A DIY INDIEPOP VINYL & CASSETTE LABEL

Winter Sprinter 2020

Winter Sprinter 2020: Sat 11th Jan: The Ballet + Keel Her + Mr Ben & The Bens

Fika Recordings proudly presents the return of annual Winter Sprinter!

Limited 4 day passes available from We Got Tickets - all super early and early bird passes now sold out.
Day tickets from We Got Tickets or from Dice.

Facebook event here.

THE BALLET

Queer New York duo the Ballet marry the DIY ethos of the Hidden Cameras with the wry poeticism of the Magnetic Fields and the romantic pop of Jens Lekman, to create literate, infectious pop gems. In addition to citing Stephin Merritt as an influence, Goldberg, who writes and home records all of the band’s songs, draws from an array of pop artists and periods, from 60’s bubblegum to 80’s synthpop and 90’s indiepop, fusing these in sophisticated and novel ways that reward repeat listening.

“The music is so lovely, all dewy guitars and dripping synth bells, that it makes you understand the appeal of intertwining with someone who doesn’t necessarily respect you.” Pitchfork

KEEL HER

Keel Her is the musical recording project of Rose Keeler-Schaffeler, from Winchester (UK). She began writing and recording "bedroom" music in 2007 for therapeutic reasons,[1] and has continued this as part of her daily routine since. As a child, Rose learnt the violin, but is largely a self-taught musician; she plays guitar, bass, keyboards and sings. Rose has described her writing process as being like a "stream of consciousness".

”Keel Her’s caustic sense of humour shines through on even its darkest moments” Loud and Quiet

MR BEN & THE BENS

Born as a recording project in a barn in Lancashire in 2012, Ben Hall recorded and self released 7 albums under Mr Ben. Now a complete outfit Mr Ben & the Bens sound like they were baptised in water from the church of indie classics, the songs of the Lancaster Polymath echo Belle & Sebastian, Teleman, Gorkys Zygotic Mynci and a bit of Bill Ryder-Jones his genuinely great modern songwriting.

Winter Sprinter 2020: Fri 10th Jan: The Just Joans + Seazoo + Fortitude Valley

Fika Recordings proudly presents the return of annual Winter Sprinter!

Limited 4 day passes available from We Got Tickets - all super early and early bird passes now sold out.
Day tickets from We Got Tickets or from Dice.

Facebook event here.

THE JUST JOANS

Acerbic yet winsome Scottish indiepoppers The Just Joans return to London to celebrate the launch of their dazzlingly maudlin new album The Private Memoirs and Confessions of the Just Joans.

”The Just Joans have documented the romantic pratfalls of a generation of indie kids with a sardonic wit and a shambling musical style where Stephin Merritt lies down with The Vaselines” Uncut

SEAZOO

Quirky and masterful in equal measure, Welsh noise-pop experts Seazoo channel the American indie rock of Pavement and Grandaddy with the off-kilter, wonky pop of fellow Welsh natives Super Furry Animals.

”Music doesn’t have to take itself too seriously to be valuable; in fact it's Seazoo's enthusiastic attitude that really elevates into more than a piece of throw-away indie pop.”

FORTITUDE VALLEY

Fortitude Valley is a brand new project for the songwriting talents of Durham based Brisbanite Laura Kovic. Having spent the majority of her musical career playing keyboards in other people’s bands, bringing their songs to life with a melodic flourish, it was about time for Laura K to find an outlet for her songs: awkward power-pop that’s bound to appeal to fans of The Beths, Weezer or The Pixies. She’s assembled quite the band too: Martha’s Daniel Ellis on lead guitar and Nathan Stephens Griffin on drums, and Night Flowers’ Greg Ullyart on bass.

Winter Sprinter 2020: Thur 9th Jan: Mammoth Penguins + Broken Chanter + Adults

Fika Recordings proudly presents the return of annual Winter Sprinter!

Limited 4 day passes available from We Got Tickets - all super early and early bird passes now sold out.
Day tickets from We Got Tickets or from Dice.

Facebook event here.

MAMMOTH PENGUINS

For the uninitiated, Mammoth Penguins are a 3-piece indie pop powerhouse, showcasing the songwriting and vocal talents of Emma Kupa (Standard Fare, The Hayman Kupa Band) backed up by the noisiest rhythm section in indie pop.

”one of the finest examples of simple and true indie rock around” All Music [8/10]

BROKEN CHANTER

Broken Chanter is the adopted name of David MacGregor. MacGregor spent the past decade as the principal songwriter of Scottish Alt-Pop darlings Kid Canaveral - a band that could get you to dance, laugh, and weep all in the space of a set. The first Broken Chanter album is a record which paints an emotional and expansive soundscape with a distinct sense of place, that showcases MacGregor's ear for melody and dexterity at tugging heart-strings.

”MacGregor’s writing bares the mark of maturity that comes with age whilst possessing the same vitality as his earlier work with Kid Canaveral” The Skinny

ADULTS

Adults started out in 1996 as runners up on the short-lived channel 4 talent show Voices Of A Generation. Despite securing a record £6 million contract with Simon Fuller, their debut single failed to chart and their UK tour was brought to an abrupt halt when Alycia didn't turn up to the opening night in Preston. Amid rumours of internal fighting, drug problems and accusations of bullying, one-by-one the founding members quit and were replaced first by Mutya and Heidi, then Tom and finally, former-child actor Joely. Relaunched in 2003 the new-look band saw a surge in popularity, no doubt helped by a certain high-profile relationship with a first division footballer, and their cover of Smash Hits remains the best selling edition of the 00s. But it wasn't until Tom came out of his stint in rehab and Joe, Dan and Marcelo were recruited that the band really found its niche. Having wiped all evidence of their past from the Internet (although a grainy video of their 1996 audition tape is still up on vimeo) the group are now most often found in back rooms of pubs in the southeast London area, proving themselves to be, without a doubt, the hardest working popstars in the business.

Winter Sprinter 2020: Wed 8th Jan: Holly Macve + The Hanging Stars + Portland Brothers

Fika Recordings proudly presents the return of annual Winter Sprinter!

Limited 4 day passes available from We Got Tickets - all super early and early bird passes now sold out.
Day tickets from We Got Tickets or from Dice.

Facebook event here.

HOLLY MACVE

A heavenly voice couched in spellbinding country & western ballads, with a devastating emotional delivery - we're delighted to have Holly Macve headline the opening night of The Winter Sprinter.

“Exquisite… Her voice echoes the Appalachian-tinged old-timers Patsy Cline and Kitty Wells, all framed by the pared-down boniness of Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash and Gillian Welch.” MOJO

THE HANGING STARS

Blending folk pastoralism with swampy 60s Americana, The Hanging Stars sound like the missing link between the California desert sun and the grey skies of London Town. The Hanging Stars place themselves firmly as part of a long folk tradition encompassing European and North American influences – as a continuation rather than a pastiche of these styles.

”a hazy, desert-dream of a song, nicely sharpened with steely-eyed guitars, Mersey-laced harmonies and just a whiff of the Gun Club” Guardian"

PORTLAND BROTHERS

Steven Adams (The Broken Family Band) and Timothy Victor (The Folk Orchestra) first met in the summer of 2001, in the Portland Arms, Cambridge. The two became good friends, and TV went on to produce the first two Broken Family Band albums, as well as becoming an unofficial fifth member of the group. Portland Brothers sees them sharing songwriting and singing, consciously revisiting some of the influences that brought them together in the first place.

”very good indeed” Americana UK