It all started with Six Star Hotel. When I was trying desperately not to drop the guitar, when my friends were all in bands – everyone wanted to be Six Star Hotel. They seemed successful straight out of the box, and what’s more they were good. Their videos were good. Everything about them.
And they toured – they worked with Bloc Party’s producer – and all this off their own back. They weren’t ever signed as far as I knew – they released everything off their own label ‘We Collect Records’. They even run their own festival. It all seemed so effortless – and what’s more, isn’t the oldest cliché true – they are also the hardest working band out there – along with all the other ones.
And then two of them got married, and two of them moved to London. Which didn’t stop them. Their new album “Tides And Tides” is another heartstopping work of insane genius. It was mixed in LA by Brad Wood who’s worked with Pete Yorn and Smashing Pumpkins. And here are two of the best songs on it:
Six Star Hotel – Gloria! Gloria! / I Fell Awake
Download For iPod (92.7 MB) / Download Mp3 (7.7 MB)
Six Star Hotel started here, in Neil’s attic. He and David sat around as kids and recorded demos there onto tape, listening back to them and discovering the joy of being in a band. I can understand why, the acoustics are incredible.
So, to mark their latest album, the most mature work to date, it makes sense to bring it all back home – back onto acoustic guitars and suitcase percussion – back amongst the paraphernalia of childhood – back where it all started. Sit back and enjoy this.
“Tides and Tides” is out now and you can buy it here.
Six Star Hotel – Left Alone
Download For iPod (77.9 MB) / Download Mp3 (5 MB)
Filmed by Will McConnell
in Lisburn, November 2009
