Cowtown, recorded in September this year at the Float Along Festival in Sheffield and broadcast just a few days ago on BBC 6 Music Introducing series.
Cowtown is Hilary Knot (keyboards and vocals) Jonathan Nash (guitar and vocals) and David Shields, drums. Together for twenty years and making a name for themselves primarily on the underground music circuit around the UK. They released their latest album Fear Of . . . in May of this year and it was the first in 8 years.
A few words via their Bandcamp page to give you a better idea:
Surviving five years as a band on the UK underground scene is difficult to do, lasting for 20 takes a near miracle. However, Cowtown – Leeds formed and raised trio of Hilary Knott (keys/vocals), Jonathan Nash (guitars/vocals) and David Shields (drums) – arrive blinking into 2024 not only intact and able to celebrate two decades together as bandmates and friends, but armed with Fear Of… their first new record in eight years, and a collection of songs that hand-on-heart, away from the sales speak, may be their best work to-date.
Friendship can keep a band going for so long, but it’s more than that that’s seen this ostensibly DIY band enjoy European tours with heroes Deerhoof and Quasi, play festivals at home and abroad, and during several periods of time in their history become the most requested hometown support in their native Leeds for any touring band worth their salt – not to mention their own ability to continually sell out shows up and down the UK with little to no backing.
Other projects have come and gone – Nash perhaps most notably as drummer in Hookworms which has since evolved into Holodrum; Knott stepping further into the experimental undergrowth as Basic Switches, among other collaborative efforts – yet the band have remained. Their fizzed-up brand of Devo-esque punk full of pop smarts has never stood still, constantly being updated and tweaked to sound timeless and subsequently outlast whichever latest guitar sub-genre has cycled back into fashion once again. Always though, Cowtown have kept at their core a warm sense of humour, positivity and the cartoonishly abstract song writing sense that’s always felt like their own small corner of the musical world.
That gives you some idea of who Cowtown is. Only one track from the festival was broadcast (although there are indications a more complete appearance is lurking around someplace) – in the meantime, have a listen and head over to their Bandcamp page for a look-see.
