’t really call ourselves wrath and other sins. Gluttony and other sins?! Imagine that!’ (Ali)
‘Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet?’ (Jarvey)
They grin to each other and I’ve answered all my own questions. No, it isn’t cool to gain a record deal from a TV programme but when you win through being a bunch of interesting, intelligent and talented individuals…well you can’t argue with that. There aren’t any egos in this room, just four blokes who can’t believe their luck. But it still hasn’t been a dream ride. Now the real hard work starts. Their name is much better known and now it needs to be for the right reasons.
Will 2008 be the year of envy? I guess there’s only one way to find out. Go buy ‘We Leave at Dawn’, go see them on tour and fall in love with pop music again. They’re no Leona Lewis I can tell you….
By Abi Brydon
www.myspace.com/envyandothersins
http://www.noizemakesenemies.co.uk/2
01:03 pm - Not Every End Is A Goal
 |  |
 | Our first headline tour of the United Kingdom has come to an end! We would like to extend the clammy hand of gratitude to everyone who came to one of these recent gigs, every night was memorable for us, apart from the ones we can't remember. Perhaps the most fantastic thing of all has been seeing people singing along to the songs from "We Leave At Dawn". The response to the album has been wonderful, so thank you! Never ones to rest on our inconsiderable laurels, we've got a handful of dates for your diary over the coming months to keep your Sin quotient topped up. The first of these is on Tuesday the 6th of May, when we are headlining After that, in chronological order, we're appearing: At the Great Escape; for BBC Nottingham; with The Headliners; in Jersey; at a free student festival; at a carnival for Minster FM; in a quarry; with Hayseed Dixie; and, last, but not least, with GRACE JONES!!! This is sure to be quite a summer! As always, for tickets, please click upon the date that interests you: May June July Of course if we book any other exciting events, we'll write and tell you, but don't forget to check the showspage of our website. While you're there, best brush up on the rules of pheasant as this year's Grand Championship will soon be upon us...(fear not, we'll make sure we tell you when it is to be held!) Warm Regards, |
May. 2nd, 2008
05:56 pm - Sunday the 27th of April
Our tour is drawing to its conclusion - tonight sees us playing in Leeds, at the Cockpit, with just Liverpool and, finally, Birmingham, awaiting our arrival on Tuesday.
We now know more than we did before about the mammalian kingdom, and have experienced Scottish hospitality in Aberdeen and Edinburgh. Mark is still recovering.
Our faithful touring companion, Phil the Pheasant, has endured the indignity of occasionally being called a grouse in return for being greeted with immense volume and enthusiasm everywhere we've been. For making a small, plastic bird happy, we offer you our heartfelt thanks.
Brum, we shall see you on Tuesday, and everyone else, watch this space, we've got a few dates over the summer coming up, not least the legendary Secret Garden Party, which is headlined this year by Grace Jones! Visit their beautiful website by clicking below, and hopefully we'll see you there if not before!
05:55 pm - Birmingham Live
Envy & Other Sins @ Birmingham Barfly - 29th April 2008
With their tour coming to an end, it was bound to be a good night at the Barfly. Envy and Other Sins
returned to their hometown of Birmingham to play at the relatively small venue, and it was a brilliant night!
Doors opened at around 7pm, but we were let in slightly earlier because of the rain. Shivering, the crowd waited for what seemed like forever for Envy to come on stage. It was an agonizing wait, but was well worth it when Envy finally began building their set. For a long time they have had rather bizarre props, ranging from shag carpets to arm chairs, not forgetting their side kick Phil the pheasant. And tonight was no different, they had a carpet, two lamps and of course their plastic pheasant pal. For any doubters as to whether it was a pheasant or a grouse, the guitarist cleared it up for us, after reassuring us that they had done their research.
After winning T4’s Mobile Act Unsigned, things have taken a positive turn for Envy. They are touring regularly and their fan base is growing rapidly. Each time they play in Birmingham, they are welcomed with positive, smiley faces.
They of course, played some of their songs that were made popular by Mobile Act; including, ‘Talk to Strangers’ and ‘Highness’ but also some of the songs only people who have their album would have known, such as ‘The Company We Keep’, ‘Almost Certainly Elsewhere’ and ‘Don’t Start Fires’.
