|   Australian four-piece ME will be releasing their debut album ‘Even The  Odd Ones Out’ on Lizard King Records on 1st of March 2013 (Distribution: Rough  Trade). The theatrical rockers have been causing a big fuss in the UK live  circuit having played over a hundred shows already in 2012 and touring with the  likes of Kasabian, Twin Atlantic and Panic! at the Disco,  the latter tour seeing them play to 30,000 people in ten days. Since April ME have appeared on the bill of London’s legendary Camden Crawl and  Brighton’s Great Escape Festival and have completed three more  successful UK tours with King Charles, The Xcerts and Motion  City Soundtrack.  ME are Luke Ferris (voice, guitar, piano),  Damian Tapley (lead guitar), Michael Godde (bass) and Spike Rogers (drums). The  band wanted a playful album title and one that offered several meanings. It  also hints at the band’s diverse style making them hard to pin down musically.  “We are a little in the odd ones out category” says frontman Luke. “I love big  rock bands with killer riffs and grooves, but I also love great vocals,  harmonies, orchestral works and bad ass choirs. So we have just thrown loads of  different ingredients into the pot because they are the flavours we enjoy.” The  12 tracks on the album are the culmination of “five great years in Melbourne,  surrounded by a thriving music scene and embracing musical community” says  Luke.
 The record opens with the twisted nursery crime theatrics of Hoo Ha ("Mirror,  mirror, on the wall, a vain bunch aren't we all"), the band’s live opener  and a track that really does set the tone of this epic, rock opera of an album. Vampire!! Vampire!! is less a homage to Twilight and more a straight up,  three-minute head rush about the band’s hatred of reality television culture  and specifically its creators. “Do yourself a favour, turn the television off,  read a book or go support local live music”, offers Luke. Rock and Roll  Dandy is a ridiculously catchy homage to past musical glories (or ‘like  Suede gone to Download’ according to Q Magazine), steam punk magnum opus  and live highlight Westward Backwards is the bands calling card and the  frenetic Like A Fox was first featured on their debut EP Another Story  High. Album closer Their Song is the band at their most delicate and  gives the album an appropriate happy ending.
 
  The album has been produced by ‘Barny’ Barnicott (Kasabian,  Arctic Monkeys, Temper Trap) and Grammy winning engineer Ian Dowling and  the full track listing runs as follows: Hoo Ha; Trails In The Sky; Rock and  Roll Dandy; Like A Fox; Westward Backwards; Carousel; Working Life; Under The  Sun; Vampire!! Vampire!!; Choral; Your Favourite Colour; Their Song. ME will be appearing on the main stage at Australia’s Big Day Out in  January 2013. Details of a UK/Europe headlining tour in March will be announced  shortly.
 “ME look  set to make a big splash…they sound huge, dramatic and unutterably exciting” Kerrang!
 
 |