Following the release of their second EP “Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks” back in October, South London’s DRY CLEANING have confirmed a run of UK tour dates for February & March.
Firm friends for years, the band (Lewis Maynard, Tom Dowse, Florence Shaw & Nick Buxton) only started making music after a party in 2017 inspired a collaboration. They wrote instrumentally to begin with and six months later Shaw, a university lecturer and picture researcher by day, joined on vocals with no prior musical experience. They recorded their debut “Sweet Princess” EP before playing their first show in 2018.
Dry Cleaning’s music is simple – direct and uncomplicated. The Feelies, the Necessaries, the B52s and Pylon all served as inspirations when the band first came together. The small and intimate garage / rehearsal space had a huge influence on the sound; anything unnecessary was to be left behind.
A discussion among the four band members about how to make the prospect of performing as comfortable as possible for Florence (a first timer) ahead of the band’s first rehearsal as a four piece, led to her using her speaking voice. There were several references for this; Will Powers, The Anaemic Boyfriends and Grace Jones,among others.
“Sweet Princess” saw the band arrive fully-formed, and in the brief two months or so since a debut single – their paean to Meghan Markle, “Magic of Meghan” – landed, the band have seen significant international press and radio support, including a 7.8 for the EP at Pitchfork and playlisting at 6 Music. Additionally, Stereogum has named them a Band to Watch.
Boundary’s collection of songs takes its name from the location and context of a shared genesis, and marks a significant chapter for the band as the last tracks to be written in their original rehearsal space. The offering displays a more evolved sound than its predecessor; more textured and confidently realized without overlooking the melodic subtleties or minimal approach implicit on their debut. There is a pop sensibility to the lyrics and a sense that this writing process has become more fluid; words are consciously used with more economy and are often repeated. With this new recording, Dry Cleaning seek to expand the palette of their sound without nagging the simplicity and directness of their songwriting.
DRY CLEANING UK TOUR DATES:
February
12th – Gullivers, Manchester
13th – Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh
14th – The Hug and Pint, Glasgow
15th – Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds
20th – Portland Arms, Cambridge
21st – The Shipping Forecast, Liverpool
22nd – The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham
28th – Green Door Store, Brighton
29th – The Louisiana, Bristol
March
1st – Heartbreakers, Southampton
3rd – Village Underground, London
