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envy & other sins

mobileFacts: TV winners Envy & Other Sins on post-show 'success'

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by Mike Diver

mobileAct Unsigned (link) winners Envy & Other Sins have spoken to DiS about how they’ve found their post-success fortunes, or misfortunes, with major label A&M/Universal on board and their debut album, We Leave At Dawn, released today.

Says keyboard player and vocalist Jarvey Moss: “We won [the show], and that was very surprising, but since then it’s been really interesting. We’re pretty cynical anyway, and pretty much all of our cynicism has been rewarded with reality that matches it.

We’d never seen Simon Gavin, our A&R man who was on the show, without cameras being there, and still haven’t. We’ve made an album, but they (the label) didn’t know what songs were going on it. In a way that’s a good thing – we were left to ourselves, despite being on a major label. We thought there would be interference, but they didn’t bother us at all. In a way that was really good, but there were intonations from that – perhaps we should be worrying about things.

“We’re still DIY but they’ve given us money to get out of our day jobs. Which is good – we’re quite anal, and we probably would have disagreed with the things they might have done. But now [the album] is coming out and there’s no press…”

Jim Macaulay (drums): “The way they’ve scheduled the release, despite the fact we were on schedule for everything, we’ve missed the press deadlines.”

Jarvey: “We’re being crucified for being on the show, and now we’re not able to get the press that might salvage that. This sort of thing is going to happen more. You have to bend over and take it, you don’t have a choice. I see loads of stuff on DrownedinSound saying ‘Stick it to the man’, but you just can’t…”

DiSsers can make up their own mind on the band’s debut LP by skedaddling down to their nearest chain store and making good with the readies. Look out for a review of We Leave At Dawn and the full interview with Jarvey and Jim later this week; more information available at MySpace, HERE.

Forthcoming tour dates:

April
3 Bristol Academy
4 Oxford Academy
6 Shrewsbury B-Side @ The Albert
7 Hitchin Club 85
8 Southampton Joiners
9 Tunbridge Wells The Forum
10 Wolverhampton Little Civic
12 Cardiff Barfly
13 Nottingham Bodega
14 Cambridge Barfly
15 London Bush Hall
16 Brighton Barfly
18 Stoke Sugarmill
19 Wrexham Central Station
21 York Fibbers
23 Newcastle Cluny
24 Aberdeen Moshulu
26 Edinburgh The Hive
27 Leeds Cockpit
28 Liverpool Academy


Got news? Email us at newsdesk@drownedinsound.com

Saw these years ago in Oxford with Mew

Not a fan in the least but glad they won ahead of some of the other shit on that show


Some wise honest words

I wish them success, but they really should have used that cynicism to NOT perform for Jo Whiley!
Still, not a fan, but bless them.


...

I'd feel more sorry for them if they didn't sound like a Muse B side from 2002. Or maybe I just imagined that.


My

band supported them in February. They were really nice blokes and the music sounded good, although it's not really my thing. I think their honesty here needs applause and I'm interested to find out what happens to them next.


I'd wondered about all this

because they'd won this big contract in if not a blaze of glory then certainly no small amount of publicity and telly, and that's been about that. Can't help wondering whether things might have been a bit different publicity-wise had the more immediately sellable to T4 youth Revenue won.


i promoted their first gig post signing.

and they were utterly, utterly lovely people, really nice bunch. whereas having witnessed the revenue and their god awful set at the the charlotte, i think the better band got the contract. shame A&M now seem embarrased about the whole tv program concept, and have announced they'd never do it again.


Hope for them they'll sell enough

so that their career will continue.
They're good at what they do.


i asked them

who wrote one of the b-sides to Highness, on the 7", "You've Got Something" and they replied:

"we don't know. we were forced to put it on our single against our wishes - it's the theme tune from the mobileact programme. our first version was a reggae one featuring mark on spoken word lead vocals, but they wouldn't accept that one! we're trying to pretend the song doesn't exist..."

I feel really sorry for them. Also, Highness is a great catchy pop tune isn't it?


I saw the play the Barfly a few weeks ago

and they were, sorry to say dreadful. No songs and no spark. Defo agree they are nice blokes, who now seem to regret winning a contract with a major label. Surprise surprise. What may also be galling to them is the fact that a number of the acts who appeared on the show are in better positions than they are in now. A shame...


That is

quite unbelivable! Forced to cover a song you don't even know by your label!? Jesus Christ...