¡Forward, Russia!
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2004 in Leeds, England |
| Defunct | 2008 (hiatus) |
| Fate | Reunited in 2013 |
| Headquarters | Leeds , England, United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
¡Forward, Russia! is a rock group originating from Leeds, England, active initially from 2004 until 2008, before reuniting in 2013. Their first album, Give Me a Wall, debuted in 2006. Up to that year, the band titled their tracks using sequential numbers based on the order they were composed. They frequently employed faux Cyrillic lettering, occasionally presenting their name as ¡FФЯWДЯD, RUSSIД!. Following the release of their sophomore album, Life Processes (2008), the band entered a hiatus period. They reunited in 2013 to commemorate their 10th anniversary with a show at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds and subsequently performed at the Live at Leeds Festival in 2014.
Origins and initial releases
The band was formed in early 2004 by Tom Woodhead and Rob Canning (previously with The Black Helicopters), joined by siblings Katie Nicholls and Whiskas (Sam Nicholls) from Les Flames!. Quickly attracting notice, their inaugural performance took place in April 2004. Early demos received acclaim from publications such as Drowned in Sound and NME, which described them as "Convulsing punk-funk brilliance from Leeds".
In April 2005, they issued "Nine", a split 7-inch single shared with This Et Al on guitarist Whiskas' label Dance to the Radio. This release sold out within a week and was spotlighted on the NME 'Radar' feature.
By mid-2005, Katie Nicholls had completed college, and the other members left their jobs to dedicate themselves fully to the band.
Their August 2005 single "Thirteen"/"Fourteen", released via White Heat Records, was supported by a UK-wide tour. That same year, NME recognized ¡Forward, Russia! as part of the 'New Yorkshire' movement alongside acts like The Research, The Sunshine Underground, The Ivories, and Black Wire. This visibility led to numerous support opportunities and their first headline tour across 37 UK venues.
In January 2006, they released "Twelve" on Dance to the Radio, which climbed to number 36 on the UK Top 40 chart.
Give Me a Wall
In May 2006, they unveiled a re-recorded version of "Nine" ahead of their debut album Give Me a Wall, produced by Paul Tipler and released on 15 May in the UK. Around this period, they toured with We Are Scientists and performed alongside bands such as The Automatic, The Long Blondes, Howling Bells, and Boy Kill Boy during the 2006 NME New Music Tour.
For North America, the band signed with Mute Records, releasing Give Me A Wall there on 19 September 2006. The album was promoted with digital singles including "Thirteen" and two EPs featuring tracks like "Nine" and "Eighteen". Throughout 2006, ¡Forward, Russia! completed four US tours, appearing at events such as South by Southwest, the CMJ Music Marathon, and touring with bands like Scanners and Snowden. In Japan, they partnered with Vinyl Junkie Recordings. Globally, Dance to the Radio distributed the album through an arrangement with Cooperative Music. The album's release spanned late September into early October and was supported by extensive touring across Europe.
"Eighteen", issued as the fourth UK single in July on CD and two separate 7-inch formats, reached number one on the UK Indie Chart. Its music video features appearances by members of The Pigeon Detectives, This Et Al, and The Playmates.
The track "Nine" was included on the soundtrack for the PSP game Burnout Dominator released in 2007. The original recording was produced by Richard Green, formerly associated with Ultrasound and The Somatics.
During 2006, the band undertook a brief UK tour complemented by numerous festival appearances throughout the UK and Europe, including slots at Reading and Leeds and Carling Weekend, performing on the NME/BBC Radio One Stage. In November, they participated in the MTV2 Spanking New Music Tour alongside acts such as Wolfmother, The Maccabees, and Fields. The single "Nineteen" was released as part of this tour's promotion.
At Belgium's Pukkelpop Festival, they premiered new material post-album cycle with "Don't Be A Doctor," marking their first track without a numerical title. Recorded with producer Paul Tipler in September 2006, it was issued as a white-label one-sided etched ten-inch single on 12 February 2007. This song later appeared digitally on Dance to the Radio's compilation Out of the Woods and Trees, which also featured rare tracks from artists like Howling Bells and The Pigeon Detectives.
