aaamusic | On 24, Sep 2011

INTRODUCING
ahab

The new EP – ‘kmvt’ (Navigator) released Oct 3, 2011

Headlining dates in Oct, then major Nov tour with Bellowhead

ahab are a young band from East London who play American alt-country and are gaining a strong following with live audiences.

“ahab is the real deal….top-notch UK Americana featuring tight four-part harmonies.” Simon Mayo, BBC Radio 2

“I loved ahab’s terrific performance at Cropredy festival. They are blistering live….alt-country edge and sheer class.”  Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2

ahab’s debut album will be released in 2012, but by way of introduction an EP entitled ‘kmvt’ will be released by Navigator Records in October. All five songs on it have been produced by John Leckie (the legendary producer of the eponymous debut by The Stone Roses, Radiohead ‘The Bends’ and Bellowhead ‘Hedonism’).

Headlining dates

Sept 28                 Sheffield, The Greystones (0114 256 5567)

Oct 4                      London, Slaughtered Lamb (020 7253 1516)

Oct 6                      Crawley, The Hawth (01293 553636)

Oct 7                      Banbury Festival, The Mill Arts Centre

Oct 13                   Leek, The Swan

Oct 14                   Stround, Lansdown Hall (01453 767576)

Oct 17                   Farnham, Maltings (01252 745444)

Oct 18                   Stratford, Cox’s Yard

Oct 21                   Manchester, Band On The Wall (0161 834 1786)

Oct 30                   Pocklington, Arts Centre (01759 301 547)

Nov 3                    London Old Queens Head Islington

Bellowhead/ahab tour 2011

Nov 10                  Ipswich,Corn Exchange (01473 433100)

Nov 11                 Brighton,Corn Exchange (01273 709709)

Nov 12                  Bilston, The Robin (01902 401211).

Nov 13                 Birkenhead, Pacific Road Arts centre (0151 666 0000)

Nov 14 Gateshead, The Sage (0191 443 4661)

Nov 15                 Manchester Academy 2 (0161 832 1111)

Nov 16                 Cambridge Corn Exchange (01223 357 851)

Nov 17                 London, Shepherd’s Bush Empire (0844 477 2000)

Nov 18                 Lincoln, Engine Shed (0844 888 8766)

Nov 19                 Sheffield, The Leadmill (0114 221 2828)

Nov 20                 Leeds, The Met (0113 244 4600)

Nov 21                 Cardiff Coal Exchange (02920 230130)

Nov 22                 Falmouth, Princess Pavillion (01326 211 222)

Nov 23                 Leamington, The Assembly (01926 523001)

Nov 24                 Portsmouth, The Pyramids (023 9282 4355)

Nov 25                 Frome Cheese & Grain (01373 455 420)

Nov 26                 Derby Assembly Rooms (01332 255 800)

Nov 27                  Oxford, The Regal (01865 241 261)

Following the release of their 2009 CD a.h.a.b., the duo of Callum Adamson and Dave Burn were invited to play a residency at the famous ‘Tootsies Orchid Lounge’ during Nashville’s Country Music Awards week-long festival in Nashville, Tennessee. Recruiting Seebs Llewellyn and Luke Price into their ranks they subsequently spent the entire week playing two shows a day to packed houses, and were also given an invite to record at Warner Studios in the city.

The newly christened ahab returned to London and decided to make their expanded line-up permanent, spending the next two months busking in east London and honing their sound – four part harmonies to embellish extremely accomplished songwriting. While busking, the band created such a stir on the streets that they were warned by the local constabulary to cease performing in the vicinity of local markets as the crowds that gathered were blocking the streets. It was time to look further afield….

In August 2010 ahab were invited to play Fairport Convention’s Cropredy Festival on the strength of a YouTube video of one of their busking performances. Bob Harris watched them storm the 15,000 strong crowd from the side of the stage and invited them on the spot to record a session for his Saturday night BBC Radio 2 programme.

At this point the group had no studio material recorded for their rapidly growing fan base to take home after shows, so that autumn they went into Snap Studios in North London to record a 5 track EP of self-penned songs. Impressed by the results, Bob Harris offered to host their EP launch at the BBC Club, following which the word really started to get out.

The legendary producer John Leckie attended one of the early ahab shows and offered to return to Snap Studios to record ‘Lucy’, a download only single. To promote it, they played their first national tour in early 2011 comprising of more than 20 shows with most of the dates selling out in advance.

They then recorded the latest EP at Real World Studios just before the summer festival season, with John Leckie once again at the helm.

Having played a number of festivals in the UK and around mainland Europe during the summer, and with an October tour lined up to coincide with the release of ‘kmvt’, ahab have also been invited by leading folk big-band Bellowhead to be the special guests on their 18 date UK tour in November 2011.