Very few bands interact with the audience so much in-between songs and everyone clearly loved it when they did. In order to bury it into our heads that Phil was indeed a pheasant, the band got us shouting “PHEASANT” egging us on by saying that everyone in Wolverhampton shouted it louder. A second time of shouting “PHEASANT” someone in the audience finished by shouting “Woodpecker” which got everyone, including the band, laughing. The same person also shouted that it was their birthday and, somewhat politely, the drummer wished her a happy birthday. Down to earth lads are always loved and looking at the audience that showed up, they are greatly respected.
Many people have complained that Envy were selling out by appearing on Mobile Act, but, in my opinion, it was that show that got them known. Without it, it would have taken them much longer to be as popular as they are, even though they are fantastic!
Having only seen bands that you can ‘mosh’ to in the past, seeing Envy was a positive change and it was great being able to dance along to music that is unbelievably catchy. You can’t help but walk away from the venue humming one of their songs.
Sounding like a cross between The Clash and Franz Ferdinand, I believe they have a massive future ahead of them. All they need to do is keep being the happy-go-lucky lads that they are and play to the standard that they did tonight.
Review and photo - Georgina Walsh
http://www.brumlive.com/2008/04/envy-ot
05:54 pm - Beyond Leeds
Envy & Other Sins
We Leave At Dawn
Winners of Channel 4 talent-search Mobile Act Unsigned, this quartet look like they've walked on-stage straight from the industrial revolution with their more-than-retro get up, but their first album is no Victoriana throwback. Instead, it's packed full of catchy bitter-sweet pop tunes which are mostly charming and occasionally dull.
The relaxed minor-key musings and 1960s-pop inspired bouncy numbers smack of The Coral without the cheek and weirdness, and it's often a little too restrained for its own good. Musically Envy & Other Sins do the simple things very well, but you could hardly call them inspiring.
When they do hit their stride though there are some pretty interesting results. Don't Start Fires is lovely and really benefits from some strings and a welcome rousing chorus, The Company We Keep is equally vibrant with a delightfully mellow conclusion, and closer Shipwrecked delivers a tremendous final word.
But although the band offer a few glimpses of genuine magnificence We Leave At Dawn is often too toned-down, a bit like the sonic equivalent of a nice cup of tea. It's perfectly enjoyable and you feel the better for having it, but it's not going to rock your world.
http://www.beyondleeds.co.uk/index.p
05:53 pm - Yahoo Review
Released on 31/03/08 Truly, there is nothing less real than reality TV. And despite the best intentions of Channel 4's "Mobile Act Unsigned" to use the TV talent show format to discover a genuine, credible, "write their own songs" talent, the result, Envy & Other Sins, are about as realistic a pop proposition as Michelle McManus. Just as the record buying public are never wrong, TV voters usually are and with debut single, "Highness", having charted at number 65, Envy & Other Sins are already finding out that votes and sales are not the same thing. Envy & Other Sins - We Leave At Dawn
(Wednesday April 2, 2008 4:26 PM )
Label: A&M/Polydor
What should concern A&M Records, who provided their record deal prize, is that "Highness" - a jaunty Razorlight meets The Kooks piece of quintessentially English indie-pop - is the catchiest, most charming and commercial track on "We Leave At Dawn". Clearly the ever suspicious record buying public have failed to buy into the eccentric-Victorian-gents-with-guitars shtick that viewers found so appealing, and if "Highness" couldn't persuade them otherwise, nothing else here will.
It doesn't take a genius to spot that a band who list Isambard Kingdom Brunel, damsels in distress and steam power among their influences are probably trying too hard. For Envy & Other Sins that excess effort, more often than not, results in a musical vision seemingly based on The Kinks, Blur and Dick Van Dyke's accent in "Mary Poppins". The indie equivalent of a waistcoat and neckerchief, the likes of "Man Bites God" shuffle along with a cheery wink, "Almost Certainly Elsewhere" is a 'Boys Own' adventure full of drawing rooms and loot and "Step Across" is Hard-Fi in a smoking jacket.
"The Company We Keep" and "Talk To Strangers" prove that cheeky chappie clichés can't get in the way of a good song but "(It Gets Harder To Be A) Martyr" is a teeth-grindingly jolly knees-up too far. Take away the badly tuned pub joanna, sepia-toned melodies and lyrics about cavorting dandies, and what's left here is a mundane collection of B-list Britpop straight from the Menswear songbook. Modern classics they're not, and in lieu of clear stand-outs, the band's quirkiness quickly goes from quaint window dressing to irritation to the point where even the good songs sound like caricatures.
