Halfrican

Halfrican are the 3 piece psych noise pop terrorists you can dance to. Coming on like Hunx and his Punx spiked with a little Thee Oh Sees, Halfrican are equal parts garage punk mayhem and cute fun times. Using a kaleidoscope of colours they create instant cosmic classics that will rip into your ears so fast you'll be reaching for the rewind. They are not the type to hang around, so catch on to their technicoloured coattails and enjoy the ride while it lasts.

In 2013, only months after forming, Halfrican had already made their name in Glasgow's vibrant music scene playing across the city gaining many fans, as well as supporting international names such as King Tuff, Kid Congo and Jacuzzi Boys. They are known as one of Glasgow's best live bands by their peers (Paws, Baby Strange, Deathcats), and are often namechecked in the press. In October 2013 Halfrican completed a 10 date tour of Spain playing across the country, playing festivals in Vigo, Madrid and Barcelona. In May this year, Halfrican were invited to play the Nuits Sonores festival in Lyon, sharing the stage with The Black Lips and Man or Astroman.
Halfrican are putting the finishing touches to new recordings which are eagerly anticipated by fans, and interested labels in the UK, Europe and America. These recordings will make up their follow up EP or may even evolve into their debut album, watch this space!

El Rancho Records released Halfrican's scorching debut EP 'Hot! Hot! Hot!' in April 2013 and Number 4 Door released a split EP with America's White Pages in late September 2014. - El Rancho

Alongside PAWS, Halfrican is leading Glasgow’s garage punk revival. The three-piece’s debut EP Hot! Hot! Hot!, and the follow-up split cassette Halfrican vs White Pages are filled with tightly wound, fuzzy songs soaked in reverb. They are currently working on their first full album. - MTV Iggy

Garage punk trio, Halfrican are just what Glasgow needs to brighten up its dreary, wet streets and give Glasgow the bright and vibrant name it deserves.

The band consists of guitarist and vocalist, Sancho Büna, drummer and vocalist, Jackson Marlette and bassist Paul Choi.
The Glasgow Jam talk to the very man who created the group Halfrican about his band’s exotic name, what Glaswegian artists does he find ‘Hot! Hot! Hot!’, the Glasgow music venue he doesn’t recommend and where his band’s next gigs will take place.

Sancho Büna tells the Jam that the band was originally a solo recording act he was doing. He adds: “The bands I was in one year ago were getting stale and lacked the energy I was craving.”

The group’s name certainly stands out amongst its competitors’ but how was it contrived. Sancho says: “I had a couple of ideas for names, the other strongest contender being “Hot Orphans”, but I thought Halfrican was a cool word.” He adds how “It looked and sounded great and gave me tropical and exotic imagery of hot air, vivid colours and powerful animals.”

For those of you who have listened to Halfrican’s music you will know yourselves that it’s not for fans of slow, calming music such as the likes of songs by Katie Melua or Rachel Sermanni.

“Most of the songs are anxious ramblings of love and hate. I’ve always preferred songs that leaves some space for people to take on their own emotional opinions.” Sancho adds: Our vocals lack clarity a lot of the time but you can tell by the tempo and feel of the songs whether it’s a p****d off song, a love song, a song about getting high or a song about cracking chumps’ skulls!”

The band will be releasing their first EP on cassette in the beginning of April. But you can buy their full ‘Hot! Hot! Hot!’ 77865275-1[1]album, which includes their songs Disciple, Hot! Hot! Hot, Guillotine, Coca Eyes and Good Teeth. - The Glasgow Jam

Last of the local support is relatively untamed, lo-fi pop trio Halfrican, who will be gracing the same stage for the Rave Child night next month, and they up the energy before the headliners get everyone dancing.

It’s high pace stuff with raspy vocals with plenty of delay and reverb, indeed it’s hard to draw yourself away from Halfrican if not for the fact they’re wearing shorts.

