FRESH from finishing their second album, the acclaimed Officer Kicks will be the Sunday headliners on the main stage at the Stortford Music Festival next month.
The four-piece – singer Jamie Scallion, Jamie Fisher on guitar, drummer Keith Wickham and Michael Skorjanec on bass – completed Citywide Curfew last month.
The rockers had been holed up in Dean Street Studios with producer Alexander Wolfe since December crafting their latest offering, which will be released in the summer on We Make Things Records.
The three-month project was in contrast to their debut album,
The Six Grand Plot, which was cut in 10 days at Oasis’s private studio in Bucks.
Few artists are given the green light to live and record at the mansion-sized studio.
Kasabian, The Coral and Paul Weller are amongst the only other Noel Gallager-approved acts.
However, the boys believed their latest effort was well worth the extra time and effort: “We achieved what we set out to. Musically, sonically, lyrically and every other ically, it’s our best work.”
The first single,
Tom Thumb, will be available as a download with extra song The Squeeze on June 1.
Stortford-based fans have already had a sneak preview of some of the new tracks after the band played January’s Rhodes Rocks! – and were so well received they can’t wait to return for the Sunday, May 3 show and their prime slot on the rock stage.
They ended 2008 playing for up to 4,000 people a night in venues like Manchester Apollo and Reading Rivermead.
Since their conception in 2005, the band have made playing live a real priority and this has earned them festival slots headlining stages at Glastonbury and Secret Garden Party plus a spot on The BBC Introducing stage of Bestival. They will be returning to the Secret Garden Party this summer – proving they’re an outfit on the way up.
They will be in good company at the Stortford Music Festival. This year there is a bigger line-up than ever – with more than 60 artists and more stages.
These include the rock stage – where Club Blub and Rhodes Rocks! favourites will feature – as well as the classic Green Stage, an arts marquee and acoustic tent, plus a huge host of stalls, stand-up comedy, a beer tent, live sessions, a chill-out tent and artistic displays including sculpture throughout the weekend of May 2 and 3.