Plucky underdogs and unlikely outsiders are what the viewing public like best. For better, or for worse, in Envy & Other Sins that's exactly what they've got. Sadly commercial appeal doesn't really come into the voting. Just ask Michelle McManus.
http://uk.launch.yahoo.com/080402/33/21
05:52 pm - 'We Leave At Dawn'
Released on 31 March 2008 on A&M
As we all know from watching the sad, flailing careers of artists such as Shane Ward, Steve 'Pizza Express tonight, Nandos Tomorrow' Brookstein and Andy 'The Singing Binman' Abraham, reality TV shows often break more stars than they make. Anyone with half a brain can see this, and anybody with even more than half a brain will even go to the extraordinary lengths of actually not watching them. I tried my hardest to avoid them, and I thought that I had. That was until Channel 4 came up with the imaginatively-titled Mobileact Unsigned, a glossy, corporate indie X-Factor that appeals to the mini-Margaret Thatcher in every bog-standard indie band up and down the country who'd love to have at the very least a quote from Jo Whiley on their Myspace profile. After what seemed like weeks of interminable dross being dangled in front of the nation's hungover eyes, Envy & Other Sins, a raggle-taggle collective of neo-dandies from the Midlands, won out. Their prize, a million pound contract with A&M records, has so far bore a rather uninspiring chart placing for single 'Highness', so hopes may not be high for the band's debut album. Which, funnily enough, may just be a good thing.
Musically, 'We Leave At Dawn' is not going to pull up any trees, but what the band lack in ideas, they most certainly make up for in dog-eared charm. Opening tracks 'Morning Sickness' and 'Almost Certainly Elsewhere' provide polished-yet-erudite aural thrills, bringing to mind acts such as Hot Hot Heat and Brendan Benson whilst managing to avoid outstaying their welcome. Ditto for the album highlight 'Step Across', which drops a bit of late-70's Elvis Costello into the mix without cranking up the pop gloss too much. Producer Danton Supple has worked his magic on the band, and they in turn have turned in an album that could just win over a few critics yet, if they skip over the howlers that are 'The Company We Keep' and '(It Gets Harder) To Be A Martyr', which just sound like am-dram interpretations of a bad Ben Folds b-side.
So I've given it a listen at the very least, and I've been mildly impressed. To be honest, a lot of journalists had already written their reviews of the album before they'd even heard it, so I wouldn't expect any balance from NME and Q - they're just giving their respective reality-TV hating audiences what they want. I, on the other hand, couldn't really care less where this record came from. What I do care about is that Envy & Other Sins have taken the chance that they've been offered and ran with it, with commendable, if somewhat mixed results. For the most part, they've succeeded where a lot of other bands failed. Just don't expect them to get any credit for it.
Posted on 25 March 2008 by Ben Goldrunhttp://www.culturedeluxe.com/news_i
05:51 pm - The Belfast Telegraph - 18th April 2008
It takes bottle to call yourself Envy and Other Sins ... and, believe me, this talented Birmingham four-piece have pluck in abundance.
After being booted off Channel 4's Mobile Act Unsigned series, by none other than Blur's Alex James and celebrity DJ Jo Whiley, their success in pop looked doomed - even before the allotted 15 minutes had begun. But they rallied round - and pulled through - eventually winning over competition website viewers and the coveted first prize - a deal with A and M Records.
Now, surely they've silenced the doubters with a cracking debut album, We Leave At Dawn. Essentially, Envy and Other Sins are a band with purist pop running through their veins. And there isn't even a hint of the manufactured bubblegum nonsense usually associated with so-called reality bands. If anything, they should be lumped in with the likes of The Hoosiers and Arctic Monkeys - as part of the new generation of clever-clogs indie bands.
Apart from the fascinating lyrics - the common denominator of the MySpace crowd - the Brummie band rely on three-minute melodies, sensible drumming and the electric guitar as the crucial instrument. Add to that violins, viola, and cello - and you have a potent force in the world of pop. The result is a collection of songs that are graceful, sweeping and rather grand.
Utterly charming, We Leave At Dawn is filled with a meek beauty typified by the wonderful Don't Start Fires and the even better Talk To Strangers. Certainly, if the band stick to this formula, they'll surely go a lot further than the expected lifespan of reality show winners. In reality, pop doesn't get an awful lot better than this!
05:50 pm - GIG REVIEW: Envy and Other Sins
April 27 2008 @ The Cockpit, Leeds
29 April 2008
They're largely well-received though by a crowd that, we have to presume, is full of T4 viewers. That's because Channel 4's Sunday broadcasting is where main act Envy & Other Sins first came to prominence, winning last year's T4 Mobile Act Unsigned competition and, with it, an instant fanbase of eager young ladies who like their guitar pop tuneful, a bit quirky and delivered by good-looking, unthreatening young men with interesting hair.
