Kids Love Lies
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | November 2007 |
| Defunct | July 2010 |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
| Products | Music recordings, live performances |
Kids Love Lies was a London-based pop punk group active between November 2007 and July 2010.
Line up
The original members consisted of Ellen Murphy (vocals), Leigh Harrison (guitar), Claudia Mansaray (bass), Matty Saywell (guitar), and Raf Singer (drums). Ellen joined the band after responding to an advert on Gumtree and successfully auditioning with several tracks. In January 2010, Will Jones took over drumming duties from Raf Singer, while Claudia Mansaray departed in April 2010. The band ultimately dissolved in July 2010.
Following the split, Murphy pursued a solo career under the name Only Girl and collaborated with Zero 7.
Sound
NME characterized lead vocalist Ellen Murphy as reminiscent of "Kate Nash shedding her prim persona to channel a full-on Kathleen Hanna vibe." The Guardian drew parallels between the band and Bow Wow Wow. Tasty Fanzine compared their single Count in my Head to "a more energized iteration of Scanners." Their musical influences included Pretty Girls Make Graves, The Slits, Sleater-Kinney, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Performances
The band appeared at Radio 1's Big Weekend on 10 May 2009, having been recommended by BBC Kent Introducing. They also played the Artrocker stage at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton on 16 May 2009, as well as the BBC Introducing stage at the Sellindge Music Festival in Kent on 7 June 2009. Their final gig took place at the Old Blue Last in Shoreditch, London in July 2010. Throughout their career, they shared stages with acts such as Fight Like Apes, Scanners, The Holloways, Theoretical Girl, My Tiger My Timing, The Kabeedies, A Genuine Freakshow, and Goldheart Assembly.
Airplay
Their songs were broadcast on BBC 6 Music by presenters including Tom Robinson and Marc Riley, as well as on BBC Radio 1 through shows hosted by Zane Lowe, Nick Grimshaw, Huw Stephens, and Steve Lamacq. BBC Radio Kent's Introducing program featured them via Jim Bursey and Jacob Rickard, with additional airplay on Dublin’s Phantom FM. They recorded a live session at the BBC’s Maida Vale Studios for Huw Stephens’ show In New Music We Trust. The band also appeared on Earwax Radio on 22 October 2008.
Several of their tracks were incorporated into the soundtrack of the BBC Switch soap opera The Cut.
Releases
On 30 January 2008, they independently released the Demo '08 CD, followed by the EP Switch Off on 30 August 2008. Times Online praised their work as "fine power pop... packed full of clever lyrics and hooks," noting their promising potential.
Their debut release under a label was the single Count in My Head, issued on 13 April 2009 through Cherryade Records. It earned recognition as BBC Kent Introducing single of the week, was highlighted in the New Blood section of Artrocker Magazine/Converse Music, received endorsement from critic Everett True, and ranked among the Top Ten Tracks by NME. The music video for this single was created using 3,500 photographic stills.
The follow-up single, Under The Bed, was launched on 12 October 2009 via Cherryade. Its video paid tribute to cult 1980s B movies and works by David Lynch. Prior to release, it was featured as track of the day on The Times online and was selected as Pick of the Month by Who's Jack Magazine. Critics from Times Online commended its "fine power pop," while Altsounds emphasized its "relentless, frenetic guitars" alongside Ellen Murphy’s vocals reminiscent of Karen O. This track received October 2009's single of the month accolade from Artrocker Magazine and was named record of the week on BBC Kent Introducing.
In June 2010, Cherryade issued the Stars EP containing "Stars", "Stop", "White Flag Down", plus an acoustic rendition of "Stars". According to Artrocker, the title song delivers "hyperspeed indie rock with singer Ellen Murphy kung fu kicking her way outta the speakers." The EP’s launch event was held at The Heavenly Social in Central London.