Gruff Rhys proudly presents a new double a-side single and accompanying game, in addition to a forthcoming headline UK tour.
The single is comprised of Space Dust #2 and Whale Trail. One of the many highlights of Gruff’s current Hotel Shampoo album, Space Dust #2 is a tale of short-lived, seminar-sparked romance in the form of a duet with El Perro Del Mar. The playful Whale Trail sees Gruff declaring “this is a motivational song, let’s all get along” and has been inspired by the accompanying iPhone game of the same name.
The digital double a-side single and Whale Trail game will be released on 20th Oct and a limited-edition 12” vinyl single on 31st Oct. Pre order the 12 “ single HERE.
Just like the song, the Whale Trail game is a highly addictive affair. Players pilot Willow The Whale as he flies through the skies collecting colours and points. As well as the soundtrack to Willow The Whale’s adventures, Gruff has also provided the voiceover, in Welsh. The Whale Trail app has been designed by Neil McFarland of award winning digital design studio ustwo – Neil’s previous collaborations with Gruff include artwork for Super Furry Animals’ Juxtaposed With You single and animations for the band’s innovative Rings Around The World and Phantom Power DVD albums.
It is our great pleasure to gift you BY YOUR HAND, the opening track from our forthcoming full-length, Hello Sadness. Just click on the artwork above and it shall be yours.
And we made a video for the track too.
We’re also incredibly happy to announce some new UK/US/JPN tourdates, which will see us play the songs of Hello Sadness live, for the first time. Unless states otherwise, these shows are all ages.
7 November – London, Kings College 8 November – Brighton, The Haunt 9 November – Cardiff, The Globe (16+) 10 November – Glasgow, Oran Mor 11 November – Leeds, The Cockpit 16 November – New York (NY), Bowery Ballroom (18+) 17 November – Brooklyn (NY), Music Hall Of Williamsburg (18+) 18 November – Philadelphia (PA), Union Transfer (16+) 19 November – Washington DC, Black Cat (16+) 24 November – Tokyo, Unit Daikanyama
Tickets for these shows are available direct from us, for cheaper than the usual ticket outlets, on sale from 2pm on Thursday 8 September. Just head over to our gigs page.
A recent collaboration between Gruff Rhys and Phil Collins has resulted in a new, forthcoming single.
Gruff teamed up with the Berlin-based artist and Turner Prize nominee (not to be confused with the Phil Collins behind mega-hits Sussudio, Easy Lover, A Groovy Kind Of Love, Another Day In Paradise, etc) for Collins’ short film, The Meaning Of Style. The resulting soundtrack song, Y Badan Bach, will released as a 300 copy, limited-edition 7” single available only at Gruff’s forthcoming UK tour dates.
The Meaning Of Style follows a gang of anti-fascist Malaysian skinheads and the short film — which is entirely soundtracked with Rhys’ Y Badan Bach — will be shown at The Museum Of Contemporary Art in Tokyo from 23rd September 2011 to 9th January 2012.
GRUFF RHYS’ FORTHCOMING TOUR DATES :
Sun, 2nd Oct – North Wales Theatre, Llandudno, Wales, UK Mon, 3rd Oct – Olympia Theatre, Dublin, Ireland Wed, 5th Oct – St David’s Hall, Cardiff, UK Thu, 6th Oct – Leeds Irish Centre, Leeds, UK Fri, 7th Oct – Central Methodist Hall, Manchester, UK Sat, 8th Oct – Bongo Club, Edinburgh, UK Sun, 9th Oct – The Middlesbrough Crypt, Middlesbrough, UK Tue, 11th Oct – Concert Hall, Reading, UK Wed, 12th Oct – Shepherds Bush Empire, London, UK Thu, 13th Oct – St Mary’s Church, Ashford, UK
Honey Bunny will be out on 7″ and digital October 10 through Fantasy Trashcan / Turnstile.
The B side will be brand new track Martina Martinez.
Here’s what Christopher Owens from Girls had to say about the track
“Honey Bunny” was my 19th song to write. I wrote it on my birthday in 2008. I think the fact that it’s No. 19 gives it a little perspective. My first songs were kind of like, “Ahhhh, Help!” This one has a bit of swagger to it, and some reflection about my mother. It’s a special song to me now, not for the sassy swagger bits as much the parts about Mama. But I think for the listener, it could be the exact opposite. The energy and optimism and determination in it is quite appealing. But that’s the great thing about these things, right? The fact that all of us are hearing something entirely different. I believe that.”
