Mascot Records (a division of the Mascot Label Group) is pleased to confirm the highly anticipated second album from Australia’s award-winning powerhouse band TRACER.
The new album, "El Pistolero" will be released in the UK and the rest of Europe on Monday 6th May, followed by a UK tour which kicks off at the Sheffield Plug on June 8th.
All who saw Tracer, the hard-rocking young three-piece from Down Under, in 2012 saw the potential. Now with their second full-length album El Pistolero that potential is fulfilled. Produced by Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Silverchair, Cold Chisel) the album is on target to make Tracer the band that everyone will be talking about in 2013.
Having revamped the line-up with new bassist Jett Heysen-Hicks – a long-time friend from back home – founder members Michael Brown (vocals and guitar) and Dre Wise (drums) believe Tracer are perfectly poised to rise to a new level.
Michael: "The songwriting has gone up a peg or two. The songs have taken on a life of their own. Kevin really got the most out of them. He got us doing things we would never have thought of doing and because of that they've stepped into a new realm. I think this album will really define what Tracer is about, and why we're different to everyone else."
Tracer (L-R) Dre Wise (drums) Michael Brown (guitars/vocals) and Jett Heysen-Hicks (bass) Photo Credit: © www.bjwok.com
Tracer has come a long way since forming in Adelaide, South Australia just under 10 years ago. They made two independent mini albums (the three-song Into The Night in 2006, and the seven-track L.A.? in 2009), but their debut proper came with "Spaces In Between" released on Mascot Label Group in late 2011. That album was widely praised and three European tours in support of it saw Tracer named the Best New Band at the 2012 Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards.
Photo Credit: © www.bjwok.com
In the past Tracer have been compared with top-drawer outfits Soundgarden, Queens Of The Stone Age, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Kyuss etc. El Pistolero sees them forging more of their own identity – not that the band mind the kind words.
Michael: "Those are bands I love so I don't mind, it's obviously a compliment. I mean, if people said we sounded like Justin Bieber I’d be pretty pissed off – but I don’t think that's going to happen!"
Certainly not now that the band and Kevin Shirley have found a way to harness the hurricane of Tracer's much-lauded live show in the studio for the first time.
Dre: "People come to see us live and they get something else. They can notice the hard work we're putting in. We've always had the comment that; 'It's a lot of noise for three people to be making’ and it's no accident."
Now, for the first time, "something else" has been captured in the studio. El Pistolero is an awesome statement of raw power made all the stronger for being made super quickly – with the basic tracks recorded in just seven days at Revolver Studios in LA – underlining the band's no-nonsense work ethic.
Some songs on El Pistolero – Michael isn't revealing which ones – were inspired by the Robert Rodriguez film Desperado ("It's a bit like what we do – it's loud and in your face!") but all of them are now ready to be road-tested.
"I tell you what," concludes Michael, "we can't wait to get out there on the stage and play these new songs. They're going to be epic!"
