Spotlight: Sharp Practise

Music Promotion via MusicSubmit.com

Webpage: http://www.sharppractise.com
Location: Wigan, Lancashire, United Kingdom
Description: Sharp Practise mix catchy unforgettable melody with thought provoking lyrics. Since 1999 they have been delivering classic English rock with heart, sincerity and pride.
Biography: Sharp Practise is a classic rock band but not an over the top screaming yelling rock n' roll monster. They have the sound of a band who like to keep things quiet and wouldn't say no to an acoustic set, but not tonight: tonight they wanna rock. And rock they do, with a pure rock 'n’ roll feeling. Winners of a UK New Music Award in 2007, Sharp Practise released debut album Hiya in 2000 to good reviews. An appearance on Ground Zero TV in Australia led to playlisting around the world. Songs from “Hiya” were featured on a DVD by Japanese TV star Chieko Mitsui and on the “Rock For Athletes” CD produced for Italian sportswear company Fila. Second album “Radiocity” (Rising Records) was available worldwide with songs from it winning Track of The Day and Listener’s Picks awards on garageband.com. The album won a Kweevak Award in 2006. Radiocity was released under licence to Whiterock Records in Germany and Turmic Records in Sweden. A video for “Morgan’s Creek” from Radiocity was broadcast on Propeller TV (Sky Channel 195) to 48 countries across Europe in August and September 2007 and on StarChoice Satellite (ch.323) and Express-Vu (ch.258) Satellite Networks across Canada in March 2008. Nigel Clothier is lead singer, keyboard player and songwriter for Sharp Practise. He says, "Even if no one listened to my songs I’d still write anyway, it’s what I do. I hope my material is accessible but not disposable. I find making music gives me the opportunity to travel, which is really cool." And guitarist Simon Foley points out, "One reason for joining Sharp Practise was to take up the opportunity to travel a lot more. I’m a versatile player and am pretty open-minded about how and what I play. I enjoy playing both acoustic and electric guitar and I’m happy to draw on a variety of styles to provide what I hope is a signature sound." Drummer Michael Elwood adds, "I’ve been in a couple of bands before but none as committed as Sharp Practise. When I joined to make their latest album I was surprised but pleased to see a bunch of guys as single-minded about what they wanted to achieve with their music as I am. I feel very much at home in this band and hope to be part of it for a long time." Ryan Lawson, bass player, sums it all up when he points out, "I’m joining a band that has been around for about ten years now, and although there’s been a changeover in personnel one thing has been constant – the standard of musicianship has been high across all that time. I’m excited by the challenge of trying to raise the standard of playing again in Sharp Practise. Nigel seems to have a pretty clear idea of where we’re going, so it should be an interesting ride." Review copies of the Sharp Practise album "Banging The Rocks" are available on request from admin@sharppractise.com.
Press Release: Sharp Practise is a quintessentially English group. As befits a record mixed and mastered by former Gorillaz producer Fran Ashcroft, there is something particularly quirky about this, the band’s third album – ‘Banging The Rocks’. Yet this is a serious record. ‘Banging The Rocks’ is the culmination of a process that has already produced two stellar records and garnered Sharp Practise a legion of fans worldwide. And it’s also a record that will propel the band from a loyal but niche audience to far wider acclaim. It’s a record that takes from the great tradition of Anglo-Saxon songwriters and gives it a new twist. Inspired, as much as anyone, by Fleetwood Mac, you can hear echoes of the some of the great low-key rock moments of the past 40 years throughout ‘Banging The Rocks’. Instead of trying to blow the listener away with walls of guitar feedback, wailing vocals or power riffs, this album draws the listener in with a subtle, understated sound, intelligent lyrics and a narrative that makes it stand together as a whole, rather than a collection of songs. In fact, it’s everything that the best English rock, pop and indie has always been: unique, clever, lyrical. The talented four-piece is, of course, not new to the game. Its first two albums – ‘Hiya’ and ‘Radiocity’ – gained great critical acclaim and earned the band a group of loyal fans. On the back of these records, the group has played famous venues up and down the country, from London’s Troubadour – where Jimi Hendrix played many of his earliest gigs – to Liverpool’s Cavern Club, famous around the world for being the venue where the Beatles cut their teeth. ‘Radiocity’, released in 2005, was a heavier affair than the latest effort, but it meant that Sharp Practise had started to go global. 200,000 copies of the sophomore album were released in France, while support also gathered in Canada, Germany and Sweden. But ‘Banging The Rocks’ is likely to be a step even further. It is the kind of record that can only come from paying your dues over the years, from absorbing the great music of the past and from having a unique ear for new sounds. ‘Banging The Rocks’ is going to appeal to Sharp Practise’s already adoring fans. But it’s also going to win it a whole lot more. Review copies are available on request from admin@sharppractise.com