{"title":"Fika Recordings","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFika Recordings is an independent music label founded in 2011 by Tom Ashton. With a passion for discovering and sharing new music, Fika Recordings was established to release the kind of music that Tom wanted to hear himself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSince its inception, Fika Recordings has become known for its diverse roster of talented artists who span various genres. From *indie pop* to *folk* and everything in between, the label prides itself on showcasing unique and innovative sounds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith a commitment to quality and authenticity, Fika Recordings works closely with each artist to ensure their vision is fully realized. The label's dedication to supporting emerging talent has earned it a reputation as a trusted platform for up-and-coming musicians.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"better-friends","title":"Better Friends","description":"\u003cp\u003eFirst there was Paul McCartney, Phil Lynott and Lemmy, and now in 2017 Bill Botting swells the esteemed ranks of bass-players-with-moustaches-come-charismatic-front-men. Following Allo Darlin’s triumphant farewell back in Dec 2016, their ever-buoyant bass player Bill Botting is releasing his debut solo album on Fika Recordings and WIAIWYA. He gathered a supergroup of siblings and indie legends including Allo Darlin’ bandmate Paul Rains, Jonny Helm from The Wave Pictures, Tom Wade from Owl and Mouse, Laura K from Tigercats, Darren Hayman and Hannah Botting from home and christened them the Two Drink Minimums. \u003ci\u003eBetter Friends\u003c\/i\u003e is simply described as indie mixed with country, or country mixed with indie. Or like if Lou Reed went to a Linda Ronstadt Concert in 1988 and decided to have a change of direction. Imagine the soundtrack to a 1970's road movie directed by John Hughes, with a little power pop, some cosmic American music and some post-punk, pre-indiepop jangle, all played through an Australian indie filter, with a Paul Simon cover thrown in for good measure. You can hear the Go-Between's in there, some solo McCartney, perhaps an Antipodean Kinks and even some classic Hall and Oates. Better Friends was predominantly written on the move: on 3 hour night buses, tour vans and cross country trains. There are tales of hotel rooms without spare keys [\u003ci\u003ePaulie’s Girl\u003c\/i\u003e], absurd ‘sexy’ Halloween costumes (\u003ci\u003eSexy Mental Patient, Sexy Zombie\u003c\/i\u003e etc) [\u003ci\u003eFeeling Sad Again\u003c\/i\u003e] and the difficulty of explaining depression to your eldest child [\u003ci\u003eDifficult Stuff\u003c\/i\u003e]. The cover of \u003ci\u003eGraceland\u003c\/i\u003e came from hearing Willie Nelson’s version while waiting for the rest of the band to arrive for the first rehearsal. Having thought it was uncoverable, Bill proceeded to cover it with the gang. And he still modestly maintains that The Two Drink Minimums’ version is the second best of the three. It's honest and personal, melancholy and joyous... like a warm hug from a new friend at the end of a boozy night.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLP - Blue Coloured Vinyl.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fika Recordings","offers":[{"title":"CD.","offer_id":50383926853963,"sku":"1007483","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/e0171e74-f84a-4c48-812a-3647793d7c14_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726278739"},{"product_id":"drops-2","title":"Drops","description":"\u003cp\u003eSteven Adams, formerly of The Broken Family Band with his new album on Fika Recordings. Since calling time on TBFB at the height of their success, Adams has released half a dozen albums under various names (Singing Adams, Steven James Adams, Steven Adams \u0026amp; The French Drops), his witty, incisive lyrics and melodic sensibilities taking in DIY indie rock, folky introspection, and off-kilter pop hooks. \u003ci\u003eDrops\u003c\/i\u003e is the first album to be credited to him as a solo artist since 2016’s \u003ci\u003eOld Magick\u003c\/i\u003e, his first new music since 2020, and his noisiest record to date. Armed with a new batch of material, he began by upping sticks to the Welsh countryside to experiment with drummer Daniel Fordham and bassist David Stewart - both formerly of psych oddballs The Drink. The trio then took the songs to Big Jelly, a converted chapel on the south coast,  3 with co-producer Simon Trought (Comet Gain, Johnny Flynn, The Wave Pictures) to lay down the basic tracks. Eschewing a full band set up (“I wanted to concentrate on one thing at a time”), recording sessions in East London followed with Laurie Earle (Absentee) on guitar and Michael Wood (Hayman Kupa Band, Michaelmas) on keyboards. Adams then took the recordings home and to the French countryside, to work alone. Whenever Tom from Fika Recordings checked in to see how the album was progressing Adams would reply, “it’s taking ages but it’ll sound like it was recorded in an afternoon”. The result is a dynamic and spirited collection of songs, with Adams's love of 90\/00s US underground rock (Pavement's Bob Nastanovich is a fan) to the fore. