Futuristic Retro Champions

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Futuristic Retro Champions
File:FRC20110408-01.JPG
Background information
Origin Edinburgh, Scotland
Genres Electropop
Years active 2006–2011
Labels Everything Flows Records[1]
Website www.futuristicretrochampions.com
Members Sita Pieraccini
Carla Easton
Harry Weeks
Cecilia Stamp

Futuristic Retro Champions were a Scottish indie band from Edinburgh and Glasgow who sang and played electropop with a Scottish brogue.[2] They played support for such headliners as Kate Nash, Ladyhawke, The Vaselines, Bombay Bicycle Club, Charlotte Hatherley, Friendly Fires and Glasvegas, before eventually headlining their own shows.

History

Futuristic Retro Champions played their debut public gig at Edinburgh's Wee Red Bar in 2006. They'd met at Edinburgh College of Art, and the band properly took shape when Carla, Sita and Luke wrote the song, 'Lullaby' together as a soundtrack to a film they'd made.[3] They turned to Harry to help record the song, and when recording the first version of 'Hi!', were joined by Dan on trumpet. Carla and Sita then moved to Lithuania, where they continued to develop their sound.[4] On their return, Adam joined the band on synth.

In 2007, The List named them as a band to look out for that year. Then in June, they headlined at Glasgow's King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, supported by fellow electro popsters Pooch.[5] That same year while still at college, they played support for Kate Nash, Glasvegas,[6] and Friendly Fires, and headlined The 2007 Art College Revel. Also at an Art College tribute night in memory of their tutor and mentor Paul Carter, they were joined on stage by Eugene Kelly of Scottish indie band The Vaselines, for covers of (The Vaselines' songs) 'Son of a Gun' and 'You Think You're A Man'.

In 2008, Carla, Harry and Sita's long-term friend Cecilia 'Ceal' Stamp replaced Luke on bass, while Adam and Dan also left. The new line-up supported Ladyhawke,[7] visited London a couple of times, played Shoreditch, and supported (former BiS star) Manda Rin. In 2009 they played the Heavylight/Darkbright club night in Stereo, then in March, Edinburgh's The Mill. Next, on a trip to London, they supported The Vaselines at The Forum,[8] then played the Hinterland Festival.[9] During summer they played the inaugural Define Pop Festival.

Moving to Glasgow they began to concentrate on writing new songs. They supported Charlotte Hatherley at King Tut's,[10] and their music was played on Radio 1, Radio 6 Music, Jim Gellatly's New Music podcast, Subcity Radio, Glasgow PodcART and Gill Mills' 'Best of MySpace' podcast. In 2010 they played King Tut's again, then Sneaky Petes in Edinburgh, and London's Club Fandango. The FRC EP was launched with a packed and overspilling sellout show at The 13th Note Café. In March they recorded four new tracks at La Chunky Studio in Glasgow, and in April, headlined Sneaky Petes. Their (free) La Chunky EP was released in the summer,[11] when they played the Hidden Lane Festival.

The debut single 'May The Forth / Settle Down' was released at a Mono launch night[12] in Glasgow on 5 August 2010, with Turner Prize-winning artist Martin Creed, who supplied the original artwork,[13] performing a rare set with his band;[14] also The Vaselines' Eugene Kelly; and the Hidden Masters. The single was favourably reviewed, receiving airplay on Radio 1 by Ally McCrae, and also by Kissy Sell Out[15] (who played/remixed it twice on air, inviting them to play one of his Birmingham nights).[16]

On 21 October 2010, the band announced on Facebook and Twitter, the December launch (at shows in Glasgow and Edinburgh) of a "Retrospective" album featuring all songs recorded to date; and also that they would "... not be continuing into 2011."[17] Then on 20 November, another announcement said bassist Ceal had suffered a shattered elbow, and the farewell/album party gigs would have to be postponed until 2011.[18]

Their 26-track, 2-CD debut/retrospective album 'Love And Lemonade' was released in April 2011.[19][20]

Band Name

Interviewed in the Jez Curnow movie The Art School Dance,[21] Carla reveals that she and her brother were in a school contest to coin "the best band name", and Futuristic Retro Champions is what they arrived at. Carla decided that if ever she were in a band, that would be its name.

