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Days of Rona: Phil Hey of Psychlona

Posted in Features on April 13th, 2020 by JJ Koczan

The statistics of COVID-19 change with every news cycle, and with growing numbers, stay-at-home isolation and a near-universal disruption to society on a global scale, it is ever more important to consider the human aspect of this coronavirus. Amid the sad surrealism of living through social distancing, quarantines and bans on gatherings of groups of any size, creative professionals — artists, musicians, promoters, club owners, techs, producers, and more — are seeing an effect like nothing witnessed in the last century, and as humanity as a whole deals with this calamity, some perspective on who, what, where, when and how we’re all getting through is a needed reminder of why we’re doing so in the first place.

Thus, Days of Rona, in some attempt to help document the state of things as they are now, both so help can be asked for and given where needed, and so that when this is over it can be remembered.

Thanks to all who participate. To read all the Days of Rona coverage, click here. — JJ Koczan

psychlona phil hey

Days of Rona: Phil Hey of Psychlona (Bradford, UK)

How are you dealing with this crisis as a band? Have you had to rework plans at all? How is everyone’s health so far?

It’s been a bit tricky for us as we’re currently recording our new album which is scheduled for release in August. It’s nearly finished but we’ve had to grab days here and there and go to the studio separately to record our relevant instruments. Will be worth the effort though as it’s sounding cool so far. Think pretty much all our live stuff we had planned for the year will be cancelled which sucks as we had a few major festivals lined up. The main thing is getting through all this together, there’s always another year. All of us have managed to remain virus free so far…

What are the quarantine/isolation rules where you are?

We’re currently on lockdown here in the UK which is okay so far but I see a lot of people not taking it seriously and bending the rules. Rules are usually there to be broken but not this time. I was over in Spain a couple of weeks ago and was on lockdown there for a week also.

How have you seen the virus affecting the community around you and in music?

It’s all been pretty positive so far with many bands doing the live streaming n stuff. It’s not so good for us as we haven’t got a live set at the moment due to the time consuming writing and recording for the album. I hear of some small venues closing their doors maybe for good already which is sad. We need to have a massive party at the end of all this to get things moving again.

What is the one thing you want people to know about your situation, either as a band, or personally, or anything?

We love playing music but the world is in bad shape at the moment. We’ll all be there after all this has passed. Speaking for Ppsychlona as a collective I’ll just say love, respect, peace and we’ll see you at a venue as soon as possible. stay safe.

psychlona.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/Psychlona/
http://instagram.com/psychlona
http://cursedtonguerecords.bigcartel.com/
https://www.facebook.com/CursedTongueRecords
https://www.instagram.com/cursedtonguerecords
https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://twitter.com/RippleMusic
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

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Psychlona to Release Mojo Rising on Ripple Music & Cursed Tongue Records

Posted in Whathaveyou on July 27th, 2018 by JJ Koczan

psychlona

Cooperation! Spanning continents! Cursed Tongue Records and Ripple Music align to stand behind Mojo Rising, the debut album from Bradford, UK, four-piece Psychlona, and they leave little question as to why. The album — nine songs/50 minutes running from “Stone” to “Beakfoot” with a riffy, desert-stretched-out but still weighted course worthy of the band’s moniker — hits with a bit of Clutchy blues in “Big River” and a whole lot of early Fu Manchu-style roll in “Juju,” but it’s ultimately the psychedelic thread that ties it all together, whether it’s the brash pub-style riffage of “Down in the Valley” or jam-into-shove-into-jam-into-slowdown groove in “Burning Cave,” a spacious lead guitar tone that conjures impossible reaches no matter how much crunch seems to be surrounding. And make no mistake, here’s plenty of crunch to go around.

The album seems to have been taken down from Bandcamp, which will happen with this kind of thing when a previously-issued record gets picked up, but if you’ve got Spotify you can stream it for the time being at the bottom of this post. Otherwise, the release date for the well-supported offering is Nov. 30, so you can mark your calendars, make your preorders or whatever it is you need to do. Plenty of time.

Copious kebab-centered info follows here, courtesy as ever of the PR wire:

PSYCHLONA SIGNS TO CURSED TONGUE RECORDS AND RIPPLE MUSIC FOR WORLD WIDE RELEASE OF THEIR DEBUT ALBUM ‘MOJO RISING’ IN NOVEMBER 2018.

