News

Hello everyone. It probably seems like ages since we posted anything on the website, let alone actually did anything but I can assure you that we have been jolly busy although it may not seem that way. Exciting things are afoot but I’m not really at liberty to divulge anything. However, here are some blurry photos from my phone which may give you some clues as to what is going on in Dials land…

After another weekend in the studio we’ve laid down all the instruments and overdubs…so it’s only vocals to go. I dragged out my Burns Double Six for the first time (used by both Martin and me) for 60s style jangling on ‘Watch Her Walk Away’. God that sounds good!

I originally bought the guitar after seeing Richard Hawley’s band use one on stage (it’s ugly but unique)…was originally planning to sell it, but I don’t think I can now.

Other news - from the percussion stable - is that Executive Producer Paul Beat has outlawed the use of cowbell on New York Radio (sorry Andy). I think Pidge is secretly very relieved (I don’t think it has major kudos amongst drummers).

We’ve just seen the first review of our show at the NXNE showcase…happily, the reviewer (from Toronto’s Soundproof Magazine) thought we were ‘the show of the night’. Not bad, considering the competition from 200 or other bands that night, including such folk as Money Mark of Beastie Boys fame.

We’ve put live shows on the back burner for a little while as we’re sorting out album number 2, but we’re playing at the excellent What’s Cookin’ on July 5th if you fancy making it along…hope to see you there.

We’re now over the double jetlag and the lack of Harveys and able to report that we had a great time in Toronto. The gig went well and the band saw some good and not so good acts throughout the NXNE festival. We were especially impressed with the limbless keyboard player outside the chinese laundry who was busking some top Ibiza choons and the lady who was signing a calypso version of “Killing me softly…” into a carrot along Kensington. Less impressive was the “Russianmafiabaronclassicalmetal” outfit we witnessed at the Tattoo Rock Parlour, no-one should be allowed a leather effect harp, ever.

Thanks to the PRS foundation for assisting us with this venture and a big hi to Nitin Sawhney’s crew who we drank under the plane seats on the way over….

So we’re back in the studio today…objective: vocal overdubs. All going swimmingly at point of writing, despite the daunting presence of industry legend ‘Mad’ Billy Taylor at the controls (pictured).

We’ve just gotten through some of the rough edits of our first days recording….nice ‘n’ live and sounding super punchy. Next date is later is in mid June (straight in after Canada and live date at Barden’s Boudoir in London …things are getting busy!)

It’s here! Episode 1 of our recording video diary - highlights include “Wine Club” and “Dermot Clapping”. Pour yourself a plastic beaker of Merlot, sit back and enjoy…

The group started recording thier new album over the weekend of 17th/18th May.  Concentrating on the acoustic songs first the band got six tracks on to tape (oh yes, vintage tape at that!!) at Church Road Studios in Hove with the urbane and bequiffed Paul Beat in charge. The feel was very much relaxed with pedal steel, Vox Continental and 12 String guitars to the fore. To aid with the ambience, a few (!) bottles of the excellent Cabernet Sauvignon from Wolf Blass were administered thus inducting a new feature of Dials life, the Dials Wine Club, keep watching the site for reviews and updates on “what we bin drinking” (mostly Brasso usually…..)

The band have been invited to play live on CIUT FM, Toronto’s college radio Station. The group will have their live session broadcast on the morning of Fri June 13 at 10 am, the same day as the gig at the “C’est What”. Stay tuned to 89.5 FM in Canada or listen at http://www.ciut.fm/

I’m happy to say that we’ve been invited to play at NXNE in Toronto, Canada in June. It looks like a great event and seems to have Whispering Bob as patron saint, so that can only be good.

You can find out more about the festival at www.nxne.com. ….and a special prize will go to anyone who makes it for our gig there!