CASE STUDY: LETTERS

Edinburgh's five piece Letters caused quite a stir at the start of 2011 when their dark cello pop, urgent melancholic vocals and ambitious rock instrumentation, saw their first double sided free single 'Grand National / Pipe Dreams' cause a buzz across the UK's media and blogosphere. Scotsman Radar, The Pop Cop, Jim Gellatly, CMU Daily and Ally McCrae’s Radio1 Session in Scotland were among the many voices declaring Letters as the band to watch.
PRESS FOR GRAND NATIONAL/PIPE DREAMS SINGLE RELEASE

"The hottest new band in Scotland right now." The Pop Cop

"It's rare that such a new band sounds so close to the finished article...fans of acts such as Jimmy Eat World will find much to admire in the pedal-to-the-metal chorus, but there's still plenty of musical meat on the bones.” Scotsman Radar

“An enthralling mix of Frightened Rabbit and Idlewild.” Faded Glamour

"Their tendency to leap on the distortion pedal as songs draw to an end, and my weakness for vocals sung in a Scottish accent, it makes for a winning formula...They could have a very bright future indeed." CMU

Letters are a million musical miles away from most other Edinburgh acts. While the two tracks they’ve made available on their site so far demonstrate a knack for a nice harmony, the music is very much plugged in, with the riff that drives 'Grand National' towards its coda falling into the ‘bruising’ category. And all the while that large, cumbersome stringed instrument is clearly audible.

http://radar.scotsman.com/viewpost.aspx?id=386



With elegance and class, with darkness and light entwined, Edinburgh’s Letters are warmly welcomed to The Whiteboard Project pages with their track ‘Pipe Dreams’ that is without doubt a worthy ‘Track Of The Day.’

http://thewhiteboardproject.tumblr.com/post/3106139742/track-of-the-day-letters

Edinburgh indie artists Letters, do just that twice, with their debut double a-sided single. Two stunning tracks which deliver freshness and originality and for a group that only formed the in the back end of 2010, it is scarily exciting what they could achieve in the future from this confident and accomplished start.

http://www.rockpulse.co.uk/reviews/453/letters-double-a-side-single-grand-national--pipe-dreams-22-1-2011/

As it starts, it reminds me a lot of Final Fantasy, with the gorgeous strings and the similar vocal style, before shifting up a few gears and taking a darker, rockier turn round

http://www.kowalskiy.co.uk/2011/01/k-with-letters.html

The band exhume an extremely striking brand of indie pop which has a resonating quality. The topic is often of woe, but the songs are uplifting, and the delivery absorbing.

The juxtaposition of prominent cello and processed drums, and the tendency to give songs that big push at the end earmarks this as something special.


http://favouriteson.wordpress.com/2011/02/13/letters-the-grand-nationalpipe-dreams/

Letters have their own sound but there is more than a hint of Ra Ra Riot within this offering, especially on 'Grand National'. They have created a similar haunting sound with emotional sounding tunes. Maybe a lot of this comes from Georgie Williamson's cello which creates a similar feel to the one that Alexandra Lawn gives to Ra Ra Riot. Both tunes are quite simply amazing.

http://www.roomthirteen.com/cd_reviews/11648/Letters__The_Grand_NationalPipe_Dreams.html

Refined pop with a warm classical glow. A significant band just might be emerging here, confidently coming up for air…

http://www.organart.demon.co.uk/organthing076.html

Other links:
http://suckinglemons.co.uk/2011/03/03/letters/

http://www.shout4music.com/single-reviews/letters-%E2%80%98pipe-dreams-grand-national%E2%80%99/

http://www.highvoltage.org.uk/article.php?type=4&id=1232

http://loudhorizon.wordpress.com/2011/02/06/letters-grand-national-pipe-dreams/

http://www.neverenoughnotes.co.uk/wordpress/2011/02/letters-new-double-sided-single-grand-nationalpipe-dreams-free-download/

http://17seconds.co.uk/blog/2011/02/22/presentingletters/

http://reviewgraveyard.com/00_revs/r2011/music/11-02-16_letters-pipedreams.html

http://breakingmorewaves.blogspot.com/2011/03/letters-new-waves.html

http://www.mudkiss.com/andysfebsinglereviews.htm

http://www.thebluewalrus.com/2011/02/21/bands-to-watch-letters/


The release of their follow up single 'Flash!Lights' saw them gain more attention with siginificant radio play on Introducing in scotland, with Jim Gellantly, plus festival appearances at Wickerman and Rockness. Flash!Lights showed a pleasing progression, and allowed Letters to make it into some bigger publications and playlists.