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fika Recordings","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50395078721867,"sku":"2078396","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50395078361419,"sku":"2078357","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Steven_Adams__Drops_92618070_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726454376"},{"product_id":"four-for-a-boy","title":"Four For A Boy","description":"\u003cp\u003eFollowing the release of her debut solo album Mox Nox last year, Four for a Boy is a four-track EP of songs co-written by Alison Eales and her long-term collaborator Garry Hoggan. Like its sister record Mox Nox, the EP was recorded and mixed by Paul Savage at Chem 19 studios, mastered by Reuben Taylor, and features artwork by Rhian Nicholas at The Passenger Press – but in a departure from the approach to the album, Four for a Boy keeps its arrangements sparse in order to showcase Hoggan’s gift for melody. The songs: The lead track is Minuet, a minimalist love song that pits its protagonists against zombies and nanobots and which is accompanied by a lyric video by magician Billy Reid. Rain Song, with its drip-drip-dripping ukulele and piano, captures the experience of suffering with depression, while the shining autoharp and accordion of The Earliest Blue expresses the hope of recovery. These are also accompanied by an animated lyric video. The EP closes with Play Along, a plaintive reimagining of the Carpenters’ Superstar. Alison is a long-standing member of the band Butcher Boy, playing piano, accordion and other keyboards as well as arranging for choir and brass. She is also a member of Glasgow Madrigirls and has collaborated with bands including The Color Waves (USA), The Very Most (USA), The Just Joans (Glasgow), Featherfin (Norway) and The Powdered Earth (UK). Her debut solo album Mox Nox was released on Fika Recordings in March 2023. “Blessed with a voice whose clear, bright tone evokes Kirsty MacColl, Alison Eales puts it to excellent use on this charming debut album” - Uncut [7\/10] \/\/ “…her debut solo album Mox Nox (meaning “night, shortly”) is an opportunity to hear her light, pure voice in its own right across a variety of ravishing soundscapes, from the electronica-inflected indie folk of Rapunzel to the delicate chamber pop of Ever Forward” - The Scotsman [4\/5] \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fika Recordings","offers":[{"title":"Black 7\" - 2178159","offer_id":50399755731275,"sku":"2178159","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Alison_Eales_-_Four_for_a_Boy_99ceadfa_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726507824"},{"product_id":"here-3","title":"Here","description":"\u003cp\u003eMammoth Penguins are a 3-piece indie powerhouse, showcasing the songwriting and vocal talents of Emma Kupa (Standard Fare) backed up by the noisiest rhythm section in indie pop.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003enow sees the release of their fourth album \u003ci\u003eHere\u003c\/i\u003e on Fika Recordings. After 2019’s big, bold and confident \u003ci\u003eThere’s No Fight We Can’t Both Win\u003c\/i\u003e, and the initial shock of the global pandemic cancelling a trip to SXSW in 2020, the band returned to the studio in the summer of 2021 to start recording.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe new record leans into a raw pop-punk power-trio sound more than ever, with a deep growl in layered guitars and bursts of percussion and harmony. The songs and artwork explore themes about finding a place for yourself and familiarity with people and places. Although it turns back towards a classic three-piece sound, the band weren’t restricted by that palette, adding finishing touches of percussion, extra guitars and backing vocals in short bursts in a garden shed, and also bringing in gorgeous strings to sweeten the title track.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe sound builds on the band’s first album, \u003ci\u003eHide and Seek\u003c\/i\u003e, which was released with the much-loved and sorely missed Fortuna POP! in 2015. The follow-up LP \u003ci\u003eJohn Doe\u003c\/i\u003e in 2017 was an ambitious concept album, exploring the feelings of loss and anger at a man who fakes his own death only to return years later, expanding well beyond the 3-piece rock‘n’roll template, with washes of strings, synths and samples.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThose big singalong choruses need your voice shouting back from the crowd with joy and defiance. Reminiscent of the pop melodies of The Beths, the indie dissonance of Land of Talk, and the guitar forward slacker rock of Weezer, Mammoth Penguins marry heart-ache indiepop with spiky guitars and Emma’s frank confessional songwriting.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fika Recordings","offers":[{"title":"Orange LP","offer_id":50412760432971,"sku":"2182819","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50412756304203,"sku":"2182818","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Mammoth_Penguins__Here_019751c0_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726668674"},{"product_id":"keep-it-light","title":"Keep It Light","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe buoyant and relaxed mood can be heard across the album in its gloriously skipping tones, as it traverses across indie, pop, alt-rock and more tender acoustic and folk-leaning moments. It’s a craft that Adams has been honing for years as the lead figure in outfits such as The Broken Family Band and Singing Adams, so much so that by now it oozes out of him with a seamless grace.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe album is one as full of joy and beauty as it is ink black humour and caustic revelation. On the gorgeous shuffle of \u003ci\u003eOh Dear\u003c\/i\u003e - recalling the kind of stripped back beauty of Yo La Tengo at their finest - Adams sings: “and true love will not find you in the end.” A knowing nod and a wink to Daniel Johnston’s earnest refrain that indeed true love will find you in the end. It’s such moments that fill the album with equal parts weight and lightness, a smart touch delivered with a deft hand. Of the broad range of the album and its wide-spanning lyrical content Adams simply says: “the upbeat stuff is pretty upbeat and the darker stuff is pretty dark, but it’s all still with some humour.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerhaps the song that best encapsulates this split between the light and the dark and the funny and the personal is\u003ci\u003e My Brother, the Racist\u003c\/i\u003e a self explanatory song that skips along with an infectious groove as Adams sings about, well, his racist brother. 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Stitching together a variety of influences, from crunching indie-rock, to gothic country and contemplative psych folk, Jessica’s Brother create the sound of a band coming together and getting caught up in the rush of starting afresh. