Our latest Soundbites has news from next month’s Reading/Leeds Festivals, Muse frontman Matt Bellamy truly falls under Kate Hudson’s spell, there’s a new event to mark Elvis’ birthday, and a Mercury-nominated act announce a new single and Franz Ferdinand discuss their new record.
It seems Kate Hudson has well and truly snared another suitor, with the UK’s Sun newspaper reporting Muse frontman Matt Bellamy is all set to up sticks and follow his new squeeze to the US. An ever-reliable source is quoted in The Sun saying: “They’re very loved-up, they just click. Kate’s had a place in the city for five years but she wants somewhere bigger, so Matt’s suggested pooling their resources. Kate wants a studio for Matt and playroom for her son, Ryder.”
Libertines drummer Gary Powell appears to be covering all bases as he prepares to return with Pete, Carl and John at next month’s Reading/Leeds Festivals after it was confirmed his band The Invasion Of… are also now booked to play on the BBC Introducing stage. Well, at least we know one member of The Libertines will definitely be performing on the August Bank Holiday weekend.
In other Leeds festival news this week, local record label Dance To The Radio has announced it will be curating a stage at this year’s event after a successful 2009 stint. Acts such as Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, The Neat and Spectrals will be providing some much needed entertainment to festival-goers settling into the always luxurious surroundings of Bramham Park on the Thursday from 7pm-11pm.
Recent Mercury nominees I Am Kloot have announced details of a new single from the acclaimed album ‘Sky At Night’. ‘Proof’ is set for release on September 6th, having previously been held back by their record label in 2003. “I thought if you’re not going to release that then I don’t know what I’m ever going to give you that you’ll want to release,” frontman John Bramwell said of the original decision.
UK radio station BBC Radio 2 will hold a special tribute concert in of Elvis Presley to mark what would have been the legendary singer’s 75th birthday. The event will be held at London’s Hyde Park and will be hosted by Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans, who said of the show: “”As the Radio 2 audience knows, I am a huge Elvis fan and it’s an honour to host such a celebration of the enduring appeal of his music.” Head of Programming Lewis Carnie added: “Elvis’s music has an enduring appeal to Radio 2 listeners of all ages, so I’m thrilled that our friends at Graceland in Memphis are working with us on this event.”
Alex Kapranos has told the BBC he has begun writing material for a new Franz Ferdinand record, but shh, it’s all hush hush this time around. “I’m writing songs. I don’t know anyone who has a period of writing songs and promoting an album; if you write songs, you write songs and keep doing it,” he said. “I always talk before we do releases and talk about them too much, I get excited and I don’t want to ruin the surprise, I’m going to shut up now!”