With their wacky bits of stage decoration, including standard lamps and a stuffed pheasant, and decked out like extras from the country house scenes of Atonement, the band are obviously keen on image. It could feel a little cynical, but there's no trace of guile in their stage presence.
Keyboard player Jarvey Moss has great fun with the noises he gets out of his synth and drummer Jim 'McDrum' Macauley obviously thinks he's got the best job in the world, as his two expressions are either lost-in-music rapture or sheer glee. He's fond of spinning his sticks with his arms held aloft, but he does it with such innocent pleasure that instead of hating him for being a show off, you just want to go straight home and learn the drums.
Their debut album forms almost all of their set tonight and we're treated to powerful performances of Step Across, The Company We Keep, Almost Certainly Elsewhere, Man Bites God, possibly the album's strongest track Don't Start Fires, and Morning Sickness. Then there just a brief pause to pay respect to the stuffed pheasant, with front man imploring us all to shout "Pheasant" loud enough to be "heard in Bradford", before it's back to the album with the catchy Talk To Strangers.
The one deviation from blasting through the album comes when an audience member yells for the band's very first single, Prodigal Son. The band claim not to have played the song for a couple of years but swiftly launch into a rendition of the song so polished I start to suspect that the audience member was a plant.
Interestingly, this is the first point that the crowd start dancing, something which the band capitilise on by then firing off current single Highness, a slice of guitar pop perfection with some brilliant vocal harmonies. It would be number one if more people got to hear it.
The band bring the set to a dramatic end with the album closer Shipwrecked, having proved themselves to be strong contenders for major success. The fact that they won their record contract thanks to a TV show and that they fancy themselves as some kind of guitar pop league of extraordinary gentlemen with their fancy hair and raffish garb might lose them credibility, but ultimately Envy & Other Sins are purveyors of such joyous, life-affirming songs that it seems impossible to think that they won't find a huge, hungry audience.
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/m
Apr. 24th, 2008
12:17 pm - All Is Unceasing And Rigorous Competition In Nature
|  |
| We're midway through our first headline tour of the UK, and we'd like to extend a very large vote of thanks to sinners old and new we've met thus far, for making these gigs absolutely fantastic. It's been wonderful to look out from the stage and see people singing along to every song! As you'll know, we ran a competition to have your idea made into the video for Man Bites God. We were completely overwhelmed by the number and range of ideas we received, which is why it took us much longer than we expected to pick a winner! It was a close-run thing, tempers flared in the deliberations, and Jim and Mark nearly fought a duel as a consequence, although fortunately Ali was there to calm their tempestuous spirits as they argued passionately for their favourites. A thousand thanks to everyone who sent an idea in, and had we the budget, some wild flights of fancy would most likely have been indluged! The front-runners included ideas involving circuses, freak shows, peasants, rebellions and schools, but the eventual winner was submitted by Hannah from Northampton. As for her splendid idea, you'll just have to wait until we've made the video, but you can rest assured that you will be the first to see it! If you've visited our website recently, you'll know that we've updated the Sin Bin with pictures sent to us by sinners, so if you have an appropriate image, feel free to email it to us for inclusion therein, and do pop over to see some of the delightful pictures we've already been sent. If you haven't yet bought yourself a copy of our album, "We Leave At Dawn" you should not only be ashamed of yourself, but you should also get straight down to your nearest record shop and purchase it forthwith! Or if you're technically savvy enough, order your copy online by clicking here. There are still quite a number of dates left on our tour, which are listed below, and indeed if you click the date that interests you, you will be whisked away to a ticket emporium... 23rd April - The Cluny (18+), Newcastle We thoroughly look forward to meeting you again or indeed for the first time, so don't be a stranger... Warm Regards, |
12:15 pm - Thursday the 17th of April
Good evening, sinners. Just thought I'd touch base and let you know that touring is a joy, the rider is still flowing and we haven't killed each other yet. Although Jarvey did nearly bore us to death by making us watch the full 12 hours of 1980s miniseries 'Shogun' (starring Richard Chamberlain as Captain Blackthorne) in sequence in the van. He's now moved on to David Attenborough's 'The Life Of Mammals'... Thankfully there's always Flashman.
|  |
In other news 'We Leave At Dawn' is album of the week in Stornoway!!