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe disintegration of a long-term relationship, coinciding with a global fracturing, provided a catalyst for \u003ci\u003eJust Rain\u003c\/i\u003e. The songs explore a relentless collision of melancholy and resilience alongside themes of comedy, agency, and hope. The title track lays this out with an opening burst of slacker rock as Tom reflects back over a passage of time that feels like persistent unrelenting rain. Vacillating between despair and defiance, we uncover the strength to shrug it off as “just rain”; after all, as the track draws to its conclusion “losing sight can be relieving”. Interestingly, the lyric, “open up your heart, it can help to wear a mask”, was written before the pandemic had properly struck in the UK. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Finding Snowdrop’ is a spiritual rebirth gone wrong, influenced by the rambling poetry and hooks found in Yoni Wolf’s Why? and Bill Callahan. On 'Full Swing’ both the baritone of Tom’s delivery and lyrics conjure the darkness of the everyday: ”cut my own brakes, living in hiding of late” are reminiscent of The Handsome Family’s wonderful way of transposing the tradition of murder ballads and the bleakest tales to the modern. A more expansive and luxuriant sound runs through \u003ci\u003eJust Rain\u003c\/i\u003e, than the sparser Silver Jews \/ Jason Molina atmosphere of their 2018 debut, from the gutsy alt-rock of the title track to the off kilter pop of ‘Little One', reminiscent of Sparklehorse, a tale of young love and youthful exuberance. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJessica’s Brother formed in 2016. Jonny and Charlie worked together in a framing business and had often talked about collaborating in a band together. Fate intervened when Jonny’s girlfriend Jessica introduced him to her brother Tom, and they found a songwriter in waiting. 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After Hefner, Hayman’s palette grew to include a unique take on place and memory. In the early 2000s he wrote a trilogy of albums around the history of Essex. In 2012 he made an instrumental album describing the tranquillity of Lidos. In 2016 Darren was awarded ‘Hardest Working Musician’ by the Association of Independent Music for his epic project on \u003ci\u003eThankful Villages\u003c\/i\u003e, the 55 villages that survived the Great War with no casualties. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHis most recent record, \u003ci\u003e12 Astronauts\u003c\/i\u003e, tells the personal story of the only men to have walked on the Moon. Darren is continually obsessed with the idea of what songs can be, and the stories they can tell. As he explains, “With projects like \u003ci\u003eThankful Villages\u003c\/i\u003e, I became interested in what a record could be, using field recordings, interviews and songs to make sound collages. I wanted to return to the stricter art of song writing and try and make the twelve best compositions I could. I wanted to make useful songs, words that could be comfort, not just thoughts that would depress.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fika Recordings","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP | x2","offer_id":50457379111243,"sku":"1169052","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD | x2","offer_id":50457378193739,"sku":"1169053","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/370d430d-2ff7-403f-9ba9-23028665e7c5_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727205047"},{"product_id":"new-works","title":"New Works","description":"\u003cp\u003eIt’s been four years since we last heard from Tigercats, with the 2018 album \u003ci\u003ePig City\u003c\/i\u003e marking the expansion of their sonic palette from indie-pop and alt-rock, to include highlife, afrobeat, and scuzzy West African psych. The\u003ci\u003e New Works\u003c\/i\u003e EP is another step into the new for Tigercats, the sound of an increasingly political band, unbound by the records they’ve made previously, and enjoying the freedom of exploring and experimenting for these 5 new tracks. “We’ve been a band over 10 years and it felt like all of our previous recordings have been leading up to this one. After Duncan switched from guitar to kalimba a few years back, and we welcomed a horn section into the line-up, the sound has been getting denser and grittier, particularly live. With this recording we’ve finally managed to capture some of that energy on record.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe opening track \u003ci\u003eNew Work\u003c\/i\u003e, a song about the relentless tyranny of labour in the 21st century, grows from the synth bass riffs and riotous brass lines with production inspired by industrial techno like JK Flesh, to display lyrical ferocity not often heard. \u003ci\u003eThe Space\u003c\/i\u003e came together completely improvised in the studio, and reflects on the fight for space to create art - in a world fighting for your attention 24-7, and the depletion of available arts spaces. The intensity subsides for The Picture, a track whose origins date back to the writing of the band’s second record. More reminiscent of Tigercats’ indie credentials, drawing on the textures of Low or Yo Lo Tengo, it is developed here by a band confidently hitting their stride.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fika Recordings","offers":[{"title":"Black | 10\"","offer_id":50459339620683,"sku":"1139814","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/663883f3-ef38-4ea9-8253-d0d18d361154_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727220421"},{"product_id":"the-in-between-times","title":"The In-Between Times","description":"\u003cp\u003eLet’s Whisper started many moons ago as a home recording project between Colin Clary and Dana Kaplan, during time off from their other outfit, The Smittens. Since then, the line up of the Vermont outfit has expanded, and now includes Brad Searles, The Essex Green’s Jeff Baron and Emma Kupa of Mammoth Penguins\/Standard Fare. 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Making Marks formed in Oslo in 2012 and are made up of Ola Innset on guitar and vocals, Nina Bø on vocals and keyboards, Marie Sneve on bass and Jørgen Nordby on drums. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fika Recordings","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50491717845323,"sku":"371247","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/878dbd6b-f744-4ec4-ad8f-fd5a4ece71f1_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727688565"},{"product_id":"broken","title":"Broken","description":"\u003cp\u003eLimited 10\" to 250, yellow vinyl, hand-numbered with free mp3 download. Nik Vestberg used to be 50% of Moustache Of Insanity (alongside Allo Darlin's Bill Botting), he's now 100% Fulhast. Broken is his debut album. It comes with an exclusive remix of 'Your Skin' by Darren Hayman. The same old story: Boy meets girl and they fall in love. Six years pass. Girl leaves boy. Boy takes his Game Boy and guitar and makes a record. This is it. Fulhast is Nik. He is feeling fine these days, thanks for asking.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fika Recordings","offers":[{"title":"10\"","offer_id":50492084584779,"sku":"365919","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/2dbe72ba-1340-4dcc-982c-cf05cce4135f_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727690793"},{"product_id":"wakefield","title":"Wakefield","description":"\u003cp\u003eLimited Teal Coloured 7\" with Download. 'Wakefield', taken from the new album 'My Ass', has a jazzy flowing bass driving a day in the life of Brinks on tour: a sense of togetherness, a touch of sax and the knowledge that love will act as a shield against all evil. Stanley Brinks is joined by The Wave Pictures for their new record 'My Ass', the follow up to last year's 'Gin', and their fourth album together. After 'Gin' Brinks wasted no time in taking The Wave Pictures straight back to the studio, bright and early, the morning after the final show of their tour, to ensure they lost none of the fire still burning in their hearts from the final night's drinks. Three playful days and twelve loose, jazzy, tracks later, with Brinks making salubrious use of his new penny-whistle and the assembled studio choir of friends hanging out, embraced into the recordings, he had his camel, 'My Ass'. Stanley Brinks was born in Paris, France, in 1973. By the late 90s he'd become a full time singer-songwriter - André Herman Düne - as part of three piece indie-rock band, Herman Düne. Several albums and Peel sessions later and after a decade of touring Europe, mostly with American songwriters such as Jeffrey Lewis, Calvin Johnson and early Arcade Fire he settled in Berlin. The early carnival music of Trinidad became a passion, and in the early 21st century he became the unquestioned master of European calypso, changing his name to Stanley Brinks.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fika Recordings","offers":[{"title":"7\"","offer_id":50493551640907,"sku":"393138","price":6.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/e8eecf68-5f6b-49fa-858e-6c09b47a1073_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727698816"},{"product_id":"florence","title":"Florence","description":"\u003cp\u003eDarren Hayman returns with a delicate and honest album, continuing his habit of making incisive, observational and beautiful albums. Written between Christmas and New Year at the end of 2014 in the Firenze flat of Elizabeth and Ola Innset Morris, Florence has a back-to-basics approach for Hayman, eschewing his recent collaborative, conceptual approaches for a humble and modest solo effort, entirely recorded and performed in the Italian apparetemento of his hosts. Darren Hayman is a thoughtful, concise and detailed songwriter. He eschews the big, the bright and the loud for the small, twisted and lost. For 15 years, and over 14 albums, Hayman has taken a singular and erratic route through England's tired and heartbroken underbelly. Hayman was influenced by punk through his art college years, but throughout the '90s he was inspired by American lo-fi indie-rock. A chance meeting with John Peel favourites New Bad Things and shows with them in London and Portland USA taught Darren the DIY ethic and soon he was self-releasing records by his first band, Hefner (1998-2003). Hayman's first solo albums, Table For One (2006) and The Secondary Modern (2007) charmed the critics - The Guardian opining that Hayman's profoundly English songwriting was \"the match of Ray Davies.\" To support this burgeoning career, Hayman formed a backing band, The Secondary Modern. A loose, urban folk collective, they underpinned Hayman's concrete sorrow with rural violins and tired pianos. Hayman has since released a series of albums, largely focussed on place, allowing exploration of nuanced subjects in detail. A trio of albums based in Essex (2009's Pram Town and 2010's Essex Arms) culminated in 2012's The Violence, a 20 song account of the 17th century Essex witch trials, from which developed an album of English Civil War folk songs of the time (2013's Bugbears). Last year's Chants For Socialists saw Hayman set music to William Morris' words: an album of kindness and hope that brought Hayman's most critical acclaim yet. \"His vision goes far beyond any other current independent artist and is a true treasure\" Q Magazine  - 12\" black vinyl with download code.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fika Recordings","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50493723017547,"sku":"394680","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/4723a68d-f68c-46aa-8fd1-159808774580_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727700040"},{"product_id":"my-ass","title":"My Ass","description":"\u003cp\u003eStanley Brinks is joined by The Wave Pictures for their new record 'My Ass', the follow up to last year's 'Gin', and their fourth album together. After 'Gin' Brinks wasted no time in taking The Wave Pictures straight back to the studio, bright and early, the morning after the final show of their tour, to ensure they lost none of the fire still burning in their hearts from the final night's drinks. Three playful days and twelve loose, jazzy, tracks later, with Brinks making salubrious use of his new penny-whistle and the assembled studio choir of friends hanging out, embraced into the recordings, he had his camel, 'My Ass'. 