Earthling Society

Earthling Society is a 21st-century progressive, psychedelic, experimental band. Earthling Society formed in Lancashire, UK in early 2004 when singer-songwriter/guitarist Fred Laird and David Fyall met up with drummer Jon Blacow. Disillusioned with the current music trends and sharing a love of 1970s progressive rock, krautrock and 1960s psychedelia, Earthling Society built a primitive 8-track recording studio in a corner of a disused glass factory. Ignoring any commercial intention, they started recording what became their debut album 'Albion' purely as they had the ability to do so.

Earthling Society formed in Lancashire, UK in early 2004 when singer-songwriter/guitarist Fred Laird and David Fyall met up with drummer Jon Blacow. Disillusioned with the current music trends and sharing a love of 1970s progressive rock, krautrock and 1960s psychedelia, Earthling Society built a primitive 8-track recording studio in a corner of a disused glass factory. Ignoring any commercial intention, they started recording what became their debut album 'Albion' purely as they had the ability to do so.

'Albion' was initially released on Mylodon records based in Santiago, Chile in March 2005, a move that Fred Laird described as a disaster. The release however started to receive glowing praise and critical acclaim amongst the press. In June 2005 'Albion' was picked up by Hans Georg Bier, head of Berlin based psychedelic label Nasoni records who promptly rereleased it on CD and vinyl formats. By August 2005 it became album of the month on former The Teardrop Explodes frontman Julian Cope's website Head Heritage.

Earthling Society began work on the follow up entitled 'Plastic Jesus and the Third Eye Blind' which was released after supporting Julian Cope on his 2006 Dark Orgasm tour early that summer. The band in the meantime had become firm favourites on the European and UK festival circuits and for their appearance in Berlin at the tenth anniversary of Nasoni records, Irish keyboardist Kevy Canavan joined the group on a permanent basis.

The winter of 2006 saw Earthling Society writing and recording their third studio LP, a 70-minute double LP entitled 'Tears of Andromeda', black sails against the sky. Again released through Nasoni, it was eventually released on April 20, 2007 to coincide with their debut at the Roadburn festival alongside acts such as Blue Cheer, Melvins, Sun Dial and Guru Guru. A gig broadcast simultaneously live on several European radio stations.

After a couple of appearances in the UK and the internet becoming littered with live and studio reviews Earthling Society have been in negotiations with UK based record distribution company Cargo records who officially release the band's entire back catalogue in the UK for the first time in September 2007.

In May of 2008 Earthling Society released their debut album 'Beauty and the Beast' on the London based label 4zero. The album, a radical departure from the previous space rock albums contained 10 ethereal songs flavoured with 60's psychedelia and barrett-esque whimsy. Using a variety of instruments such as 12 string guitars, and all manner of exotic instruments, 'Beauty and the Beast' revealed the more subtle side of the group as well as well as showcasing their superb musicianship and song writing abilities.

The album was well received by the underground music press and marked a new phase for the group. It was also the final album to feature organist Kevy Canavan and bassist David Fyall.

In August of 2008 the band started work on what is to become their most defining album to date. Original keyboardist Joe Orban returned to the group after a long illness and David Fyall was replaced by Kendal-based bass player Steve Roberts.

'Sci-Fi Hi-Fi' (2009) their second album for 4zero is the sound of a band redefining the space rock genre. Not content with aping bands like Hawkwind with a tried and tested formula, instead E-Society have used the spacerock genre to make a loose conceptual album on the darker side of the 60's American counter-culture and political intrigues. Taking inspiration from such writings as Adam Gorightly's 'The shadow over Santa Susana' the illuminatus trilogy and Philip K. Dick's more visionary novels such as 'Valis', 'Sci-Fi Hi-Fi' is a darkly paranoid musical journey, taking in the krautrock workouts of Ash Ra Tempel, free instrumental acid rock, 60's folk and Pink Floydian electronics culminating in the 20 minute Magnum Opus 'E.V.I.L.U.S.A'.

However what sets this band apart from the others is their unique and original take on the space rock genre which has lead to there most succesful reviews to date.

www.earthlingsociety.co.uk