Frankie & The Heartstrings will headline the 100 Club in the heart of London on 3rd June, their first gig in the capital since February’s NME Awards show with Girls (tickets on sale today, info below). Support comes from hotly tipped Leeds act Spectrals and Internet Forever, members of which play brass on new 7” track “Want You Back”.
In festival news the Sunderland five-piece, fronted by singer Frankie Francis, have been added to the Summer Sundae line-up and are confirmed as opening act on Radio 1 / NME’s stage at Reading & Leeds, a slot previously occupied by Bloc Party, Delphic and Bombay Bicycle Club.
Their second 7″ (vinyl only) single is released on 26th April on their own label PopSex Ltd. “Tender” and “Want You Back” were recorded in Sunderland by the band's own Pete Gofton and mixed by producer James Ford. The results are pure retro-pop class and, like its predecessor Hunger, Tender has been picking up loads of great radio play with daytime, breakfast and specialist plays at Radio 1, 6Music and Xfm.
F&TH continue their mini headline UK tour this week. In May they support fellow north-easterners The Futureheads on a string of dates before appearances at the Great Escape, Evolution and Stag & Dagger festivals.
F&TH as-yet-untitled debut album is due for release late August/early September.
Popsex Ltd is the band’s label and archive; a “catalogue of collective obsessions”. Check out link to purchase releases such as the new single and their ltd edition live 10″ & fanzine and request free stuff such as mp3s, mixtapes, one-off DVDs, podcasts, downloads and more.
TOUR DATES
APRIL
16 – Bristol – Louisiana
17 – Manchester – Ruby Lounge
Tickets are being sold through their link website, with limited edition screen prints specific to each show also available with deluxe tickets (limited to only 20 per show). Pop Sex Ticketing can be found here link.
MAY
01 – Live at Leeds
07 – Gloucester Guildhall w/Futureheads
08 – Coventry Kasbah w/Futureheads
10 – Bristol Thekla w/Futureheads
11 – Exeter Cavern w/Futureheads
12 – Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms w/Futureheads
13 – Northampton Roadmenders w/Futureheads
14 – Brighton The Great Escape
15 – Brighton The Great Escape
21 – London Stag and Dagger
22 – Glasgow Stag and Dagger
30 – Newcastle Evolution Festival
JUNE
03 – London 100 Club headline w/ support from Spectrals and Internet Forever
AUGUST
27 – Reading Festival, Radio 1 / NME Stage
29 – Leeds Festival, Radio 1 / NME Stage