Therefore we should like to raise a toast to the good people of the Isle of Lewis for being so damnably Envious.
Stornoway
Anyway, must dash - but rest assured I do love thee, damn it.
Apr. 22nd, 2008
10:53 pm - The Beat - 13th April 2008
This is officially the last mention of Envy & Other Sins as winners of that T Mobile competition. From now on, following debut album We Leave At Dawn (A&M), they will be referred to only in the context of the music they make.
It seems fitting that they should be signed to A&M since in world where there's numerous pretenders to the Squeeze crown, the Birmingham boys have a better claim than most. Listen to the opening Morning Sickness and you'll hear the sound of classic Difford & Tilbrook, likewise on the witty pop of Almost Certainly Elsewhere, and Man Bites Dog.
Elsewhere they take on the Cure at their own Lovecats game with the overlooked single Highness while the burlesque flavours of Talk To Strangers calls to mind Madness with a hint of Joboxers and It Gets Harder To Be A) Martyr is a Britpop Joe Jackson crossbred with the Kooks and Billy Joel.
And between their inventive arrangements (check out The Company We Keep), infectious melodies, appealing soft burr vocals and the seven minute slow building to tumultuous climax Radiohead-like closer Shipwrecked, they are clearly destined for a place in the current pantheon of Brum music gods alongside Editors, The Guillemots and Misty's Big Adventure. Someone should just tell the label to get their fingers out and give them the promotion they deserve.
Apr. 15th, 2008
10:48 pm - Envy & Other Sins: We Leave At Dawn
Envy & Other Sins: We Leave At Dawn
Although this album was likely to eventually see the light of day with or without the intervention of A&M/Polydor – its makers have their own studio and were in the process of releasing a single before their career tangent shifted towards Channel 4 – it’s tough to not read anything relating to Envy & Other Sins’ working relationship with the label they ‘won’ on televised talent show mobileAct Unsigned last year in the lyrics to LP opener ‘Morning Sickness’: “It’s all a mistake, and these people keep chipping away at me / And I don’t have what it takes, it’s all a mistake.” Coincidence? If you say so.
As our interview with the Birmingham four-piece revealed last month, the band haven’t exactly been enjoying the high life after triumphing over fellow finalists Revenue and ducking into the studio alongside Coldplay producer Danton Supple; they’ve a debut album finished and available sooner than anticipated, for sure, but questionable scheduling decisions at levels beyond band control have led to suggestions that A&M are looking to sweep this lottery-attained signing under the carpet rather. Perhaps the label lacks confidence in E&OS, but if that’s the case it’s hard to hear how: a well-crafted, concise and punchy debut, We Leave At Dawn makes many a nod at commercially successful acts present while also slipping neat twists under the noses of those attracted by its considerable pop hooks.
Single ‘Highness’ might smell a little of previous tourmates The Hoosiers – not a bad thing when quirk-pop’s done right, as it is here – but elsewhere the quartet reveal shades to their songs that cross colour-it-in lines a la Mystery Jets, and nuances that well exceed what little was heard of the band’s potential on their televised 15 minutes. ‘Man Bites God’ possesses a confident swagger and rollicking bassline that’s impossible to not tap a digit along to; album title-referencing number ‘Don’t Start Fires’ is a mini-epic full of understated drama that, in the hands of an act like Muse, would be a massive stadium anthem; and the closing ‘Shipwrecked’ is a delicate and tender torch song that wobbles on ‘No Surprises’-ringing rails before tumbling into a cacophonous climax that sees the album to a close in a shower of fireworks.
They might not have stuck it to the man in order to get this record out, but by making compromises where they felt them necessary E&OS have produced a debut worthy of a smattering of applause, a modern pop long-player that takes cues from familiar sources but adds enough unique characteristics to suggest a follow-up could well carve the band their own niche in the musical landscape. It’s full of more immediate highs than lingering lows, and while it’s no classic, not an album to celebrate as one of 2008’s finest come December, considering the backlash possibilities available to sharp-penned critics relishing the chance to lay into a Jo Whiley-approved – via mobileAct, if not her radio show – band, We Leave At Dawn is a commendable success. Pre-release sceptics can tuck into that humble pie whenever they’re ready.
10:48 pm - 20 Questions with…Envy & Other Sins
Posted on 08 March 2008 by Rich Thane
On the verge of releasing their debut album, we caught up with the “mobileAct Unsigned” winners Envy & Other Sins to give them their toughest challenge yet: our 20 Questions! (Can I say I feel particularly old my the fact that their first record ever bought was an album by Space….).
