The Union Choir
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The Union Choir

Newcastle, N Ireland, United Kingdom | INDIE

Newcastle, N Ireland, United Kingdom | INDIE
Band Alternative Pop

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"Scissors & Sellotape - Single Review"

Scissors & Sellotape is a rich, understated song of spellbinding proportions. With trademark lachrymosity in tow, it's led by a rolling bass riff that, coupled with Jon Melvin's magnetic vocals and the melancholy call of the oboe make for a sumptuously romantic pop song.

5/5 - Manifesto


"Your Melodica/Lavender - Single Review"

While many bands would struggle to live up to the high self-set expectations that come with the release of a sell-out debut, The Union Choir have managed to go above and beyond. Their new single features not one, but two tracks; a double a-side of frankly staggering quality.

The pairing of the two songs 'Your Melodica' and 'Lavender' is an achievement in itself. Like the carefully orchestrated coupling of a fine wine and a tasty dish, the tracks compliment each other by highlighting the contrasts within them.

'Your Melodica' opens with the sort of colliery band opulence we've come to expect from The Union Choir; the mournful wail of the clarinet against the stark, militaristic snap of the drums.

It's a sprawling affair, made up of delicate little parts. The breezy glockenspiel, the warm brass, the self-knowing lyrics, every little piece of the track fits together perfectly, adding up to a glowingly doleful tune.

The growth of the band over the past year evident, 'Your Melodica' is driven, structured and unquestionably catchy. It's grown-up pop; cathartic and precocious, underpinned with sadness that never crosses over into wallowing. No matter how blue their songs may ring, almost everything they do is layered over a wicked sense of humour. Never more charmingly wry and poetic have Jon Melvin's lyrics been than here. Lines like “Catherine had a doll of me, she left on a beach in Tenerife” are soaked in the sort of embittered poeticising of the mundane that made Morrisey a pop icon. (The voodoo doll sentiment also makes for a brilliant promo video, which in turn, if they've got any sense, should inspire a new line of merchandising for the band. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't want a tiny knitted effigy of Grant Lagan. Just saying.)

The Union Choir have the art of the reflective pop anthem down to a tee, but what makes them truly special is that they aren't complacent with it. Second track 'Lavender' takes the frenetic rhythmic pounding that forms the skeleton to much of their sound and pushes it forward. It comes in running hot, and continues to build to a breathless, jangling climax. 'Lavender' marks something of a new string to their bow; while remaining unmistakably 'Union Choir', there's melodic breakdowns, swelling strings, snarky lyrics, but here they're presented in three minutes of brash, unforgiving noise. The guitar is brittle, the drums punishing, and the normally honey-voiced front-man gets to unleash hell. The result is a track brimming with tension and recklessness, and an exhilarating listen. Show offs. - Manifesto


"Drowned in Newcastle #7"

Following on from a launch gig at a packed Cluny last week, The Union Choir have just released their second single ‘Your Melodica/Lavender’. ‘Your Melodica’ is another great example of the lush choral pop which has made them so fondly admired in Newcastle. ‘Lavender’, however, is a different story. If you’ve only heard their records, it might be a surprise when you see them live for the first time and discover they’re not just a pop band wielding brass and violins, there’s a darker underbelly which pitches them closer to the Twilight Sad than the Polyphonic Spree. ‘Lavender’ is the first time they’ve captured this on record, and it’s a refreshing, intriguing counterpoint to ‘Your Melodica’. - Drowned In Sound


"Single of the Week - Eleanor"

Well, Friday gone, the intrepid octet officially launched this little beauty with a special gig at the Cluny 2. We weren’t in attendance (instead we were checking out Young Liar’s EP Launch up the road, more on that later this week) but those who were reported back to us and, with the sort of wide-eyed dazzlement usually reserved for combat veterans, spewed forth a tale of audio enchantment. The phrase “You have to check them out”, and all of its variations, being utterly ground into our faces.

