By Karen Bliss
Black Country, New Road have achieved their third consecutive UK Top 5 album with Forever Howlong, released on indie label Ninja Tune.
It follows a change of line-up for the band, following the departure in 2022 of frontman Isaac Wood, who left to take care of his mental health. He departed just days before dropping their second album, Ants From Up There.
Marching on with a new logo, the experimental group, which formed in Cambridge in 2018 and are now based in London, vowed not to play material from their first two albums. Band members Tyler Hyde, Georgia Ellery and May Kershaw share vocal duties.
Forever Howlong, which dropped April 4, debuted at No. 3 with first week consumption up again at 9,020 units (Official Charts Company). Their introductory album, For The First Time, debuted and peaked at No.4 (6,350 sales) in 2021, with follow-up Ants From Up There (No.3, 8,142 sales) following a year later.
The six-piece have upcoming dates all over the world, starting with a pair of shows in Mexico (May 2-3), followed by 11 dates in America, including back to back shows at New York’s Bowery Ballroom and a night at LA’s The Wiltern. The band then return home with bookings throughout Europe, the UK (including O2 Academy Brixton in October) and Japan until the end of the year.
Here. Black Country, New Road co-managers Dan McEvoy and Constance Keane of ATC Management speak to Music Week about the band’s struggles, strategy and key stats…
Were you worried about how Forever Howlong would be received, considering key member changes?
Dan McEvoy: “Never. Have always trusted the band, their songwriting process and musicianship to create the right album. Plus the band had already extensively toured the material and had seen the response from the fans and newcomers alike. The band have achieved things no other band in recent memory have. After Ants From Up There came out and Isaac left, they took a completely brand new set of songs on the road and played to 10,000-plus people at Primavera. No other band springs to mind that has done that.
“At the start of the campaign there was a teasing process to let the fans know something was coming. From the first post of just a new logo, in collaboration with Openstage there were 16,000-plus new sign-ups to their mailing list. We had seen the response to the songs in real life and were now seeing the stats so it was evident there was a hunger from fans new and old.”
Constance Keane: “The most important thing to me is how the band themselves feel about the music. They're the ones whose names and faces are attached to it, and who stand on stage and perform it, so if they're happy then I'm happy. I love the record, and I found figuring out how best to present it to the world, both old and new fans, really exciting. We were all lucky with the team around us for this release, it felt very much like a united front.
“The teasing part of the campaign felt like a pivotal moment for us. Figuring out how to say so much with so little was kind of hilarious. Sitting and posting on Christmas Eve and New Year's eve and watching the fan reaction to those initial posts was a lot of fun.|
What was the feeling in the office the week it came out?
DM: “We were both immensely focused on making sure that the record did as well as it could be. The band and everyone involved in making the album worked so hard, it was extremely important that we worked as hard, if not more, in making sure it reached and ultimately sold as much as it could.”
CK: “There was a lot of sitting in the corner of the office hunched over a laptop with Dan's dog Eileen as an emotional support animal. At the start of the campaign, I had asked everyone what the goal for this was, which I think is a useful thing to be able to come back to in moments of stress. That goal was to have as many people hear the album as possible. I think on release week, I kept coming back to that goal as a way to refocus. Releasing music is also a very specific experience for artists to go through, so the band feeling confident and comfortable was a huge priority for me.”
It was extremely important that we worked as hard as the band, if not more, in making sure it reached and ultimately sold as much as it could
Dan McEvoy
How important is vinyl for the band and retail promotions?
DM: “Since the first ever release of the band’s music, it has always come out on vinyl. From the first releases on labels such as Speedy Wunderground and Blank Editions this helped establish a true collector fanbase that has ultimately stuck with them through musical and line up changes.
“The band’s second release, Sunglasses, the initial press of that had 500 different sleeves. The DIY ethic behind this has stayed and the band have always worked with the label in creating innovative and interesting packaging. Sean Preston at Ninja Tune, the packaging ideas he has come up with definitely deserve a Grammy nomination. By coming up with interesting and novel ideas [Ants From up There had a limited edition in a wood effect sleeve, Forever Howlong has an embossed sleeve that looks like each copy is hand painted] the band have been able to have items on their D2C store and not take away business from record stores. We have found that fans will buy both and not feel short-changed.”
CK: “Both us and the band care a lot about the vinyl formats. We worked with Ginny Davies as creative director on this campaign, who designed all the various wonderful vinyl formats. The sleeves were printed in Ireland by Anglo Printers, who took a lot of time and care executing a solid result. At this point, the band are known for their considered packaging, so it was important to maintain that. Ginny and I went to the sleeve printing plant, and Dan and Sean went to the vinyl plant, and it was great for us to actually see the thing being made. It's also really important to us and the band that the records are sold at an affordable price, so they are accessible for fans.”
What was the impact of the 179 global listening events?
DM: “It was so good to see people across the world engaging with the record pre-release. The creative team worked with extreme attention to detail on creating goodie bags to be given away at each listening party. The goodie bags contained materials for the fans to draw their own version of the album artwork whilst listening. In collaboration with Openstage, we came up with the idea of the fans uploading their drawings and the band posting select versions across their social media. This helped further incentivise the connection from the band to the fan.
“The level of support from indie retail around the listening parties and then the release of the album has been huge! Both online and in real life. They definitely helped create awareness around the record’s release and also grow the band's socials and mailing list.”
What kind of streaming support are you getting?