1. Describe your sound in 3 words.
Eccentric English pop.
2. What was the first record you ever bought? And where did you buy it?
‘Spiders’ by Space, from some music mail order club.
3. What’s the best cure for a hangover?
Don’t get up in the first place. Schoolboy error.
4. What’s on your rider?
Real ale, dark rum and bananas. All the major food groups!
5. How do you get ready for a live show?
We generaly spend about two hours in the van bickering, arrive at the venue and start playing poker, get bored, spout some nonsense, lose Mark for a while and then shamble onto the stage.
6. What’s your favourite song to play live?
I think we all love playing Shipwrecked. Its not always appropriate but if the crowd are into it its amazing.
7. What’s your guilty pleasure?
R.Kelly videos.
8. Who would win in a fight, a stoat or a goat and why?
Well, the stoat is the faster of the two but the goat has a size advantage and horns. I think the stoat would edge it in a hand to hand situation but the goat would probably have the upper hand in a more tactical exchange.
9. What was the last album you bought?
The last album I bought was the Howling Bells last album (it’s amazing!) Mark got me the best of Bryan Ferry for christmas which pleased me a lot.
10. If you could rid the world of one song - what would it be?
‘Same Jeans’ by The View.
11. Who would play you in a film based upon your life?
Has to be Bryan Ferry. Or Peter Faulk.
12. Dead or alive. What 5 acts would you have play with you at a festival?
Bowie, Roxy Music, The Kinks, Led Zep and Ben Folds Five. (I know BFF would be a little out of their depth but so would we and I love them.)
13. If push comes to shove, what is your all-time favourite album?
Sgt. Peppers.
14. What’s your most memorable on the road story?
We once played in Glasgow and a kindly young lady let us stay the night in her flat because she had the hots for Jarvey. In the morning we all said our goodbyes and clambered into the van, only to discover Stu our sound man was nowhere to be seen. Eventually he came round the corner and it turned out he’d been having a shit when we left and had emerged ten minutes later much the suprise of our host.
15. If your life flashed before your eyes, what would be the highlights?
Making this album would be pretty difficult to beat.
16. What’s the best piece of advice someone has ever given you and did you take notice?
Someone once told me that if you make it appear that you’re useless at everything you can avoid a lot of responsibility in life. It has become my personal mantra.
17. If you had to leave a body part to science, what would it be?
My beautiful fingers.
18. What’s the best book you’ve read and film you’ve seen in the last 6 months?
I’ve just got into the Flashman books. I’ve read three on this recording session and they have all been great. I’m not really into films (although I know thats not a very fashionable thing to say) but we watched The Good The Bad and The Ugly in the van the other day and I really enjoyed that.
19. What three things could you not live without?
Drums, Beer and Michael Palin.
20. Tell us a fact about yourself we probably don’t already know.
I once worked on an oil rig in the North Sea.
http://thelineofbestfit.com/2008/03/0
10:43 pm - Live Review: Envy & Other Sins
The stage is set with lamp shades and coat stands, the first signs of the kind of English eccentricity beloved of anyone from the Beta Band to British Sea Power. The band slink on and tune up quietly with little fuss or fanfare, before launching into a short, sharp(-suited) set, looking like a Victorian gentlemen’s club in their retro suits, pointy boots and mutton-chop sideburns.
These are Envy & Other Sins , the Brummie band who won T4’s MobileAct Unsigned at the end of last year. There was a danger that we’d be bowled over by X Factor-style hype and promotional branding. Luckily, though, it’s just four lads taking to the stage like anyone else currently gigging the small clubs.
Their MobileAct-winning song, Highness , is thrown in early, its spiky opening and spiralling guitars wrapping a loser-in-love melodrama up in a riffing and infectious highlight. The sound might be reminiscent of Britpop at times but three-minute pop songs like 'Almost Certainly Elsewhere' and 'Man Bites God' are filled with enough sky-high harmonies and wonky organs that after a while you just don’t care.
With lyrics pitched somewhere between the wit and whimsy of the Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon and the tongue-twisting humour of Alex Turner , everyone’s smiling as frontman Ali Forbes sings “Why do you treat me like a stranger, when I am not a stranger, I’m just a little stranger”.
A swift half hour later and it’s all over. They could do with fleshing out their set with some more songs, but those will come in time. For now, there’s enough tunes and quirky style to see why these sinners are winners.
