Watch: BNQT Unveil Music Video For "Restart"

BNQT (the indie-supergroup formed by members of Midlake, Grandaddy, Band of Horses, Franz Ferdinand, and Travis) have unveiled the video for "Restart".

The song is part of our current playlist and is taken from their debut album 'Volume 1.', which came out on April 28 via Dualtone/Bella Union. Grab it here.

Watch the clip below.

(facebook.com/bnqtband)

Midlake, Band of Horses, Franz Ferdinand, Travis, Supergroup BNQT Announce Debut Album, Stream "Restart"

BNQT, the new indie-supergroup formed by members of Midlake, Grandaddy, Band of Horses, Franz Ferdinand, and Travis, have announced they will release their debut album 'Volume 1.' on April 28 via Dualtone/Bella Union.

BNQT is conceived and led by Eric Pulido of Midlake and featuring Ben Bridwell of Band of Horses, Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand, Fran Healy of Travis, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy with backing from other Midlake members McKenzie Smith (drums), Joey McClellan (guitar) and Jesse Chandler (keys).

The concept of BNQT (pronounced “Banquet”) came to Pulido while touring for Midlake's 2013 release, 'Antiphon.' Gathering a number of contrasting yet complementary artists he’d befriended or shared the stage with, Pulido set out to establish a new creative environment untethered from other work – “Like a poor man’s version of the Traveling Wilburys!” he says.

"That's what art is about for me," Pulido continues, "creating with other people that you love and appreciate."

Pre-order the album here, check out the tracklsit and have a listen to lead single "Restart" below.

Volume 1 Tracklist:

01. Restart
02. Unlikely Force
03. 100 Million Miles
04. Mind Of A Man
05. Hey Banana
06. Real Love
07. Failing at Feeling
08. L.A. On My Mind
09. Tara
10. Fighting The World

(facebook.com/bnqtband)

Cocteau Twins' Simon Raymonde Launches New Duo Snowbird, Announces Debut Album

Cocteau Twins' Simon Raymonde has launched a new project called Snowbird with singer-songwriter Stephanie Dosen.

The pair will release their forthcoming debut album titled 'Moon' in January on Raymonde's label Bella Union, with cover art by famed designer Vaughan Oliver, who has worked extensively with 4AD and Cocteau Twins. The record features guest appearances from Radiohead's Ed O'Brien and Phil Selway, Midlake's Eric Pulido and McKenzie Smith, alongside Lanterns on the Lake's Paul Gregory, and Jonathan Wilson.

In a press release, Raymonde said of the album contributors: "Having [the collaborators] add their magic to the record was a thrill, but really, I think this is very much Stephanie's record. She's a really special singer and I feel the simplicity of my music was the perfect backdrop for her stories and her incredible vocal arrangements." 

"Stephanie was the first singer I had worked with since Elizabeth [Fraser of Cocteau Twins] that I had a real musical empathy with. She could do anything. No one had ever sung with Midlake on record before Stephanie, while Massive Attack asked her to be their lead singer on tour—ironic really given that Elizabeth had too! She also sang with Chemical Brothers. But we'd never written music together at home." He added.

About the band he said: "It would be a little odd if it didn't remind people of Cocteau Twins."

On the album: "I wrote every piece of music at night, in semi-darkness so that the space didn't feel like my living room. The moon was very important for the light it reflected."

Raymonde has also unveiled "Porcelain" the lead cut from the album, which is light as a feather... Have a listen below.