'My Ass' is an album born out of Brinks' life on the road, life as an outsider. It is a celebration of new drinking companions, in new bars, in new towns, every night. The memories of loved ones left at home, of places you can smoke inside and drink warm beer through the night. The shows that you wish could last forever. That island in the sun that keeps bringing you back 'Wakefield', the first single has a jazzy flowing bass driving a day in the life of Brinks on tour: a sense of togetherness, a touch of sax and the knowledge that love will act as a shield against all evil. 'Berlin' is yet another anthemic Brinks sing-along. Its airy ambivalence celebrates both the freedom and the ensuing pressures of his beloved adoptive hometown. Stanley Brinks was born in Paris, France, in 1973. He studied a bit of biology and worked as a nurse for a while. Half Swedish, half Moroccan, strongly inclined to travel the world, he soon began spending most of his life on the road and developed a strong relationship with New York. By the late 90s he'd become a full time singersongwriter - André Herman Düne - as part of three piece indie-rock band, Herman Düne. Several albums and Peel sessions later and after a decade of touring Europe, mostly with American songwriters such as Jeffrey Lewis, Calvin Johnson and early Arcade Fire he settled in Berlin. The early carnival music of Trinidad became a passion, and in the early 21st century he became the unquestioned master of European calypso, changing his name to Stanley Brinks. Under this moniker he has recorded more than 100 albums, collaborated with the New York Antifolk scene on several occasions, recorded and toured with traditional Norwegian musicians, and played a lot with The Wave Pictures. The Wave Pictures are David Tattersall, Franic Rozycki and Jonny 'Huddersfield' Helm. Formed in 1998 when Franic and David lived in a village called Wymeswold, the band played with several drummers until Jonny became a permanent member in 2003 replacing Hugh J Noble. In the beginning the band learned to play together by covering Jonathan Richman songs but soon David was writing lots of original material. They have since released six studio albums to critical acclaim and played numerous sessions on BBC 6 Music, Radio 1 and Xfm. Interest generated from these recordings has enabled The Wave Pictures to play shows all over the world with artists including Jeffrey Lewis, Darren Hayman, Stanley Brinks, Freschard and Herman Düne. LP - Camel coloured vinyl with download. CD digipack.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fika Recordings","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50493807755595,"sku":"393405","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/23853ea6-a89a-45ef-81cc-54ead825aa67_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727700739"},{"product_id":"turtle-dove","title":"Turtle Dove","description":"\u003cp\u003eRecord Store Day 2016 Release.   Blue vinyl LP in gatefold sleeve, includes bonus download of two track single \"Too Much Women\". Following the albums Gin and My Ass recorded with The Wave Pictures in un-gentrified East London, Stanley Brinks (aka André Herman Dune) returns with a new collaborative album, this time with the Norwegian folk collective The Kaniks as his backing band. Eschewing a traditional recording studio, André took The Kaniks to a remote island outside the small town of Egersund in south west Norway. Over the course of week of midnight sun, midnight swims and midnight beers on their isolated rocky island, living and recording in the only building on the island, the (now unmanned) mid 19th century Vibberodden lighthouse, Stanley Brinks and The Kaniks recorded three albums of material; Turtle Dove is the first of those three to be released. Brinks is renowned for his unique antifolk style: both playful and suggestive, insightful and entertaining. His fondness for calypso and the unusual provide the perfect foil to The Kaniks', whose folk instrumentation and country and bluegrass influences take these 12 songs to a joyous place Brinks hasn't been before in his extensive back catalogue. Stanley Brinks was born in Paris, France, in 1973. He studied a bit of biology and worked as a nurse for a while. Half Swedish, half Moroccan, strongly inclined to travel the world, he soon began spending most of his life on the road and developed a strong relationship with New York. 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He’s joined once again by the Norwegian folk collective The Kaniks, this time stripped back to a two piece of fiddle and banjo (“The Old Time Kaniks”). Eschewing a traditional recording studio, Brinks took The Kaniks to a remote island outside the small town of Egersund in south west Norway. Over the course of week of midnight sun, midnight swims and midnight beers on their isolated rocky island, living and recording in the only building on the island, the (now un-manned) mid 19th century Vibberodden lighthouse, Stanley Brinks and The Kaniks recorded the double album of modern day folk tales of love, loss and mischief. Brinks is renowned for his unique antifolk style: both playful and suggestive, insightful and entertaining. His mastery of storytelling, presented in both English and in French on these albums, introduces you to the free spirited world of Brinks’ life as a touring musician. His fondness for calypso and the unusual provide the perfect foil to The Kaniks’, whose folk instrumentation and country and bluegrass influences take this double album to a joyous place Brinks hasn’t been before in his extensive back catalogue. Stanley Brinks was born in Paris, France, in 1973. He studied a bit of biology and worked as a nurse for a while. Half Swedish, half Moroccan, strongly inclined to travel the world, he soon began spending most of his life on the road and developed a strong relationship with New York. By the late 90s he’d become a full time singer-songwriter – André Herman Düne – as part of three piece indie-rock band, Herman Düne. Several albums and Peel sessions later and after a decade of touring Europe, mostly with American songwriters such as Jeffrey Lewis, Calvin Johnson and early Arcade Fire he settled in Berlin. 