Alex Cottrill
http://www.hit40uk.com/blog/articles/2010:43 pm - review Birmingham Bar Academy, 7 March 2008
Envy And Other Sins
Birmingham Bar Academy, 7 March 2008
You may remember mobileAct unsigned as T4's awful indie-X-Factor show with an amusing twist. The twist being that it managed to be more embarrassing for the presenters (hello Alex James, Jo Whiley and Simon Gavin) than for the acts involved. The eventual winners were the Birmingham-based Envy & Other Sins; a likeable quartet of Victoriana-clad gents and the evening's headliners.
The first band of the evening announced that it would be The Companions (for t'was they)'s last gig. This caused me some mild consternation because they sounded good - far too good to be splitting up in fact. It turns out the band are called The Carter Manoeuvre and adopted the other name for one night only. Whatever they call themselves I'd urge you to check them out.
Ditto the next couple of bands on the bill. Despite enjoying an impromptu Birmingham Live! meet-up my ears kept pricking up to to The Hoop Group's slightly groove-flecked indie/rock stylings and Telegramme's more aggressive sound. It was barely 10pm and I'd found three decent Midlands-based bands to keep in mind. Things were looking good.
By the time Envy & Other Sins took the stage the support acts had left and apparently taken their guestlist allocations with them, leaving noticeable gaps in the reportedly sold-out venue. I'd be narked at this but given that they missed a great show I'm more inclined to pity the fools.
Envy & Other Sins announced that for the first (and possibly last) time they would play their forthcoming album 'We Leave At Dawn' through in its entirety. The slightly depleted crowd (including a fair few older family members if I'm not mistaken) fully appreciated a set of melodic, hook-strewn tunes delivered with charm and panache.
Their material was almost all entirely new to me but I picked out current single 'Highness', 'Step Across' and 'Talk To Strangers' as memorable highlights in a set of consistently high quality. Certainly I was impressed enough to have marked the album's release date (31 March) on my calendar.
What's more, they proved themselves to be genuinely nice guys; hanging about and chatting with fans after the show, signing items for charity and posing gamely for any number of photos. I left feeling unnaturally positive about Birmingham's homegrown scene and hoping that Envy can build on their success and shine a little light back on where they've come from.
Posted on 11 March 2008 by Chris Unitthttp://www.culturedeluxe.com/news_i
10:41 pm - Spray Q&A: Envy & Other Sins
March 5th, 2008 at 13:00 by Stuart Heritage
You might know Envy & Other Sins as the band from that Mobile Act Unsigned show, but they're not just your average reality TV gonks.
This month sees the release of the debut Envy & Other Sins album We Leave At Dawn, a vital-sounding collection of English pop helmed by Coldplay's producer. We aren't sure what the other sins in the band's name are, but they probably include slavery and not cleaning up afterwards when your dog craps in the park.
We asked Jim from Envy & Other Sins the same questions we ask everybody else, and this is how he answered…
Finish this sentence: If I ruled the world, I'd…
… be the King of the World.
Is there a film, record or book that changed your life?
Apocalypse Clarkson.
What's your guilty pleasure?
Huey Lewis and the News.
What turns you on?
Girls in old fashioned diving helmets.
Who's the biggest celebrity idiot you've ever met?
Peaches Geldof.
What would be your super power of choice?
The Force.
What was the first record you bought yourself?
Ten by Pearl Jam.
When was the last time you cried at a film?
I cried when I realised I'd paid actual money to go and see Starter for Ten.
What is the strangest favourite fan request you've ever had?
Someone actually emailed us today to ask if we could take them trouser shopping.
Which animal would you be?
A bee. I bloody LOVE bees.
What do you want written on your gravestone?
Here lies Jim, King of the World.
Say something nice about hecklerspray.
I love hecklerspray. It's the reason I get up in the mornings.
OK, plug whatever you want…
Our single Highness is out now and our album We Leave At Dawn is out at the end of March. I think you should buy them both.
http://www.hecklerspray.com/spray-qa-en
10:40 pm - Envy & Other Sins - 'We Leave At Dawn' (Polydor) Released 31/03/08
Without the exposure Envy and Other Sins found themselves swarmed in, the Midlands lovelies would’ve still been slaving away in their day jobs. The TV contest they won was unfortunately targeted at the wrong audience and the promotion for their storming single ‘Highness’ was pretty non-existent – resulting in it missing the Top 40. The band are stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea – supporting The Hoosiers at one end, unable to be playlisted on Radio One due to Jo Whiley’s conflict of interests at the other. They’re filling the small venues they once only attracted a few people to, but surely the thousands of people watching the programme should have made for a more market progression? And equally, the endless assault of disheartening put-downs they face can’t be all that much fun. In ‘We Leave At Dawn’, they forget the backlash and provide us with a selection of intricate, well-crafted, reflective snippets. This is pop music with heart, intricacy and subtleties – a self-justification of sorts.
