The Miserable Rich make their first foray into 2010 by announcing details of a new single and several live shows. Brighton’s finest bar room chamber pop quintet are releasing ‘Somerhill’ on the 8th March on limited edition 7” and download, as well playing several shows including HMV’s Next Big Thing, Black Cab Sessions and Wilkommen Orchestra events in February, with UK and European tours on their way in from March to May.

‘Somerhill’ is the first single to be taken from the forthcoming second album ‘Of Flight And Fury’. After the success of their debut outing, ‘Twelve Ways To Count’, and the little bit of fun they had last year with their ‘Covers EP’, the band return with a new album of wholly original material.

The Miserable Rich's name was inspired by an experience they had playing at the wedding of two ultra‑rich aristocrats in Rome. Cellist/pianist William Calderbank and debonair singer/percussionist James de Malplaquet formed the string quintet intending to produce 'unusual acoustic modern music'. The decision was also made to steadfastly adhere to a plan of using the cello and violin as the lead instruments, which has undoubtedly allowed them to mould a unique sound. Their music has been revered by Bearded magazine as 'pop music that could soundtrack a nursery rhyme created by Tim Burton', and seduced the well‑tuned ears of NME, Drowned in Sound and Q.

The Miserable Rich fitted the recording sessions for the new album into last year's hectic schedule of touring — which took them to New York, SXSW, and on several trips to Europe — and then handed the recordings over to Al Scott (The Levellers, Eliza Carthy, Asian Dub Foundation) for mixing. The end result is the sonically luxurious ‘Of Flight And Fury’.

When asked about ‘Somerhill’, James writes "It started when Will came to the band with a piano piece: it was, I think, the first song he’d…читать далее ↓

The Miserable Rich make their first foray into 2010 by announcing details of a new single and several live shows. Brighton’s finest bar room chamber pop quintet are releasing ‘Somerhill’ on the 8th March on limited edition 7” and download, as well playing several shows including HMV’s Next Big Thing, Black Cab Sessions and Wilkommen Orchestra events in February, with UK and European tours on their way in from March to May.

‘Somerhill’ is the first single to be taken from the forthcoming second album ‘Of Flight And Fury’. After the success of their debut outing, ‘Twelve Ways To Count’, and the little bit of fun they had last year with their ‘Covers EP’, the band return with a new album of wholly original material.

The Miserable Rich's name was inspired by an experience they had playing at the wedding of two ultra‑rich aristocrats in Rome. Cellist/pianist William Calderbank and debonair singer/percussionist James de Malplaquet formed the string quintet intending to produce 'unusual acoustic modern music'. The decision was also made to steadfastly adhere to a plan of using the cello and violin as the lead instruments, which has undoubtedly allowed them to mould a unique sound. Their music has been revered by Bearded magazine as 'pop music that could soundtrack a nursery rhyme created by Tim Burton', and seduced the well‑tuned ears of NME, Drowned in Sound and Q.

The Miserable Rich fitted the recording sessions for the new album into last year's hectic schedule of touring — which took them to New York, SXSW, and on several trips to Europe — and then handed the recordings over to Al Scott (The Levellers, Eliza Carthy, Asian Dub Foundation) for mixing. The end result is the sonically luxurious ‘Of Flight And Fury’.

When asked about ‘Somerhill’, James writes "It started when Will came to the band with a piano piece: it was, I think, the first song he’d brought to the band, despite his having played on numerous other writer’s tunes. We all loved it, and were extremely keen to get together and find an arrangement and vocal for it.”

Somerhill is the name of the local junior school between James, Jim and Rhys’s houses, where the band rehearse. The song is full of Brighton reference points, including arguably its greatest pub – The Basketmaker’s Arms – and one of the barmen, Eddie. It's about falling for a yummy mummy in a small town where ‘everyone knows who you are’: the sneaking around; the secret smiles; the stolen kisses.

The b‑side, ‘Bye Bye Kitty’, was written by cellist Will in the aftermath of James’s birthday. Having been taken back to a friend’s house, his imaginative/drunken decision to cycle home late that night had immediate consequences as he came a cropper on a perilous corner and stuffed his knee up completely. Unable to work for the rest of the year (he was a bicycle courier), he had time to mull over the events and write this rather opulent melody.