Box Office: 0844 478 0898
www.thegigcartel.com
www.thegigcartel.com
Saturday 8th June 2013
Sheffield Plug
Tickets: £12.00 / Box Office: 0114 241 3040 / Doors: 7pm
14-16 Matilda Street, Sheffield, S1 4QD
www.the-plug.com
Sheffield Plug
Tickets: £12.00 / Box Office: 0114 241 3040 / Doors: 7pm
14-16 Matilda Street, Sheffield, S1 4QD
www.the-plug.com
Monday 10th June 2013
London Scala
Tickets: £14.00 / Box Office: 0844 999 999 / Doors: 7:30pm
275-277 Pentonville Road, Kings Cross, London, N1 9NL
www.scala-london.co.uk
London Scala
Tickets: £14.00 / Box Office: 0844 999 999 / Doors: 7:30pm
275-277 Pentonville Road, Kings Cross, London, N1 9NL
www.scala-london.co.uk
Wednesday 12th June 2013
Bristol Tunnels
Tickets: £12.00 / Box Office: 0845 6050255 / Doors: 7pm
Arches 31-32, Lower Station Approach Road, Bristol, BS1 6Q
www.thetunnelsbristol.co.uk
Bristol Tunnels
Tickets: £12.00 / Box Office: 0845 6050255 / Doors: 7pm
Arches 31-32, Lower Station Approach Road, Bristol, BS1 6Q
www.thetunnelsbristol.co.uk
Thursday 13th June 2013
York Fibbers
Tickets: £12.00 / Box Office: 08444 77 1000 / Doors: 7:30pm
Stonebow House, The Stonebow, York YO1 7NP
www.fibbers.co.uk
York Fibbers
Tickets: £12.00 / Box Office: 08444 77 1000 / Doors: 7:30pm
Stonebow House, The Stonebow, York YO1 7NP
www.fibbers.co.uk
Friday 14th June 2013
Glasgow o2 ABC
Tickets: £12.00 / Box Office: 0844 477 2000
www.o2abcglasgow.co.uk
300 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JA
Glasgow o2 ABC
Tickets: £12.00 / Box Office: 0844 477 2000
www.o2abcglasgow.co.uk
300 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JA
TRACER - OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY
With a sound reminiscent of 90's grunge/stoner rock mixed with the
everlasting bravado of 70s classic rock, Tracer is a driving, sonic
sledgehammer of massive guitars, clever hooks and raw uncompromising
vocals.Forming out of the ashes of blues prodigy band The Brown Brothers in 2004, Michael (Vocals and guitar) and Leigh Brown (Vocals and Bass) teamed up with drummer Andre Wise to make Tracer.
With two independent releases, two international tours and now a record contract under their belt, Tracer is a band that takes every little chance, every crazy idea, and commits everything they have to it.
During 2008 and 2009 Tracer took on an extensive touring schedule with multiple trips to Melbourne, a string of successful Adelaide shows including a capacity crowd at the Australian album launch for their second critically acclaimed mini-album "L.A.?"
2009 also saw the band share the stage with Little Red, Children Collide, The John Steel Singers and Cassette Kids among others. In late 2009 Tracer set off and toured Europe for three and a half months taking in Germany, the Netherlands, U.K., Denmark, Switzerland and Czech. Tracer also toured as part of The Great Australian Wave (as a showcase at PopKomm in Germany).
Upon returning from Europe the band got busy writing new songs and developing their live show. Demand from overseas led the band to recording 3 new songs to compliment the release of ‘L.A.?’ in Europe. ‘L.A.?’ was met with countless praising reviews in German magazines and an expression of interest from Mascot Records in the Netherlands.
Due to the success of the 2009 European tour and an increasing demand from overseas, Tracer played Europe once more with a showcase performance at Germany’s new format PopKomm Music Conference in Berlin. From this performance the band set off on a string of dates throughout Germany, Czech, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK.
The band released their debut LP via Mascot’s Cool Green Recordings on October 3rd 2011. Following the release of the album, they toured the UK and Europe as support to Royal Republic.
In 2011, their single "Too Much" was A-listed on Planet Rock Radio in the UK for three months. The band generated over 100,000 views for their Too Much video on YouTube. In December 2011, Planet Rock A-listed Tracer’s critically acclaimed second single "Devil Ride". By March, Planet Rock A-listed the title track "Spaces In Between".
Due to popular demand, Tracer returned to the UK and Europe for their first headline tour in April 2012. On this tour, Leigh Brown was replaced by new bassist Pat Saracino.
To coincide with the April UK tour, Tracer released their debut mini album "LA?" in the UK for the very first time (the record was originally released in Australia in 2009 to critical acclaim).
In May 2013, the band will release their follow-up album to Spaces In Between. The album, entitle "El Pistolero" will be produced by Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Silverchair, Cold Chisel).
On Tuesday November 13th 2012, Tracer won Best New Band at the Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards. Michael Brown was flown to the UK for the ceremony, which was held at London's historic Roundhouse venue.