Following the recent announcement of the upcoming February 24th release of Take Me To The Trees, the band’s first new album in three decades, and their March/April North American tour, UK post-punk innovators, Modern English, have just released “Sweet Revenge”, the second single from their upcoming album.
“‘Sweet Revenge’ is a song of modern desperation and lost love,” said vocalist Robbie Grey. “It’s a return for Modern English to our early angular guitar work and in your face lyrics. The bass moves and won’t be pinned down as it weaves. The space age keyboards fly around like stars. I’m looking for Sweet Revenge. The cry of someone looking to blame the world.”
Take Me To The Trees, which will be released via Kartel Music Group, not only reconnects the band (vocalist Robbie Grey; bassist Mick Conroy; guitarist Gary McDowell; and keyboardist Steven Walker) to their roots, in the fervent and fecund world of late 1970s/early 1980s post-punk Britain, but also brings back Martyn Young of Colourbox and M/A/R/R/S fame for co-production, whose last production job was 1986. In addition, the album’s beautiful cover is by venerated art director Vaughan Oliver, whose very first sleeve design was Modern English’s “Gathering Dust” single in 1980.
Grey, Conroy, McDowell and Walker first reunited in 2010, to tour the US, UK and Paris, before accepting an invitation to re-record their 1984 smash single “I Melt With You” for Mark Pellington’s film of the same name. They hadn’t seen each other in over twenty years, until they all started rehearsing for the tour. “It was like the intervening years hadn’t happened,” says Conroy, “and the old songs still sounded as good.” After the tour, they started swapping new ideas, “some from jamming in a room, like we used to do,” says Grey. “We looked at each other, just laughing. It was amazing.”
Modern English will be embarking on a Take Me To The Trees Tour in support of the album, which kicks off with the band’s first ever appearance at SXSW.
Check out the album cover and tour dates below.
TAKE ME TO THE TREES NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2017
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03/14 – 03/16: Austin, TX – SXSW
03/19: Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theater
03/21: Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar
03/22: San Diego, CA – The Casbah
03/23: Los Angeles, CA – The Regent
03/24: Oakland, CA – Oakland Metro Operahouse
03/27: Portland, OR – Star Theatre
03/28: Seattle, WA – Neumos
03/30: Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
03/31: Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
04/02: Kansas City, MO – recordBar
04/03: St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway
04/05: St. Paul, MN – Turf Club
04/06: Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
04/07: Ferndale, MI – The Loving Touch
04/08: Pittsburgh, PA – Rex Theatre
04/10: Washington, DC – Rock N’ Roll Hotel
04/11: Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
04/13: Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
04/14: Brooklyn, NY – Rough Trade
04/16: Toronto, ON – Adelaide Hall
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