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Over the past ten years he has gently built up a collection of his own songs, which he performs with his band Enderby’s Room. The name comes from an Anthony Burgess character called Mr Enderby who composed his prose inside the toilet. The band’s make up has been constantly evolving; around 30 different individuals have been a part of Enderby’s Room over the last decade, before settling on the current 5 piece lineup. Enderby’s Room’s sound features a Victorian pedal harmonium, together with French horn, double bass, ukulele, guitar and percussion. The artwork for the record was created by Johnny Voss whose style involves using a continuous single pen stroke to create his illustrations. 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Formed in Glasgow in 2005, The Just Joans have evolved from a shambling two-piece to an accomplished sextet that embraces rivalry and relationship in the vocals of siblings, David and Katie Pope. Once described as ‘the missing link between The Magnetic Fields and The Proclaimers’, the band have used self-awareness and self-deprecation to continuously explore themes of angst, heartbreak and detachment in their songs. From their 2006 debut album\u003ci\u003e Last Tango in Motherwell \u003c\/i\u003ethrough a series of successful EPs, to 2012’s compilation \u003ci\u003eBuckfast Bottles In The Rain\u003c\/i\u003e, the acerbic wit in David Pope’s observational lyrics have helped make the band a firm favourite of the indie-pop scene. Their rise has seen them play a plethora of international festivals, such as Wales Goes Pop, Indiefjords, NYC Popfest, and of course the Indietracks festival, of which they have been long-standing cult favourites since their first appearance in 2008. 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Stanley Brinks is renowned for his unique anti-folk style: both playful and suggestive, insightful and entertaining. Brinks was born in Paris, France, in 1973. He studied a bit of biology and worked as a nurse for a while. Half Swedish, half Moroccan, strongly inclined to travel the world, he soon began spending most of his life on the road and developed a strong relationship with New York. By the late 90s he’d become a full time singer-songwriter – André Herman Düne – as part of three piece indie-rock band, Herman Düne. Several albums and Peel sessions later and after a decade of touring Europe, mostly with American songwriters such as Jeffrey Lewis, Calvin Johnson and early Arcade Fire he settled in Berlin. The early carnival music of Trinidad became a passion, and in the early 21st century he became the unquestioned master of European calypso, changing his name to Stanley Brinks. 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The flicker of his previous band provided the building blocks of an upbeat, positive record, but Mikey wanted to add his own quirky, disco spin and sonic expansiveness. The aim to make a record that people stood a chance of being able to dance to. Mikey draws on influences as far flung as Dexy's, Bruce Springsteen, Night Works, Matthew E White and Father John Misty. Mikey began working on the album while he was in Allo Darlin’. The last few years were a conveyor belt of change as he; got married, had a child, bought a house, moved from London to be by the Kent coast and opened a residential studio Big Jelly Studios (Girl Ray, Metronomy, Pete Doherty, Mt Wolf, Seamus Fogarty and Elva). In short, he grew up. 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Their progression is most noticeable on lead single \u003ci\u003eDear Diary, I Died Again today\u003c\/i\u003e, a painfully beautiful admission of everyday anxiety and “When Nietzsche Calls”, the triumphant cry of a spurned lover revelling in the misery of their ex to a backdrop of trumpets and violins. 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And as with contemporaries King Creosote or Withered Hand, is unafraid of drawing on folk music’s story telling tradition, detailing the minutiae of life’s fluctuations, here packaged up in glorious, anthemic and energetic pop. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe titular ‘spirit level’ is a steady reference point over what had been an unsettled spell writing the album, with Adam Ross uprooting from a decade in Glasgow to a tauntingly lopsided house in rural Aberdeenshire, navigating his way through shifting phases in his well-being and happiness, and reflecting on the untimely death of two greatly admired acquaintances. That balancing act came in the form of music, in an optimistic, even celebratory, collection of songs. The move to Aberdeenshire roots the album, with \u003ci\u003eLet This Lie\u003c\/i\u003e reflecting on mortality during a train journey along Scotland’s east coast, to the nostalgia of parts of a life left behind in Glasgow on Punchbag. 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Having spent the majority of her musical career playing keyboards in other people’s bands, bringing their songs to life with a melodic flourish, it was about time for Laura K to find an outlet for her songs: awkward power-pop that’s bound to appeal to fans of The Beths, Weezer or The Pixies. She’s assembled quite the band too: Martha’s Daniel Ellis on lead guitar and Nathan Stephen Griffin on drums, and Nightflowers’ Greg Ullyart on bass.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Writing songs on guitar and being the front person for a band is a new thing for me,” admits Fortitude Valley front woman Laura Kovic. With a musical restlessness setting in over the past few years during her time as the keyboard player of East London indie pop band Tigercats, Kovic might not be used to being the boss, but she doesn’t seem to be letting that get in the way. After experiencing writer’s block for a couple of years, she took the bull by the horns, as she explains, “Finally I bought a guitar in February 2018 to see if doing something different would help me...and it did!” Kovic cemented the band’s line up by recruiting mutual friend and bassist Greg Ullyart from Night Flowers, meeting bandmates Nathan Stephens Griffin (drums) and Daniel Ellis (lead guitar) of Martha\/Onsind through their shared label home on now sadly-defunct indie bastion Fortuna POP! “I played in Mikey Collins’ band with Greg. Named after an area of her home town in Brisbane, Australia, Fortitude Valley is a fitting moniker for the songwriter’s first outfit, who says: “It’s essentially the heart of the music scene in Brisbane. 