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Nick Heyward is back with ‘The Stars’, an exclusive Record Store Day single release, out on 21st April via Gladsome Hawk.
Taken from his critically acclaimed seventh solo album, ‘Woodland Echoes’, ‘The Stars’ – described by Mojo as a top 10 single and the best track on the album – it’s Nick Heyward first exclusive for Record Store Day. The song’s echo of itchy pop-funk recalls his early days as frontman of new wave group Haircut 100, a foundational part of the 80s pop explosion. The 10” clear vinyl will include the brand new track ‘Everyone & Everything’ on the flipside, which brings a swirling psychedelic 90s vibe to the release.
Nick Heyward has also announced a UK tour from May to July. Taking in 12 dates starting on 24th May at the Concorde in Brighton, the tour will touch London on 25th May at the O2 Academy Islington. Last year’s live set at The Great Escape Festival praised by Drowned In Sound as “one of the finest we heard all weekend, his second coming is imminent” and his recent full band headline show at 229 was received with rave reviews by the likes of Metro.
‘Woodland Echoes’, his first record in 18 years, “can’t be called a return to form for Heyward because he never lost his form; it just went unheard for years,” as written by All Music in their four-star review. “Call it a welcome return instead, because the world of pop music always needs music this smart, tuneful, and unabashedly romantic.” Nick Heyward – as perfectly described by Louder Than War is still “a songwriter of the highest order.”
Prior to his hugely successful and prolific solo career, Nick came to prominence as the frontman of percolating pop-funk new wave group Haircut 100, a foundational part of the 80s-pop explosion. They released four UK Top 10 hit singles, with their debut album ‘Pelican West’ reaching no. 2 in the UK album charts, no. 31 in USA’s Billboard 200, and ending up being certified platinum by BPI, with Nick gracing the cover of pacesetting style magazine The Face.
UK dates:
MAY
Thu 24 BRIGHTON – Concorde 2
Fri 25 LONDON – O2 Academy Islington
Thu 31 STOCKTON-ON-TEES – ARC
JUNE
Fri 1 BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy
Sat 2 LIVERPOOL O2 Academy
Thu 7 GLASGOW Òran Mór
Fri 8 SHEFFIELD – O2 Academy
Fri 15 OXFORD – O2 Academy
Thu 21 CARDIFF – The Globe
Fri 22 STURMINSTER NEWTON – The Exchange
Thu 28 BATH – Komedia
Fri 29 EASTLEIGH – Concorde Club
JULY
Fri 6 MILTON KEYNES – The Stables