“'In Towers & Clouds'”
debut album out now in France

Not every four-piece band can boast four vocalists, three drummers, three guitarists and three bassists, but not every band possess the versatility, range and multidirectional eclecticism of Dublin quartet The Immediate.
 
These young music obsessives met a school and were fortunate enough to find a musical mentor in the guise of their school caretaker. Responsible for introducing Conor and Dave to the likes of The Velvet Underground, Love, Can and Serge Gainsbourg, he opened up a whole new world for two boys who'd thought Green Day were where it's at. Teenage fixations with Pink Floyd, Dylan and The Kinks fuelled the fire but the arrival of Peter, whose encyclopedic knowledge of the coolest in 60's pop - Jacques Brel, Scott Walker and The Shangri Las - added a further dimension to their embryonic sound and - taking their name from their favourite adjective -The Immediate were born. Newcomer Barra, who’d been a regular collaborator for some time, has since added his love of analogue soundscapes to the mix.

Early gigs took place in hotel function rooms and the unlikely un-rock n’ roll environs of a church, where the psyche-rock indulgences of an early Immediate composition ‘Get Out Of My House’ startled more than just a few punters. They began to pursue a novel approach to get their demo on the grapevine. A CD was thrown onstage at a Manic Street Preachers gig to a bemused Nicky Wire. Even Beck received a copy that was surreptitiously slipped into his bag with a purchase at a Dublin bookstore.

One such demo made it’s way to the ears of Fierce Panda Records and early in 2005 they released The Immediate’s debut single ‘Never Seen/Say This’ as a limited edition 7”.  XFM and Radio One played the track, the infamous dj duo Queenz Of Noize included the band on a compilation and a flurry of London shows followed.

In the latter half of 2005, the band entered Jacobs Studios in Surrey, to record their debut longplayer with US producer Chris Shaw (Wilco, Super Furry Animals, Public Enemy, Dylan).  The first recordings from this session were released in April 2006 as the acclaimed ‘make our devils FLOW’, a 4 track EP on CD and 7” double pack.  The album ‘In Towers & Clouds’, due for release March 2007 is certainly affecting, crammed full of wide-eyed musical delights.

It is typical of a group, whose members hop from instrument to instrument in their live shows, that they should show an equally restless and experimental attitude on record.  Here they produce the sweetest of harmonies on ‘A Ghost In This House’ and yet deliver a screaming chorus on ‘Don’t You Ever’; a stomping rhythm section on ‘"Lonely Locked Up" and a swelling electro backbone for the epic ‘"In Towers & Clouds"; and their flirtation with swing on ‘"Big Sad Eyes" doesn't seem out of place alongside Pete’'s fervent vocal on forthcoming single ‘"Stop and Remember".

This natural disregard of easy labeling could be applied to their lyrics too.  ‘'In Towers & Clouds' is a debut choc-a-bloc with sparkling tunes that bristle with ambition and ingenuity, delivering a perfectly formed eleven-track pop odyssey by music lovers for music lovers. As the band themselves explain, “"This album is for anyone who has ever felt apart from the crowd. That's about as specific as we can be. If you want to understand fully, just listen to the songs."

Live wise, as on record, these four talented musicians share vocals, guitar, bass and drums, and turn the usual gig-going experience into a much more enthralling spectacle. To date the band have played alongside the likes of The Young Knives, The Magic Numbers, The Flaming Lips, Doves, Guillemots, The Fratellis and The Organ amongst others. UK dates are planned to coincide with the albums release and will be announced shortly.

THE IMMEDIATE are :

David Hedderman -vocals, guitar, bass
Conor O'Brien - vocals, guitar, drums
Barra Heavey - keys, guitar, bass, drums
Peter Toomey - vocals, drums, bass

Debut Album "In Towers & Clouds"

- Out now in France-