Black Country, New Road
Black Country, New Road
Genres: post-punk, post-rock, Crank wave, indie rock, art rock
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About Black Country, New Road
Black Country, New Road, commonly abbreviated as BC,NR or BCNR, is an English rock band formed in Cambridge in 2018. The group's original members were Tyler Hyde (vocals, bass), Lewis Evans (vocals, flute, saxophone), Georgia Ellery (violin, backing vocals), May Kershaw (vocals, keyboards), Charlie Wayne (drums, backing vocals), and Isaac Wood (guitar, lead vocals). Guitarist Luke Mark joined the band in 2019. The band first gained attention with the singles "Athens, France" and "Sunglasses" in 2019. Their debut album, "For the First Time", was released in 2021 and received critical acclaim. The album was nominated for the Mercury Prize and reached number four on the UK Albums Chart. Their second album, "Ants from Up There", was released in 2022. Four days before its release, Isaac Wood left the band, citing mental health concerns. The album received positive critical reception and debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Following Wood's departure, the remaining members began developing new material, with Hyde, Ellery, Kershaw, and Evans sharing vocal duties. In 2023, the band released the concert film and live album "Live at Bush Hall", which featured songs written after Wood's departure. Their third studio album, "Forever Howlong", was released in April 2025. Before forming Black Country, New Road, Hyde, Evans, Ellery, Kershaw, Wayne, and Wood were members of the East Cambridgeshire band Nervous Conditions, formed in 2014 alongside Connor Browne and Jonny Pyke. The group became known for its live performances and recorded an unreleased album tentatively titled "Zak's Anniversary" in 2017. Nervous Conditions disbanded in early 2018 following allegations of sexual assault against Browne. The remaining members later stated that they had been unaware of the allegations at the time. Black Country, New Road was formed later in 2018 without Browne and Pyke. The band's name was derived from the Black Country New Road in the English Midlands and was reportedly chosen after Isaac Wood encountered the term through Wikipedia's random article feature. The group performed regularly at venues including the Windmill in Brixton and became associated with the South London music scene. Although several members had previously played together in Nervous Conditions, the new band's musical direction differed from their earlier work. The band's debut single, "Athens, France", was released in January 2019 through the independent label Speedy Wunderground. Luke Mark joined the group later that year, expanding the lineup to seven members. The second single, "Sunglasses", was released in July 2019. Both songs received attention from music critics and contributed to the band's growing audience. In October 2020, Black Country, New Road signed with Ninja Tune and announced their debut album, "For the First Time". The album was released on 5 February 2021 and was produced by Andy Savours. It was recorded during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Following its release, the album reached number four on the UK Albums Chart and topped the UK Independent Albums Chart. Planned appearances at festivals including Glastonbury, Primavera Sound, and South by Southwest were cancelled because of the pandemic. In October 2021, the band announced their second album, "Ants from Up There", and released the single "Chaos Space Marine". Additional singles from the album included "Bread Song", "Concorde", and "Snow Globes". In December 2021, the band released the limited EP "Never Again", which included cover versions of songs by MGMT, ABBA, and Adele. On 31 January 2022, Isaac Wood announced his departure from the band through social media, citing difficulties related to mental health. As a result, the band's planned United States tour was cancelled. The remaining members continued working on new material and later stated that they had already begun preparing for the transition before Wood's departure became public. Since then, the band has generally not performed songs from its first two studio albums live. "Ants from Up There" was released on 4 February 2022 and received widespread critical acclaim. It debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart, becoming the band's highest-charting release at the time. A deluxe edition featuring live recordings from Queen Elizabeth Hall was released in June 2022. Following Wood's departure, Black Country, New Road toured Europe and North America during 2022 and introduced new material during live performances. In November 2022, the band released the EP "Never Again Pt. 2", featuring cover versions of songs by Regina Spektor, Caroline Polachek, The Magnetic Fields, and Billie Eilish. In February 2023, the band announced "Live at Bush Hall", a concert film and live album recorded at Bush Hall in London. The performances consisted entirely of previously unreleased material developed after Wood's departure. The live album version was released in March 2023. Later that year, the band signed a global publishing agreement with Transgressive Publishing and confirmed that work on a new studio album was underway. In January 2025, the band released a teaser and announced the single "Besties", followed by the announcement of their third studio album, "Forever Howlong". Additional singles from the album included "Happy Birthday" and "For the Cold Country". The album was released in multiple physical formats, including vinyl, CD, and cassette editions, and was supported by an international tour beginning in April 2025. "Forever Howlong" received positive reviews from critics and debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart and number one on the UK Independent Albums Chart. The album also charted internationally, including in Germany, Australia, and the United States, where it marked the band's first appearance on the Billboard 200 chart. Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Country,_New_Road Studio albums For the First Time (2021) Ants from Up There (2022) Forever Howlong (2025)
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