It’s a record best listened to with headphones to pick up on the crescendos and the way the elements are carefully knitted together. Megastar producer Danton Supple’s efforts on ‘We Leave At Dawn’ give the album a finish which verges on over-polished – the instruments are a tad too crisply separated, or in the extreme, too hazily fused. Regardless of that negative, the four-piece continue to write lyrics far cleverer than your average indie-pop fare – they’re pacey and idiosyncratic, complementing the sweet little ascending vocal runs that frame them in songs like ‘Almost Certainly Elsewhere’.
It’s refreshing to listen to music so unpretentious and naturally memorable which retains its quirks even after repeated listens – it can feel too familiar on the first play, but the knack for telling a story and pushing out cute hooks and rhythms far overrides any cynicism that may be trying to creep out. ‘Morning Sickness’ is a timely blend of Casio arpeggios, homely yet unsettling bass and challenging tonality. ‘Step Across’ is an ecstatic escapist mish-mash of piano hammering and scattergun syllables – the most complex and involved offering on the album.
Next single ‘Man Bites God’ is oh-so-contagious: “We’re rotten to the core, we’re all the same/we are scu, you were like us/but when did you become so righteous?/Let’s do a roaring trade, ‘til the day the Messiah comes/And stops us having fun” – it’s rollicking, knowing, and proof of Envy and Other Sins’ highs and low, sidesteps and backsteps, devious sneaking in of a bar in 6/4… it’s a song which should be loved by millions. Though ‘Don’t Start Fires’ is the album’s highlight; it’s so simple and unfussy yet its soaring melodies make it epic in the same vein as Doves, with a huge-scale sound that the stadium bands aspire towards, not to mention a damn fine effort on the drums. The nigh on falsetto of the album-closer ‘Shipwrecked’ shows off a more spacious, nautical sound which touches on a new-found viciousness, something which should be more evident in other places on the album but is somehow passed by.
Ali’s fey vocal is something which usually provides a contrast rather than a weakness, except on ‘The Company We Keep’ – it possesses the deft chord progressions and syncopation we’ve come to expect, but feels the least substantial due to the anonymity of the otherwise flourishing bass. And ‘(It Gets Harder To Be A) Martyr’ has got the charm but lacks the plentiful core of the album’s best moments.
Although a lovely pop record, we can’t help feeling that the four-piece capable of more, going on the basis of how much fun their live shows are and how much they put into their music. It’s a shame that the production has dumbed down their Victorian leanings, although maybe we just expected perfection… let’s hope Envy and Other Sins get the attention they deserve very soon.
http://www.gigwise.com/reviews/albums/4
Apr. 8th, 2008
12:00 pm - Tuesday the 8th of April
Well, our tour is underway, and we've already met a host of new sinners, so hello to you all!
Some sinners are especially active, creating new and very envious sites out there in the wider world of cyberland...
We'd suggest you pay a couple of them a visit. There's Adam who's set up this Bebo page, and not forgetting Emma, who's set up this rather wonderful site.
And thanks to everyone who sent in video ideas for Man Bites God - we've been overwhelmed by the number and quality of the ideas, clearly you have very fertile imaginations! We will be choosing our favourite very soon and hence announcing the competition winner, so watch this space...
Mar. 31st, 2008
12:00 pm - Monday the 31st of March
Today will be a day long remembered. It has seen Jarvey falling off a ladder (deliberately), Mark knocking Ali unconscious with a dustbin lid and Jim in drag (again). Oh, and we released an album, but that's pretty trivial in comparison. Having said that, I can heartily recommend getting yourself a copy so here's a link to HMV for your convenience:
"Hang on a minute", I hear you cry, " there's no way I'm going to part with my hard-earned cash until these swines give me a feel for the circumstances in which the album was made!" Well, I'm afraid if you're still holding out for Jim's recording diary it's going to be a long wait - he was far too preoccupied with 'sitting down' during the latter stages of recording and couldn't finish it, so this hastily-compiled set of images will have to suffice...
Anyway, in all seriousness this is a pretty big day for us all and we'd like to thank everyone who's helped make it happen. I can never get enough of Jim dressed as a woman.
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