DEBUT ALBUM ‘BETTER WITH YOU’ OUT MARCH 4TH, 2022
“We’ve always been a little outsider-y. We don’t fit the pop narrative; we don’t quite fit the usual band narrative. We’re really happy to be taking up that space, but I think this is our flag in the sand moment. The album really says: This is us, here we are!” – Jim Higson, KAWALA
KAWALA are back and starting out 2022 with their exuberant new single ‘Jesse C’mon’ out now via EMI Records.
A slice of vibrant, danceable pop, ‘Jesse C’mon’ sees the band layering their trademark harmonies and chiming guitars to create a sophisticated, yet instantly accessible song dealing with those people in the world who have a little issue with the truth:
“Jesse is a character we made up who represents and embodies all the people in the world who intentionally lie all the time” the band explains. “Everybody knows a Jesse.”
On their forthcoming album, “Better With You” (out 4th March) tracks like previous single ‘Searching’ and the (cheekily named, non-cover) ‘Ticket To Ride’, along with new tracks ‘Marathon’ and ‘Echoes’ are filled with an intoxicating hopefulness that unfurls into bright, pop moments, sure to stir minds and bodies. While On the flip side of the coin, songs like ‘Hypnotized’, ‘Jesse C’Mon’ and ‘Good Like This’ provide a more immersive musical landscape that offers a contemplative, personal vibe.
Ultimately, anyone who hears ‘Better with You’ will be immediately aware of the bigger spirit that drives everything this band does. KAWALA’s debut is an album that offers a strong, vivid connection as its irresistible rhythms ripple around a yearning, emotional core. This might be a record about life’s journeys, but it is also one full of songs that will illuminate the road ahead.
The album marks the culmination of years of work which has seen the band grow from humble beginnings to the world class act they are today. Along the way they have done everything from play socially distanced shows in UK parks (after the first easing of restrictions in 2020), appear on FIFA 2021, write and perform in their own YouTube sitcom (the mad-cap Paradise Heights), become ambassadors for the Music Venue Trust and perform an emotional sold-out show at the O2 Kentish Town Forum, the venue at the heart of the London community where the band spent their formative years.
To celebrate the album’s release, the band have announced a series of instore shows at record stores around the country, before heading out on their headline tour in April.
2022 INSTORE ACOUSTIC TOUR
Thurs 3rd March – Rough Trade – Bristol (6pm)
Fri 4th March – HMV – Liverpool (12.30pm)
Fri 4th March – HMV – Manchester (5pm)
Sat 5th March – Crash Records – Leeds (1pm)
Sat 5th March – Beyond Vinyl – Newcastle (6pm)
Mon 7th March – HMV – Birmingham (12.30pm)
Mon 7th March – Rough Trade – Nottingham (6pm)
Tues 8th March – Rough Trade East – London (6pm)
Thurs 10th March – Banquet Records – Kingston (6pm)
2022 HEADLINE TOUR
Thurs 7 Apr – Stylus – Leeds
Fri 8 Apr – The Caves – Edinburgh
Sat 9 Apr – Saint Luke’s – Glasgow
Mon 11 Apr – O2 Institute – Birmingham
Tues 12 Apr – The Marble Factory – Bristol
Wed 13 Apr – O2 Ritz – Manchester
Fri 15 Apr – O2 Shepherds Bush – London
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My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago and married my childhood sweetheart and life is good.