So, we did, and it’s wonderful. Held within it’s sub-three minute running time is a generous dusting of sugary elation over a what feels like a warm frothy cappuccino of sombre lyricism, finespun horns and subdued but relentless beats. Yes this is a wistful track, but given a full listen it does blossom into something distinctly more heartening. It’s a melancholy-flower. - KYEO


"Singles of the Week"

‘Eleanor”s a seriously lush piece of work from North-East nine-piece The Union Choir. The song is dominated by Jon Melvin’s vocal, simultaneously gruff and reassuring, but underneath it lies an absolutely beautifully arranged chamber pop instrumental. Throw in the equally lovely b-sides (one of which, ‘Rapture’, is arguably even better than the lead song), and you’ve got a good old-fashioned proper single, which stands alone as an absolutely brilliant release. All very impressive for a debut, and it’s pushing Arctic Monkeys pretty hard to be the week’s best single. - Muso's Guide


"Eleanor - Single Of The Month"

This South Shields bunch have just issued their debut single and it’s a real goodie; a pop tune straight from their Parlour Of Delights which has a lovely, bitter dark chocolate vocal and a shifting sands melody which rumbles with quiet intent. They’ve already garnered airplay from the likes of Huw Stephens and Tom Robinson and it’s easy to see why they might fall for such a beguiling proposition. There is some good bands in the region at the minute, is there not…? - Crack


"Outdoing Eleanor"

Science (and by science, we mean, in absolutely no way scientific whatsoever) dictates that the perfect length for a pop song is two minutes and forty two seconds. Somewhere, the boffins agree, between two and a half and three minutes, but certainly no longer than that. Maybe three minutes is where the human brain begins to lose interest. Maybe most songs just don't need that huge horn solo in the bridge. The Union Choir's début single 'Eleanor' comes in a shade shorter than that at two minutes and thirty nine seconds. Coincidence?

Probably. The success of 'Eleanor' probably has more to do with it being a bloody good song. The first release for the melancholy South Shields pop band sold out its run of physical copies, and received glowing praise across the board. Now hot on 'Eleanor's tail, the band are knocking out a double a-side single through Cottage Industries' Singles Club.

Pairing up new recordings of live favourite 'Your Melodica' and 'Lavender', the release is described in typically cheery fashion by the band as “pop songs that tick off the stages of relationships coming together and breaking apart, set against images from New Year’s Eve parties, Valentine’s Day gigs and nights sitting in Accident & Emergency”.

Though it would of course be nice, and certainly well-deserved, for new single 'Your Melodica/Lavender' to enjoy similar success, front-man Jon Melvin isn't particularly concerned about them living up to the standards set by their predecessor. “To be honest the main reason for being in this band is our own enjoyment,” he says, “so from that point of view the songs have already achieved what he hoped for because we're really proud of them and the experience we had recording and mixing was fantastic.”

Recorded at The Sound House in Gateshead, it's perhaps unsurprising that the experience of laying down the double a-side was a happy one, especially for a band who list their band interests simply as 'gin'; “Whenever I listen to either song my main memory is of me, Grant (Lagan, drums) and the producer James drinking wine on the roof of the studio where we mixed them... which is quite nice 'cause it's removed the memory of what the songs are actually about.”

Although Jon admits that, while commercial or critical attainment is not what the band strive for, it would be a bonus; “Obviously it's great when a label put their trust in you to make something that people like, and for the sake of my ego I hope this one sells out too.”

With an album, as Jon cryptically puts it “in the pipeline and I can't be more precise than that at the minute”, the band aren't exactly struggling for material, but the decision as to which of the songs would form the new single came rather easily. “It was always the plan to release 'Your Melodica' 'cause it's the closest thing we've done to a ridiculous cheesy pop song (in the best possible way), and I think as a band we were quite eager to record Lavender 'cause we'd never really done justice to it on previous demos, so the decision happened naturally.”

In an industry as fickle as a teenage girl's affections, label Cottage Industries were keen to keep up the momentum that the band have gained since the release of 'Eleanor'. Although Jon maintains that the band aren't letting the success of their release go to their heads, and have a realistic attitude about where that success will take them; “Doors are always being opened and slammed shut at varying times in a band's life,” he says, “so I tend to not think about it.” And having a label behind the scenes cracking the whip, says Jon, has prevented the band from dragging their feet over their next venture. “I think if it'd been entirely down to us we would have still be procrastinating over what colour the font on the artwork of 'Eleanor' should be.”

Artwork is of course just one of the little additional jobs that promoting a single(s) come with, along with shooting a video. Or, in this case, two. The video for 'Eleanor', directed by local filmakers Jim Martin and Oliver Rothwell , was acclaimed in it's own right, appearing at film festivals up and down the country. This time around though, the promos won't be so nautically themed; “Unfortunately instead of a mermaid it'll actually feature us, which might effect how many hits it gets on YouTube.”