Cursed Tongue Records and Ripple Music have teamed up for a joint release of City of Bradford, UK stoner rockers Psychlona’s heavy grooving debut album ‘Mojo Rising’. The four brads or ‘dirty desert rock kebab eating mofos’, as they prefer to introduce themselves, impressed both labels on an immense level when their debut album hit the online web-spheres back in the spring of 2018. A hard-hitting, heavy-driving, fuzz-drenched foundation forms the basis on which flares and outbursts of guitar-swirls spirals to another dimension in time and space.

Mojo Rising is the premiere sonic excursion to a heady generation looking for a new mode of transportation to mindful salvation (oh, ok back it up). You got the point made here. So, if spacy, psyched out stoner rock is the thing that float your boat, look no further as Psychlona got you plenty covered. Mojo Rising ought to hit an audible solar plexus on any fan of Spaceslug, Kyuss, Dozer, Fu Manchu and Monster Magnet.

Psychlona is a fairly new band, but already stands out as a strong, unified entity with many years under the belt. However it was in summer 2015 when Phil (guitar/vocals) walked into a scruffy bar to watch an equally scruffy band knock out a few scruffy tunes. Scanning the immediate vicinity to see who else was out tonight, a shabby drunken figure barely able to stand but fully able to hold his beer glass leered out of the dark shadows. Enter Dave (guitars). Dave and Phil had shared various stages on the same bill over the preceding few years as members of The Drastics and Threshold Shift. It was the obvious thing to do – form a new band. The fact they were both guitarists and didn’t have a bass player or drummer around wasn’t a problem. Both were aware of a local four stringer called Martyn who had played previously in other bands with Phil. Rehearsals began soon with no agenda but more importantly no drummer. Various percussionists came and went. After some time passed finally a solid contendor (Scott) to the drum stool entered. Initial sessions went well but the guys knew they needed to ask Scott a very important question – how do you like your kebabs? With extra chilis was the response from the bearded one. A match made in heaven then and he joined the family. Rehearsals, gigs, more rehearsals, new material brings us to the present day – the impending release of Mojo Rising on both CD, digital and vinyl.

Despite the band’s young age, Psychlona has already played with and shared stage with 1968, Barbarian Hermit, Loomer, Morass of Molasses as well as their good mates Ironrat and Lizard Tongue. The band also organise and promote their own festival twice a year (Idlefest), which is growing bigger each time. On the signing with Danish based label Cursed Tongue Records and US-label Ripple Music, Psychlona comments: “We’re proud to be joining the Ripple and Cursed Tongue families. Two of the most proactive labels with a genuine passion for the bands and music both from within their own rosters but also from the whole scene in general with genuine love and support going out to everyone involved. They’ve also tolerated our shit jokes and English sense of humour so far… time will tell… second album guys?”

Regardless what the future holds the here and now is glowing hot. Psychlona came from space to grace our earthly souls and make our mojo rise. It’s soon time to groove along to one of this year’s best desert stoner rock albums. Get psyched!

Mojo Rising will be out on CD and digital via Ripple Music and vinyl via Cursed Tongue Records in November.

CTR-014 Psychlona – ‘Mojo Rising’, vinyl official release date: November 30th, 2018

Psychlona is:
Phil Hey – Guitar & Vocals
Dave Wainfor – Guitar
Martyn Birchall – Bass
Scott Frankling – Drums

All tracks written and performed by Psychlona
Engineered and mixed by Dave Wainfor
Mastered by James Grover
Artwork by Kyrre Bjurling
Inner photo by Jez Sheard
Layout & Design by Michael Andresakis

Track listing:

Side A
1. Stone
2. Ride
3. Down In The Valley
4. Big River

Side B
5. Your God
6. Juju
7. Black Dog
8. Beakfoot

psychlona.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/Psychlona/
http://instagram.com/psychlona
http://cursedtonguerecords.bigcartel.com/
https://www.facebook.com/CursedTongueRecords
https://www.instagram.com/cursedtonguerecords
https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://twitter.com/RippleMusic
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

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