Following on from a cracking Valentine’s evening Shirley Lee, the band, will be taking the new album on to the Lexington in just a couple of weeks time.  

Fortuna POP! is starting a new venture with the Track & Field label promoting shows under the name Secret Knowledge –  first Secret Knowledge show which takes place at The Lexington on Thursday 5th March features our old friend Darren Hayman and his band The Secondary Modern, Shirley Lee, and the excellent Esiotrot. A fine way to start I think.

Tickets are here: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/44472

And just to harp back to the last gig… the boys were all very nervous, not having played live for a wee while, new material etc… but what a treat…. the whole of the new album minus only one song… plus a gorgeous reworking of “the beautiful things” and 2 completely new songs… an andy lewis/shirley song “36 Reasons Why”, and “Restless Soul” packed full of your favourite Spearmint swear word, great track too.  Was a very good night out with the Bitter Springs playing a blinding set too, fingers crossed there’ll be some more gigs with them this year.  See Shirley’s diary page for further details.

A good number of copies of the album also ventured out into the world that evening, be interesting to hear what you all think of it.  There’ll be more on sale at the Lexington of course, and you can now pre-order your very own copy here, release sate the 9th March.  You get a free download of the single! 

Wow… exciting times!  all the best, Neil H

Well, it’s been quite some time since Spearmint’s last gig, almost 20 months in fact! The very first Shirley Lee gig is less than a week away… this coming Saturday on Valentine’s evening at The Wilmington Arms, 69 Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 4RL. Doors 8pm. Entrance: £7.00 on the door.
It’s a co-headline show with the Bitter Springs, and looking likely that Shirl and the boys will play first. The Short Stories from Bristol are also supporting and Johny Brown from Resonance FM will be DJing. Hopefully I’m allowed to add Shirley Lee gigs to my total of Spearmint gigs witnessed??
And talking of that the band would love to get out of london and do some regional gigs during May. Which is where you might be able to help… where would you like to see Shirley play? Do you have any contacts with venues… do you run a venue or club night? Let us know!
There’s been a slight delay to the album release whilst new distribution was sorted out after Pinnacle went under; it’ll now be available from 9th March. Having lived with it now for a couple of months already I’m certain it will appeal to one and all. The wonderful components of perfect harmonies, moving keyboards, wandering bass lines, strong and tight drumming, and those guitars gently duelling at times, working beautifully alone at others, all underneath Shirl’s detailed stories – it’s all there, and although I am undoubtedly biased I equally am excited as ever by these songs…
We’ve already had some other great reviews too – just so that you don’t only have to take my word for it! –
“softly curdled sugar laced and shy eyed 60’s kissed slice of purring power pop laced with oodles of effervescence and swoon attacking melodic thrills… makes you quietly glow and stick two fingers up to the everyday crud” – Losing Today “a timely reminder of how unpretentious and uncomplicated indie music used to be” – Tasty “a steam locomotive rolling along rhythmically while Lee conjures a range of emotions through some impressive wordplay” – Culture Deluxe “timeless” – Artrock “lovely… a doctrine on love and life without it” – AU magazine
Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible on Saturday!
Neil H / Site Admin

Shirley’s diary page is now up and running; he’ll be posting at least one entry per week during 2009.

The first single from the album is released on 26 January. It is called “The Smack Of Pavement In Your Face” – details soon on how to download the track. The album follows on 16 February. All of Spearmint play on the album – you’ll see the photo here of Si looking chirpy during recording. You can read more about it here.

Also on 16 February, Image Comics (not the University Of California as previously stated) publishes “This Is A Souvenir”, a book celebrating the lyrics of Shirley Lee. Different artists have created graphic stories inspired by the 24 songs below and these are presented in a beautiful 12″ by 12″, 200+ page book. You can read a bit more about the project here, and you can pre-order the book from Forbidden Planet for £17.99. Tracklisting as follows:

Julie Christie! | A Different Lifetime | Sweeping the Nation | I Invented Someone | Meet Mr. Marsden | A Trip into Space | The Last Bus Home | Start Again | Say Something Else | Psycho Magnet | Left Alone Among the Living | My Girlfriend is a Killer | It Won’t Be Long Now | A Leopard | Song for the Colour Yellow | The Moment in My Mind | Isn’t it Great to Be Alive | This is a Souvenir | Wednesday Night | When I Get Out of Here | The Reservoir | The First Time You Saw Snow | I Went Away | Oklahoma!

The very first Shirley Lee gig is on Saturday 14 February at The Wilmington Arms in Clerkenwell, London. It is a co-headline show with The Bitter Springs and it will probably be decided on the night who goes on first. The Short Stories are also playing and Johny Brown from Resonance fm will be DJing.

Wilmington Arms, 69 Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 4RL. Doors 8pm. Entrance: £7.00 on the door.