A song about not growing old, with all the horizon gazing escapism of small town youth; Margate’s Two Wounded Birds return with Together Forever, released on Moshi Moshi on 31st October.
In its purest form, Rock and Roll has always been the music of the outsider, a snub to the mediocrity of mainstream norms and aspirations. Yet, in a world where marketing rules and rock and roll is commodity, a band is a nu-folk sensation and then leather clad poster boys posing in front of Triumph Bonneville’s. But for Two Wounded Birds, there’s always been Vince Taylor on the stereo and Elvis’ picture on the wall. There’s no marketing strategy, no friends in high places, no favours to pull in. They’re from Margate for fuck’s sake.
So with the benefit of isolation, as wave after wave of next big things engulf our cities, singer Johnny Danger has quietly amassed a mountain of classic records in his sleepy corner of the country, collecting everything from doo-wop to New York punk of the late 70s. From this fountainhead of pop, Two Wounded Birds have steeped themselves in the defining sounds of the last 60 years, creating their own micro-community in an unreceptive, generally hostile hometown.
This all-encompassing love of rock and pop has instilled the band with a fervent appreciation of melody and a deep reverence for the song. Listen to their Radio 1 playlisted single, All We Wanna Do, and try to get that melody out of your head, or put on Night Patrol and try not to catch a chill.
In other words, for once, this is the real deal.
Although Two Wounded Birds have written hundreds of songs in the hometown bubble, things took off for them when The Drums approached the band and began courting them over Myspace. Jon Pierce then refused to go onstage on NME’s radar tour unless they were supported by Two Wounded Birds, and their debut EP came out on Jacob Graham’s Holiday Records.
Since then the band have built up a loyal and illustrious following. A songwriting trip to LA found Brian Wilson calling up Johnny and complimenting him on a ‘great sense of melody.’ Debbie Harry watched the band at Camp Bestival and was struck by ‘such a beautiful voice, great songs, great future’, US music industry legend Seymour Stein declared them the ‘best band since The Ramones’ even Tracy Emin and Spongebob Squarepants have jumped on board. And maybe you had that feeling too: that moment of exhilaration, that extremely personal, intense feeling of joy when you discover a band that exceeds the hype, overcomes the nonsense and really delivers something worth your time.
Two Wounded Birds – I Think The World Of You by Anorak London