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Parenthood and the struggles of the dark Norwegian winter is behind Ola’s track First Winter. “Some times I feel bad about bringing children into such a difficult world. Not so much with respect to daylight and the seasons, they’re just going to have to learn how to live with it, but with many other things – like war, poverty, climate change and even just death.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBack In Town might have been inspired by a discussion over whether Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back In Town” is a Christmas song or not, but it’s written about his youngest daughter Klara, to his elder daughter, about taking holidays with your family in a town you once lived.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEinar pulls in Phoenix and Mew by the way of Jesus and Mary Chain on Crash Course Christmas, resulting in a seasick wave of a pop tune. “It’s a song about the guilt of not prioritizing your relationships. It’s been year of rainchecks and Christmas finally gives you some time to reflect. 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However, ‘Nice Try’ showcases the more restrained side of Brutalligators – an ode to feeling stuck, that brings in influences like The Beths and Aarron West And The Roaring Twenties. Meanwhile, ‘Wrong Words’ almost feels like an old Deftones track, with soaring screamed vocals and heavy, chunky rhythms driving the song forward and closing out the album.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eStill Here \u003c\/em\u003eis a proudly DIY project, largely recorded, produced, and mixed by drummer Rhys Kirkman - a return to the homegrown feel of early EP Animals I Wish I’d Seen. 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Whilst some of the details have been exaggerated for comic (or tragic) effect, the songs are based on personal experience of mundane failings, bitter regrets and missed opportunities that make up an unremarkable life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRecurring themes of nostalgia for a bygone era and the fear of being left behind by lovers, friends and peers run throughout the album. Musically and lyrically, the band channels Village Green-era Kinks, with nods to The Television Personalities, The Smiths and Dolly Mixture.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the past they have always recorded by themselves in a variety of bedrooms, living rooms – and the occasional toilet. For the first time they have abandoned their DIY recording practices to create what songwriter David Pope calls, “a corporate behemoth in an actual studio.” The album was recorded at Chem19 in Blan-tyre with Paul Savage, who is best known as a founding member of local legends The Delgados. He has also produced and recorded the likes of Teenage Fanclub, Arab Strap and Camera Obscura, and has captured a slightly more muscular version of the band while retaining their ramshackle charm.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe album artwork by vocalist and painter Katie Pope depicts Motherwell Train Station – an ordinary, boring place that speaks to the subject matter of the songs, but with a hint of potential escape. As David Pope ex-plains, “For me, the painting reminds me of the ending of Billy Liar in which Billy tries and fails to leave his hometown for the bright lights of London. Half the band also live in Motherwell, so it seemed appropriate.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFunded by Creative Scotland, the recording allowed the band to bring in bass and cello arrangements, adding depth and a sheen of musical proficiency to their signature sound.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAbout The Just Joans - The Just Joans were formed in Glasgow in 2005 by songwriterDavid Pope. Early demos were collected together and released as a loose concept album, Last Tango in Motherwell, in 2006. Chris Elkin joined on guitar and was followed shortly after by David’s younger sister, Katie, on vocals and Fraser Ford on bass. Over the years they have released EPs and albums on WeePOP! and Fika Records and have gained a cult following as Scottish pop miserabilists.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe current line-up consists of Katie Pope (vocals), David Pope (vocals, guitar), Chris Elkin (lead guitar), Fraser Ford (bass), Arion Xenos (keyboards) and Jason Sweeney (drums).\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fika Recordings","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":56050658935115,"sku":"R1144-2750","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":56050658967883,"sku":"R1144-3197","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/JustJoans-RomanticVisionsofScotland.jpg?v=1764935404"},{"product_id":"after-the-rain-strange-seeds","title":"After The Rain, Strange Seeds","description":"\u003cp\u003eLondon quartet The Leaf Library return with their bold new album \u003cem\u003eAfter The Rain, Strange Seeds\u003c\/em\u003e. A luminous collection of pastoral indiepop, drawing inspiration from suburban isolation, unreliable memories and the surreality of the weather. Their most immediate and melodic work to date, the richly evocative songs brim with chiming guitars, buzzing organs and warm, dulcet strings, evoking Yo La Tengo’s more contemplative moments, The Clientele’s autumnal jangle pop and early Stereolab’s motorik melodicism. The sound of the album is defined by mixer John McEntire, whose work with Stereolab and Yo La Tengo (as well as a member of Tortoise\/The Sea And Cake) have been major inspirations to the band.