Almost 10 years in the making, Bull are set to release their long-awaited debut album on March 26th. Later in the year, on September 16th, they travel to Ramsgate to perform these songs; formed from a mutual love of Pavement, Pixies, Yuck, Dinosaur Jr and “guitar-heavy, artistic rock music”.
Brilliant boys making pretty rock music. Get involved!
“That’s really good – I really like that” – Elton John (no, genuinely)
There’s a pleasing irony to the fact that the oldest song from York quartet Bull’s forthcoming debut ‘Discover Effortless Living’ – due 26th March via EMI, is a jangling, harmony-drenched offering entitled ‘Green’. Dating back to 2012, shortly after the group of then-young teenagers first formed, it introduces a band that – though still only in their mid-twenties – are actually far from wide-eyed apprentices on the scene (the green newcomers you might expect); instead, vocalist and chief songwriter Tom Beer, guitarist and fellow original member Dan Lucas, bassist Kai West and drummer Tom Gabbatiss have notched up more than 500 gigs to their name, honing their wares over nearly a decade of graft and emerging with a record that stands as testament to that long-term, tight-knit bond.
“We’ve played pretty much every different way you can play, in all different kinds of rooms, to all different kinds of audiences – you start to learn what you need to do at any given time, and that’s a pretty good skill that you can only get by playing constantly,” says Kai.
“I feel more comfortable on stage playing a gig than at any point in the day before the gig,” Tom G nods. “I’m much more worried about everything else, but as soon as I’m on stage playing I know that everyone knows what they’re doing. I feel like we trust each other enough to let whatever happens happen and roll with it a bit. It’s very comfortable.”
“They’re finding really interesting ways to do these pop songs that I really love” – Declan McKenna
“The idiosyncratic four-piece invoke the spirit of indie-rock royalty while retaining a wild, unpredictable energy all of their own” – SoundLab
“Bull radiate warmth wherever they play, like a big sonic hug. The personification of nonchalant, the occasional failing of a guitar amp is taken in stride. A band who make every performance feel like they’re playing in your living room” – Pretend Online