DM: “Ninja Tune have a brilliant DSP team. For a label their size, releasing the kind of records they do, I don’t know of anyone who invests that much in this area of their team. Ahead of the record’s release, 100,000-plus fans pre-saved the record across different DSPs, with 89,500 on Spotify alone! You could really tell the streaming team care about the record and have a connection to the songs. They were chasing us more than us chasing them!”
Dan McEvoy and Constance Keane
As management, how did you navigate the band losing its singer after building momentum. What was the strategy?
DM: “This is a hard question to answer. The adrenaline definitely kicked in and the emphasis was definitely on making sure everyone was okay on a personal level. Not on a musical or business level, just making sure as humans that all involved had the tools to deal with the situation. Early on I spoke to Tamsin at the Music Industry Therapists Collective to work out what help was on offer and how this could be accessed if needed. This came in handy when the adrenaline ran out and the services were used in order to help the band to carry on and be themselves.
“I joined ATC management in order to gain support and be around other managers who have been in a few storms themselves and lived to tell the tale. With the band being booked by ATC Live, and now also looked after for their merchandise and fulfilment by Sandbag, it has been very much a group effort. The structure at ATC has helped grow the management team in a way that was needed when the workload increased as the band's profile grew. The central services team has been able to identify key opportunities that have worked for other artists across the ATC Group roster and implement them to help BC,NR and grow their business.”
Was that the thinking behind keeping the name and just continuing?
DM: “There was a very small conversation on the name change that was resolved very quickly. Before the change the band had already spoken between themselves on possibly changing how the band perform, and not solely relying on one person to front the band and ultimately bear the brunt of things. When they ultimately started doing this out of circumstance it worked perfectly, as when one person didn’t feel up to it someone else could sing their songs instead. The way they came together and supported each other throughout all this and doing it very publicly, this is how they have been able to continue and what makes them not only a special band but a once in a lifetime group of friends.”
How did you work with Ninja Tune on the campaign strategy for the new line-up?
DM: “The label were there as much and as little as needed. In terms of strategy, there has never been a meeting where the masterplan has been laid out. It has more been the case where the label and the wider team have listened to the band on what they want to do and helped to facilitate it to achieve the best outcome.
“To get the band ready for a festival season of playing completely unreleased music there was a small tour in intimate venues around the country. From the first gig of the tour in Brighton, it was clear that the fans were going to stick with the band and support them. Footage from those gigs appeared on YouTube and fans around the world found them and developed connections with the songs, helping the band to carry on without an official release. After the summer and a successful first trip to Japan, the idea for a live album of these songs came up. It was the label's brilliant idea to get the fans involved in this and to invite key fans along to film a series of gigs and then their footage be used in the film of the live album. Once again further connecting the band with their fanbase.”
How important are all three singers to the band? Who makes the decisions?
DM: “The band has always been a democracy even before there were three singers. It has been a real highlight watching each member of the band develop into their roles and become more confident and empowered.”
CK: “Everyone makes the decisions. Having three singers in the band feels like an extension of how the band works behind the scenes, so it's cool to have that as a throughline. On a personal level, I am so excited about three female voices and perspectives working so harmoniously but also individually across the album.”
What are the unique considerations to promote an alternative/experimental record in a pop-dominated world?
CK: “Fundamentally, the promotion of the album has to reflect the artist. I think when it comes to alternative music, authenticity is still key when creating something you want to look back on in five years and still feel proud of. With a band like BC,NR, there is no interest in trying to compete with pop music marketing. The band have the fans they have because they are themselves. Working with Ninja Tune and Ginny to figure out ways to make as many people as possible know about the record, while still prioritising the band feeling like themselves, was a challenge but also an exciting creative process. Of course, as a manager, I'm interested in seeing what other successful campaigns are doing, but I think if you are completely focused on that then you're already too late to the party.”
I am so excited about three female voices and perspectives working so harmoniously but also individually across the album
Constance Keane
Tell us a bit about the touring plans? What is the building plan for the UK and Europe versus breaking in the US?
CK: “There was a short album release tour around the UK that finished in a London underplay at Village Underground. Fans really love seeing the band in small venues, so I think it was important to factor that into wider plans. We then have a month-long US run in May, and festivals in both UK and EU before heading off on a full EU and UK tour in September and October, this time in bigger venues.”
Are there some key goals while the band is in America?
DM: “This will be the first time the band are on the road and being able to properly promote a release. On their third album! Through circumstances out of their control, they have never been able to conventionally tour an album. The label have key radio sessions and retail opportunities lined up across the country.”
CK: “I'm really excited for the two sold-out shows in Bowery Ballroom in NYC, which kicks off the tour. This is a chance, similar to Village Underground in London, for fans to still see the band in an intimate setting before continuing on to larger venues across the States. I think it's important to keep these things in mind as you get more successful, and it's not that hard to do. I think they will be two very special evenings.”
How do you use the UK Top 5 results to get opportunities?
DM: “For the band to go through the changes and struggles that they have been through and gain a third consecutive Top 5 album, it’s a good bit of ammo! It is not an everyday occurrence. The wider team can use this to prove their fanbase is far from casual and willing to support the band. It’s a great and positive talking point.”
CK: “It definitely brought some good vibes to the office too. Charts are a funny thing, but it's also undeniable that it's nice to be able to say "this was objectively a success".
What will happen to the old material? Will it be incorporated into the live show?
DM: "The band spoke publicly about their decision not to perform songs from their first two studio albums and we as management stand by that. Songs from Live At Bush Hall will most likely make an appearance but given the band’s creative process and work ethic, we would not be surprised if they were beginning to perform and road test new material quite soon!
PHOTO: Eddie Whelan