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe album explores themes of memory and place, albeit through an abstract haze – returning again and again to specific moments frozen in time: midsummer bright hot days in the Chilterns (“Sun In My Room”), meteorology and the strange movement of the weather (“Colour Chant”), red kites circling over suburban motorways (“Some Circling”), and the uncanny feeling of dusk and nighttime creatures on “The Reader’s Lamp” (titled by celebrated film director Peter Strickland). The lyrics are vivid yet elliptical, strung with abstract ideas and imagery, conjuring a gently unsettling, though never unwelcoming atmosphere. Not quite trusting your own recollection of things, while marvelling at the oddness of the natural world, the album’s title a good summation of the mix of strangeness and hope contained within.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fika Recordings","offers":[{"title":"LP - Yellow","offer_id":56311481205067,"sku":"R0443-3728","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":56311481237835,"sku":"R0443-5222","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/LeafLibrary-AfterTheRain_StrangeSeeds.jpg?v=1768492231"},{"product_id":"bring-on-the-apathy","title":"Bring On The Apathy","description":"\u003cp\u003eFika Recordings are pleased to present Bring On The Apathy, the third solo record from Scottish songwriter Adam Ross.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdam Ross is an indie-folk songwriter based in north-east Scotland. He is a solo artist and has also led the cult indie band Randolph's Leap for over a decade, releasing music with legendary Fence Records and Lost Map as well as Olive Grove Records and Fika Recordings. He is known for his unique brand of articulate lyricism which blends humour, poignancy, wordplay and offbeat stories..\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Bring On The Apathy” was recorded onto tape, using traditional analogue techniques at Glasgow’s Green Door Studio with Samuel J. Smith. It showcases some of the most emotionally open, lyrically deft and characterful songwriting so far from one of Scotland’s most accomplished writers. The vintage recording approach brings a warmth and intimacy to a record which is in equal parts raw and organic while also beautifully arranged and performed as Adam is joined by a raft of excellent collaborators. The album itself is a reaction. Whether it be in the title, the lyrical content or the method in which the sounds were captured. “I was feeling fairly down and uninspired about the musical landscape” Adam explains. “The risk with digital recording where every instrument is overdubbed separately is that it can end up sounding metronomic, sterile and lacking personality. I also started to get a bit freaked out by the topic of AI-generated music and the insidious, creeping impact it’s already having. I therefore decided that, as a bit of a protest, I wanted to make something that sounded extra-specially human and hand-crafted, where you could hopefully hear the interplay between musicians.” For this reason, Adam decided to record the majority of the album live, as a band, playing together in the same room without a click track. “I’d put a band together to tour my last album, Littoral Zone, and I really enjoyed the way we all worked together. Green Door Studio was chosen as the destination as it specialises in analogue sound production but it had an extra significance for Adam. “Green Door was the first studio I ever recorded in, back in 2009. This time around, the “unforgiving” nature of tape recording became an inspiration. “The musicians on the record are such great players that they rarely make mistakes, so there was a confidence there that we wouldn’t need to rely on copious amounts of editing or post-production, which isn’t always possible with tape anyway.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe core band consisted of Owen Curtis-Williams on drums, Cameron Maxwell on bass, Pedro Cameron on violin, Gillian Fleetwood on harp and (long-time collaborator with Randolph’s Leap) Pete MacDonald on piano. Mercury Prize-nominated artist C Duncan was drafted in to write and perform backing vocal arrangements along with Amanda Nizich and Gillian Fleetwood. Adam says “I’d been listening to a lot of Bob Dylan, Karen Dalton and Bill Callahan records and I thought it might be interesting to apply those sorts of influences to my brand of Scottish quirk-pop”.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA sense of bittersweet melancholia is also tied in with another key theme of the record: aging. The closing track is, appropriately enough, entitled Time and examines the idea of purpose. “It’s something I didn’t think about much until recently. I’m quite good at living in the moment but as I reach my mid-late 30s I’m much more prone to a bout of existential dread.” Self-interrogation threads its way throughout the album. “Is this a midlife crisis or is it art?” asks Adam on Crisis while I Never Thought You Couldn’t Not asserts that the path to success is “littered with the bodies of the easily distracted and the self-aware.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Masterful songwriting, memorable hooks and melodies at every turn, delicate arrangements and knowing and wise lyrics. A wonderful album. Highly recommended.\" Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Adam's music and songwriting comfortably inhabits the sweet spot between Edwyn Collins and The Beautiful South, and this album captures him in fine, fine form\" James Yorkston\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fika Recordings","offers":[{"title":"LP - Green","offer_id":56938168123723,"sku":"R1485-5870","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":56938168156491,"sku":"R1485-0811","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/AdamRoss-BringOnTheApathy.jpg?v=1775143307"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_537d99b9_thumbnail_4096_e319e701-6dfe-4695-a045-d483ef5c9208.jpg?v=1726278719","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/fika-recordings.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}