"The Tricks’ big break is within touching distance" Chris Hawkins, BBC6 Music

The Tricks

‘Safari Inn’

The debut album released June 9th 2014

www.thetricks.co.uk

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Digital track-by-track - http://bit.ly/1hjL8l2

“Appearing to a raucous crowd, it quickly becomes clear exactly why The Tricks sell out every one of their London gigs… 4/5 Stars” The Fly, live review

London-based rock quartet, The Tricks, unveil their long awaited debut album ‘Safari Inn’. Brothers Joel Hodge (lead vocals/bass guitar) and Ash Hodge (drums) and guitarists John Bisset and Eliot Crabtree all grew up in the same small town in Hertfordshire and after upping sticks to London they later formed The Tricks. After two successful EPs and extensive touring they have established a dedicated fan base and due to their electrifying live shows, true passion for making music and their unwilling-to-die attitude this debut is hotly anticipated.

‘Safari Inn’ was written and recorded over a three year period between London and Los Angeles with both cities influencing the transatlantic sound of the record. ‘Safari Inn’ began life as DIY demos recorded in a cavernous, run down Victorian warehouse in Hackney, East London - home to John and Eliot but also birthplace and headquarters to The Tricks. “Early songs were written about the stories spawned from overdoing it in Hackney far too often and embracing the whole London nightlife as a 20 something-year-old,” explains John.

However, it was at Unison Music Studios in sun-bleached LA where the songs were revitalized and recorded. The album is a snapshot of the journey for the band, “Hackney to Hollywood… it was surreal,” says Joel. The later songs on the record reflect their wide-eyed enthusiasm for a new city, with all the inspiration a fresh culture can provide. The Tricks’ love of late 70’s/early 80’s New Wave and Punk was shared by producers Bruce Witkin (Iggy Pop, Adam Ant) and Ryan Dorn which shaped ‘Safari Inn’ along with The Tricks’ Brit Pop ambitions and elements of Americana storytelling.

‘Safari Inn’ is a collection of 11 tracks, contrasting brightness and urgency with darker, more reflective moments. The sharp guitar lines and intense vocals of album opener ‘Better’ are followed by the gutsy energy of ‘49 Mercury’, an open love letter to South California. The punchy force of each song continues to the close, brooding tracks like ‘Eleanore’ and ‘Back Home’ still maintaining the invigorating restless momentum. It’s a record that hooks the ear with catchy lyrics, solid drum beats, infectious guitar riffs and layered vocals. The album is named after the Safari Inn motel, the iconic movie location made famous by the Tarantino classic ‘True Romance’ (by coincidence, a band favourite) which was The Tricks’ home when in LA recording.

“The London based quartet deliver a sound that shows a real emphasis on their hard work, dedication and desire to succeed in an industry inundated with mediocrity” – Inveterate Magazine

There is no question that for those who know The Tricks, this album has been a long time coming, “It’s both extremely exciting and a feeling of relief to finally get this album out into the big bad world,” muses Ash. Frustrations have run high over the past few years, with various setbacks and delays, but now they have jumped the final hurdle and are excited to move forward as a band. For The Tricks, the release of their debut album has unleashed a new era of creativity with a follow up record already in the pipeline, Eliot adds, “With ever growing home studios, new music is being written and recorded on a daily basis with an intense urgency for future release plans.”

As Clash Music commented, “Times are tough for guitar groups - if you want to survive, then you're going to have to be tough. The Tricks are largely an independent, DIY success story, building a devoted army of fans”. A tight unit with a tenacious spirit, sticking together through thick and thin, doing whatever it takes to survive, The Tricks are a joining of four different minds, each bringing invaluable elements to the creative process, coming together to make music they believe in. No matter what the current trend, they aim to rise above it - “we do what we do and we mean it.”

The Tricks – Spring/Summer live dates (more to be announced):

June 13th –Barfly, Camden - Album Launch Show

July 24 - Sebright Arms, London

August 8th – The Hope, Brighton