PRESS FOR 'FLASH!LIGHTS' SINGLE RELEASE:

“Taking the booming yet emotional presence of Frightened Rabbit, Letters new single manages to incorporate a throbbingly haunting cello arrangement into soaring guitars that reach Biffy levels of power.” Artrocker

http://www.artrocker.tv/singles/article/singles-for-the-week-starting-4-july

"Dramatised cello, layered guitars and quivering drums all building to a closing minute of sheer pop-mayhem."

http://www.trisickle.co.uk/2011/06/14/preview-letters-flash-light/

Scottish five piece Letters should be loved by plenty though.There's elements of Frightened Rabbit and Idlewild in the band - and the latter influence is particularly prominent as the song progresses.

http://www.fadedglamour.co.uk/2011/11/download-letters-flash-lights-new-track.html

The track builds almost imperceptibly for the first three quarters of its duration before erupting into a full-on orchestrated soundrack of a climax.

http://loudhorizon.wordpress.com/2011/07/12/letters-flash-lights/

Letters have developed their sound into a more complete affair with crisper riffs and the verve and swagger of a band at the top of their game, even at this early stage. The song echoes a post apocalyptic fear and worry, evoking the emptiness we feel when faced with a dilemma, where there is no right answer. Then, as if to compensate you for putting you in this state of fear, Letters knock your head off with a phenomenal close to the track. This climax is met with a gargantuan drum beat and a healthy dose of what I call 'epic noise' (definitely a good thing). If the hairs on the back of your neck don't stand to attention for this, then you probably aren't alive.

http://grierson9.blogspot.com/2011/06/review-letters-flash-lights.html

Edinburgh’s Letters have been busy, releasing early-Idlewild-esque single ‘Flash! Lights!’ (White label ●●●) only months after beginning gigging.

http://www.list.co.uk/article/36031-single-of-the-week-joan-as-police-woman-chemmie/

Flash! Lights is glorious, it is powerful and disturbing, and Letters are the future of dark, indie pop.

http://ringmasterreviewintroduces.wordpress.com/2011/06/27/letters-%E2%80%93-flash-lights/

Letters are probably the best new band I've heard from anywhere this year: listen to 'Flash Lights', and should you remain unmoved by their melodramatic eloquence I then fear you lack a soul.

http://www.tastyfanzine.org.uk/singles112jul11.htm#WeWriteLetters

Other mentions:
http://thedailydose1.wordpress.com/2011/07/14/letters/

http://www.thecmuwebsite.com/article/letters-announce-second-single/

http://dauphinmag.com/tag/flashlights/

http://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/live_reviews/102701-wickerman_2011

http://www.aaamusic.co.uk/2011/07/03/letters-release-new-single-flashlights-as-a-free-download-on-the-4th-of-july/

http://kowalskiy.bandcamp.com/track/flash-lights-demo

http://www.reviewgraveyard.com/00_revs/r2011/music/11-07-04_letters-flashlights.html

Letters new single 'Flash!Lights' released as a free download on the 4th of July! Stream

LETTERS RELEASE NEW SINGLE 'FLASH!LIGHTS' AS A FREE DOWNLOAD ON THE 4TH OF JULY.



LETTERS - Flash! Lights by Soundandvisionpr

Edinburgh's five piece Letters caused quite a stir earlier this year when their dark cello pop, urgent melancholic vocals and ambitious rock instrumentation, saw their first double sided free single 'Grand National / Pipe Dreams' cause a buzz across the UK's media and blogosphere. Scotsman Radar, The Pop Cop, Jim Gellatly, CMU Daily and Ally McCrae’s Radio1 Session in Scotland were among the many voices declaring Letters as the band to watch. The anticipation mounted for their next move, a series of low key gigs and select festival appearances at Wickerman and Rockness followed.

Now they reveal their darker side on new release 'Flash! Lights’. A slow burning anthem that sears itself into your brain though singer Michael Ferguson's emotive refrain; 'set this relic up on fire/its a past life its over’. Its throbbing cello lines, cascading fearsome drum patterns, layered guitar riffs, and grand strings building to crashing crescendos in its final epic minute. In the band's own words...

"Flash! Lights', to paraphrase one of the lyrics in the song, is about feeling dwarfed by the possibilities of time and the panic induced by fear of under achievement. It's about trying to let go of your past and your vices in order that you embrace the things that truly inspire you and ultimately drive you forward, all the while recognising the complete hopelessness that neither of these aforementioned things can exist without the other.

We wanted to write a song that put the fear of God in us, something that can be as scary as the subject matter and I think we've managed to achieve that."