To conclude promotion for their debut album domestically, ¡Forward, Russia! embarked on a headline tour across the UK and Ireland during February and March of 2007.
Life Processes
Following an exclusive preview event, the group entered the studio with producer Matt Bayles in Seattle, United States, to create new tracks. Their blog revealed several tentative song titles, including three that were introduced during their early 2007 tour. The initial single from these recordings, "Breaking Standing," marked their first release. The album, named Life Processes, was launched by Cooking Vinyl in the United Kingdom on 14 April 2008, by Mute North America in June 2008, and by Vinyl Junkie in Japan on 26 March 2008. The Japanese version included unique bonus tracks titled "Reflection Symmetry" and "Don't Be A Doctor". Critics commended the album for exploring broader, more progressive musical directions and for blending punk vigor with melodic craftsmanship, garnering favorable critiques from Spin, Drowned in Sound, and The Independent.
Current status
In 2008, the band declared an indefinite break, indicating they would cease performing and recording "for the foreseeable future," due to diminished interest in touring without fresh material. Katie Nicholls focused on art studies in Nottingham, while Woodhead shifted to production work. Their final documented appearance took place at the Brainwash festival hosted at the Brudenell Social Club on 17 October 2008. In February 2009, Whiskas became a permanent member of Duels. On 30 March 2013, the band reactivated their Twitter presence, sparking reunion speculation that was later confirmed with a one-off show at Brudenell Social Club on 30 November 2013 and a subsequent performance at Leeds Town Hall during the Live at Leeds Festival on 3 May 2014.
Musical style
Their sound has been characterized as "art rock," "modern agit-punk," and "high-energy dance-punk." Upon releasing Give Me a Wall, comparisons were drawn to Bloc Party, with NME describing it as a "distinctly English interpretation of emo." Their sophomore album received a description from Pitchfork as "an intriguing fusion of deliberate dance-punk and chaotic hardcore."
Jon Pareles of The New York Times emphasized their live shows' vigor, spotlighting Katie Nicholls' powerful drumming alongside the band's fusion of robust, danceable funk rhythms. Woodhead’s vocal style has been noted for its "post-hardcore operatic screech."
Band members
- Tom Woodhead – vocals, synthesizer
- Rob Canning – bass guitar, guitar
- Katie Nicholls – drums, vocals, shouts
- Whiskas – electric guitar, shouts, synthesizer
Work outside the band
Katie Nicholls produced a remix of I Was a Cub Scout's track "I Hate Nightclubs," which was released as an exclusive digital bonus single. She was also nominated for Peta 2's 'World's Sexiest Vegetarian' awards between 2007 and 2009.
Whiskas created a remix of Howling Bells' "Low Happening" under the pseudonym '¡Constructicons Form Devastator!', with this version available online and on a limited 7-inch vinyl.
Tom Woodhead heads the electronic project AnteAter, having released one track titled "Final Lekky," which appeared on DTTR's compilation album Something I Learned Today (March 2007). Additionally, he provided vocals for the chorus of Yes Boss's song "Tongues in Knots" from their album Look Busy.
Studio albums
- Give Me a Wall (15 May 2006), Dance to the Radio – Reached No. 53 on the UK Albums Chart
- Life Processes (14 April 2008), Cooking Vinyl
Singles
| Title | Release date | Label | UK Singles Chart | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Nine" | April 2005 | Dance to the Radio | ||
| "Thirteen" / "Fourteen" | August 2005 | White Heat | 74 | |
| "Twelve" | January 2006 | Dance to the Radio | 36 | Give Me a Wall |
| "Nine" | May 2006 | 40 | ||
| "Eighteen" | July 2006 | 44 | ||
| "Nineteen" | November 2006 | 67 | ||
| "Don't Be A Doctor" | February 2007 | |||
| "Breaking Standing" | 7 April 2008 | Cooking Vinyl | 195 | Life Processes |