They’re a ball of energy on stage and they’re nothing if not fun, much like tonight’s headliners it’s a set that puts a spring in your step and smile on your face. - Rave Child

Halfrican are one of the most exciting new bands in Scotland, mixing together fuzz, reverb, garage punk and 60s pop hooks to create their own style of intense rock and roll.
Both of the band’s 2013 releases; “Hot! Hot! Hot!” EP (El Rancho Records) and “Halfrican Vs White Pages” split cassette (Number4Door/Can’t Stand Ya) rapidly sold out and received wide acclaim from UK and European press. Following this by playing over 50 shows in UK and Spain with acts like Ty Segal, King Tuff, No Age, Male Bonding, Jacuzzi Boys and Kid Congo, their hard work soon drew attention from the national media and they were included in the BBC’s 20 new Scottish artists of 2014. The band celebrated their achievements by adopting 2 lions at Edinburgh zoo.

Beginning in Glasgow as a lo-fi recording project by vocalist and guitarist Sancho Büna, the band was formed with the addition of bassist Choi Paul and American vocalist and drummer Jet Jackson Marlette. Renowned for their fast, loud and reverb-drenched live shows, Halfrican are currently writing their debut album. - The Kelburn Garden Party

The urgency of Halfrican’s surf-punk sound is in stark contrast to the laidback beachware they wear on stage, despite the Baltic-like conditions outside. They set the tone for their well-recieved support slot with barnstorming opening track Cocksucker, delivered with a smile and performed with a visceral relish. On another night, you could argue that the trio might just steal the show, but despite their stellar efforts this evening belongs to Sam Smith and his Casual Sex enthusiasts. - The Skinny

The rather brilliant Baby Strange graced the pages of last week's NME, where we caught up with them at T In The Park to chat about their grand plans.

Now, the Glasgow trio have made us a mixtape of their favourite tunes at the moment - a visceral and eclectic mix of US and UK punk with a smattering of 2013's finest newcomers (Only Real, Casual Sex to name but two). Sit back and delve into their minds... - NME

I can never decide if Scotland’s slight musical dislocation from the rest of the UK is a good thing or not. It means we can be shielded from shitty trends which take hold down South and irritate the crap out of everyone, which is a good thing. On the other hand, sometimes we have trends all of our own which just won’t fucking go away no matter how much you wish they would.

And then there are other occasions, such as when rough, loose guitar music with more than a hint of nostalgia started to crop up all over the place in England there just weren’t that many bands doing it up here. Or at least not doing it well, to my ears anyway.

Then I happened across Paws and Dolfinz – a good few years ago now – and then a couple of others like Min Diesel and the short-lived but excellent North American War, and gradually it became apparent that things were changing.

It seems we actually do this stuff pretty well up here now, and one of the newer bands to appear will be playing Henry’s on Saturday with Post War Glamour Girls: Halfrican. They have a touch of surf and psyche about them, but it’s not pastiche throwback stuff, just nice rough guitar tunes. I’m really looking forward to seeing them live as well, as I think the tunes on their split tape with White Pages are really strong – full of energy, and that elusive quality, hummability. - Song By Toad

Glasgow’s Halfrican have a debut EP - ‘Hot! Hot! Hot!’ - which is a good half a year old now, but the three piece of Sancho Buna, Jackson Marlette and Anne Droo have just started selling out shows, plus there’s serious merit in lending these tracks to a walk outside in the now-blistering sunshine*. ‘Disciple’ asks for followers; people to walk arm in arm with the three-piece in their quest to take fuzz to thrilling new heights. Its 1 minute ought to last forever, but despite being cut short, you’re unlikely to experience a more thrilling 60 seconds all week, even if you go skydiving while trying to Houdini yourself out of a bodybag. - DIY Magazine

The Scottish city of Glasgow is the capital of raw, earthy rock. Echoing the Carte Blanche program, Halfrican is a force to be reckoned with. The trio's first EP Hot! Hot! Hot!, released in 2013, encapsu- lates wild exuberance and explosive rock. - Nuits Sonores

Des Amazing Snakeheads, qui cracheront bientôt leur fiel sur la scène du Festival Les inRocKs, jusqu’à ces Halfrican pareillement enragés, Glasgow est en train de s’imposer comme la capitale d’un rock mal peigné, mal élevé, mal luné. Arrivage de mauvais speed ? Caisse de pédales fuzz tombée du camion ? Cambriolage de la section punk/garage d’un disquaire local ? Ou tout simplement, une exaspération et une frustration qui pousse désormais la jeunesse locale à l’action musclée ? En tout cas, le rock méchant de Glasgow est en ébullition – et il faudra compter sur Halfrican et ses brûlots émeutiers pour les premiers gnons. - Les Inrocks