Band Members

  • Sita Pieraccini – vocals and melodica, occasional tambourine (2006–2011)
  • Carla Easton – keys, vocals, occasional saxophone (2006–2011)
  • Harry Weeks – guitar, vocals, synths, laptop, production (2006–2011)
  • Cecilia Stamp – bass, vocals (2008–2011)

Former members

  • Luke Fletcher – bass (2006–2008)
  • Dan O'Neill – trumpet (2006–2008)
  • Adam D. Scott – synths, shouting (2006–2008)

Discography

EPs

Year Title Tracks
2009 Lollipoptastic EP Speak To Me; Epic New Song; Pulling Box Shapes; Isn't It Lovely
2010 FRC EP You Make My Heart; DIY Lovesong; Let's Make Out; Told Ya
2010 La Chunky EP (FREE) Jenna; Kitten with a Loaded Gun; Strawberries And Vodka Shots; Told Ya (TYGH Remix)

Singles

  • May The Forth / Settle Down (hidden track "Robert De Niro's Waiting") (2010)

Compilations

  • Love And Lemonade (2CD) (2011)

CD1: Epic New Song, Jenna, Isn't It Lovely, Kitten with a Loaded Gun, You Make My Heart, Strawberries And Vodka Shots, Let's Make Out, Speak To Me, Told Ya, Pulling Box Shapes, Settle Down, DIY Lovesong, May The Forth, Robert De Niro's Waiting, Count To Ten (Kevin's version).
CD2: Hi!, I'm Tired, Old Man (Magpie Eyes), Nintendo, Oh My God, Drunk Love, One Last Time (acoustic feat. David Pollock), Uh Oh (No Show), May The Forth (Miaoux Miaoux remix), Speak To Me (Isaac Martin remix), Told Ya (TYGH remix).
Notes:

  1. Due to a production error, Let's Make Out was omitted from the limited edition mini-vinyl CD release. Immediately on discovery, the track was made publicly available as a free download.
  2. "Robert De Niro's Waiting" is not included on the iTunes edition of the album.

Other Appearances

  • A live 2007 performance of "Jenna" features in Jez Curnow's film "The Art School Dance" (DVD) (2009).[21][22]
  • The song "Speak To Me" features on the Amazing Tunes musical soundtrack accompanying "Flick", the debut novel of actress and writer Abigail Tarttelin (2011).[23]

References

  1. ↑ Everything Flows Management
  2. ↑ Anna Docherty, "Futuristic Retro Champions: Our new favourite Scottish Band", The Midgie, 1 June 2009 (updated 2 June 2009).
  3. ↑ Peenko
  4. ↑ Gary Flockhart, "Introducing... The Futuristic Retro Champions are go", The Scotsman, 30 May 2008
  5. ↑ The Skinny
  6. ↑ Reverb Nation
  7. ↑ Darren Carle, "Ladyhawke @ Cabaret Voltaire, 3 Oct", The Skinny, 8 October 2008.
  8. ↑ Danielle Millea, "The Vaselines / Bridget Storm / Futuristic Retro Champions: HMV Forum, Kentish Town, London on Friday 27 March 2009", eGigs, 31 March 2009
  9. ↑ The Scotsman
  10. ↑ Mark Zonda, "Weegie Charlotte", SleepWalKing Magazine, 21 September 2009
  11. ↑ Glasgow Music
  12. ↑ The List
  13. ↑ The Ark
  14. ↑ Red Hot Velvet
  15. ↑ BBC
  16. ↑ Everything Flows
  17. ↑ Facebook, 21 October 2010 at 1:33pm
  18. ↑ Facebook, 20 November 2010 at 8:15pm
  19. ↑ Bandcamp
  20. ↑ Bandcamp
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Edinburgh College of Art
  22. ↑ The Art School Dance
  23. ↑ Beautiful Books

External links

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