"The hottest new band in Scotland right now." The Pop Cop

"It's rare that such a new band sounds so close to the finished article...fans of acts such as Jimmy Eat World will find much to admire in the pedal-to-the-metal chorus, but there's still plenty of musical meat on the bones.” Scotsman Radar

“An enthralling mix of Frightened Rabbit and Idlewild.” Faded Glamour

"Their tendency to leap on the distortion pedal as songs draw to an end, and my weakness for vocals sung in a Scottish accent, it makes for a winning formula...They could have a very bright future indeed." CMU

Letters will celebrate their new release with a gig at Henry's Cellar Bar on the 7th July. They will also be playing a few select gigs over the Summer including an acoustic show at 'Inspace' as part of the Edinburgh International Film Festival on the 24th June and the Solus Tent, Wickerman Festival on the 23rd July. Details of more gigs can be found at www.wewriteletters.co.uk/live

http://www.wewriteletters.co.uk



PR Bill Cummings soundandvisionpr@googlemail.com

Edinburgh's LETTERS to support Wild Palms at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut (4th of March)& Approved by CMU music industry bible!

Hi

If you hadn't noticed I'm working with new Edinburgh band called Letters, their dark cello indie rock is enthralling me at the moment. Two bits of great new news surrounding the band at the moment, whose two tracks online are delighting those in the blogging and podcasting worlds, yesterday they were APPROVED by the music industry Bible CMU here's what they had to say

"Edinburgh five-piece Letters formed early last year, instantly marking their guitar pop sound out from the rest by adding a cellist to the line-up. This adds a darker element to their sound, which, coupled with their tendency to leap on the distortion pedal as songs draw to an end, and my weakness for vocals sung in a Scottish accent, it makes for a winning formula."
http://www.thecmuwebsite.com/htmldaily/110202.html


As if that wasn't enough Letters have been asked to support hot One Little Indian act Wild Palms at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow on Friday the 4th of March! Let us know if you are in the area and would like to cover and preview the event!
http://www.kingtuts.co.uk/

Letters release their new double a sided single ‘Grand National/Pipe Dreams’ as a free to download single on the 16th February.If you could preview, review or play either of the tracks that would be great. Hit reply for interview requests and guestlists!



Check out both tracks below any feedback or potential coverage welcome!
http://soundcloud.com/soundandvisionpr/letters-pipe-dreams
http://soundcloud.com/soundandvisionpr/letters-grand-national
Thank you for your time!

Letters release their new double a sided single ‘Grand National/Pipe Dreams’ as a free to download single on the 16th February.

Letters will launch their single at Henry’s Cellar bar, Edinburgh on the 16th February, Letters have also just been asked to support hot One Little Indian act Wild Palms at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow on Friday the 4th of March!These dates will be followed by a full Scottish tour in March 2011, with a view to expanding into shows in the rest of the UK in April and May.

Letters’ new double a-sided single is the first addictive taste of material from this utterly compelling new Scottish act. Letters dark cello pop-noise emerges from lack of vitamin D, poorly heated flats and glittering pubs; underscored by a sharp wit, fierce intelligence and unabashed love for the frivolous decadence of great pop music.

Letters were born amidst the ruins of desolate Scottish fishing towns and Edinburgh city centre bohemia in the winter of 2010. Five strong, Mikey, Georgie, Dougie, Kerr and Ed occupy their ranks.

First single ‘The Grand National’ is propelled by an urgent rhythm section, sewn with distinctive cellos, elastic basslines, and threaded with Michael Ferguson’s evocative, twitching vocals that draw vivid pictures of a childhood spent growing up in a dead-end estate, shifting from Orwellian microcosms to late night conversations that go nowhere then diving head first into waves of guitars and life affirming chorus lines. While the flipside ‘Pipe Dreams’ is an all-together different animal, initially decidedly more stripped back its throbbing bass and stabbing cello notes are shot through wide screen ambition into entangled male/female melodies that build and crash into melancholic refrains, vocalising that endless yearning for unattainable dreams. (“I seem to bring you down/Pipe dreams to sink around the town”)

Keen to avoid the tired clichés that sway albatross like around the necks of their checkered clad peers, Letters speak with a unique voice and arresting intensity, shot through with verve only the fearlessness of youth and fear of age can generate. Reckless arrogance, failed dreams, desperate boredom and childhood nostalgia coalesce here, bound together by the philosophical glue of Moran, Izzard and Hicks.
Letters will follow up this debut digital single release with a full physical EP in April 2011.


http://www.wewriteletters.co.uk