The octet's recent strides have not been made just in the studio however; “I think the main thing that's happened to us as a band since the single launch was that we've really clicked as a live act now,” Jon enthuses. The band's live performance is something they'll be showing off at their next launch party in January. And it's a good job The Union Choir have hit their stride on stage, as they'll be sharing it on the night with three of the best live acts in the region.

The Lake Poets, The Prison Library and O'Messy Life have all come on board to support the band at The Cluny next year, something that Jon is pretty pleased about; “It's an amazing line up. I'm utterly chuffed to bits that the three bands have agreed to play it, and it'll make the night so much more fun. We genuinely think they're brilliant. To be sharing a bill with them is a massive privilege.”

Fans of The Union Choir can catch them at their single launch, and while it might be a while yet before we see an album, there'll be plenty to whet your appetite in the meantime, according to Jon; “While we're working on the album we'll be recording some stuff ourselves too so hopefully we'll be able to put together a few free downloads or an EP to keep us busy.” - Bunker UK


"The Union Choir - Eleanor Launch"

The whole night is in aid of The Union Choir's debut single, Eleanor, which is officially launched this evening, and it's fitting that they're the real stars of the show, in spite of their stellar supporting cast. They're too big in number to fit on the stage, with two of the band spending the night on the steps adjacent, and their joyous maximalist instrumentation is beautifully offset by singer Jon Melvin, who is a man possessed tonight, sweating out a menacing presence like the Twilight Sad's James Graham. Tonight's show is an absolute fucking triumph, and it provides us with a clear indication of the ever swelling acclaim The Union Choir are gaining, which really couldn't be more deserved. - Narc Magazine


"The Best of 2011 in Records"

So while we’ve got a few Newcastle bands nicely poised to assault national consciousness, 2011 has also seen strong releases from plenty of bands who seem poised to follow in the footsteps of Lanterns et al. My shameless adoration of The Union Choir has been documented here a couple of times, and right now I can think of precious few bands from this area I’d rather listen to or see. 2011 saw their first full release in the shape of ‘Eleanor’, a release which, like a true classic single, featured two b-sides which were just as strong as the a-side. And they’ve ended this year on a high note by releasing free download single ‘Scissors and Sellotape’. It’s absolutely gorgeous too, an achingly pretty torch song which, without seeming to try, captures the happy-sadness of the Festive period utterly perfectly. - Drowned in Sound


Discography

Eleanor; Cottage Industries; August 2011
Scissors & Sellotape; Cottage Industries; October 2011
Your Melodica/Lavender; Cottage Industries; January 2012

All of the tracks, alongside the self released demos of Potemkin, Lifeboat, and Capital have received national and regional BBC Radio airplay alongside play on XFM and Amazing Radio.

Photos

Bio

Hailing mainly from the seaside town of South Shields and surrounding areas, The Union Choir was conceived when songwriter Jon Melvin had the idea of setting up a loose collective featuring like-minded musicians. People dropped in and people dropped out but eventually the ensemble evolved into a nine piece in early 2010.

The band gained a large and loyal following with a series of DIY gigs around the region, even hosting their own show in a local cinema. Early demos created a buzz amongst Music Blogs, and stylistic comparisons were drawn with the National, Elbow and Arcade Fire. Sonic Reverie tipped the band to be huge, going on to write, “with equal measures of majesty and desolation The Union Choir sculpt something a bit special”

An independently released single followed and the band quickly garnered Radio Airplay from Huw Stephens, Tom Robinson BBC Radio 6, XFM, Amazing Radio and Capital FM. Tom Robinson has been a frequent supporter and the DJ collaborated with the group at Newcastle Sound City last year for a live rendition of his smash hit “2-4-6-8 Motorway”

The Union Choir have shared the stage with artists such as The Phantom Band, Echo & The Bunnymen and David McAlmont, also appearing at Sunderland's Split Festival 2011. In April 2012 they will have the pleasure of playing The Sage in Gateshead.

Their first official single, Eleanor, was released on Cottage Industries in August 2011, and quickly sold out. They released their second single, the double A-side Your Melodica/Lavender on 28th January 2012. It sold out on the night of release.