Dry Cleaning - Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks + Sweet Princess CD/LP
Dry Cleaning will reissue their first two EPs, "Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks" / "Sweet Princess", on 8 March 2024. Remastered to celebrate the release, "Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks" and "Sweet Princess" will be pressed as one single vinyl. The former will be available on cassette for the first time and include an exclusive bonus single, a demo of "New Long Leg" single, Strong Feelings, recorded during the sessions for "Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks".
After a prolific 18-month period releasing two critically acclaimed John Parish-produced studio albums, "New Long Leg" (2021) and "Stumpwork" (2022), as well as last year’s companion release the five-track "Swampy" EP, South London’s Dry Cleaning are taking a moment to reflect on their journey and pay homage to their roots.
Dry Cleaning’s origin story is well known by now. Guitarist Tom Dowse, drummer Nick Buxton, and bassist Lewis Maynard had been friends and musical collaborators for years, and invited mutual friend Florence Shaw – a visual artist, picture researcher and drawing lecturer – to join the band in 2017. With clear musical influences from the Feelies, the Necessaries, the B52s and Pylon, and constrained by the small garage space they rehearsed in, Dry Cleaning were drawn to making simple music; direct and uncomplicated, anything superfluous was left behind.
By March 2018 the group had recorded the six-track debut EP "Sweet Princess" with producer Kristian Craig Robinson at Total Refreshment Centre in a single day. Two months later, in May 2018, the band played their first live show in Dalston at the Shacklewell Arms, and released the EP in August. "Sweet Princess" was a thrilling debut, its dizzying and restless instrumentals with Shaw’s sardonic vocals delivering a satirical collage of witty observations and social commentary.
A further six songs in the form of the "Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks" EP quickly followed two months after. It was named in tribute to the band’s rehearsal space in Maynard’s family’s south London (Sidcup) home, and to his mother Susan whose home-cooked meals sustained the four friends in between sessions. With singles like Sit Down Meal and Viking Hair, "Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks" is a powerful companion to Sweet Princess".
They share a similar pent-up energy, unsurprising given they came to life in the same environment those EPs were created in, an environment that had a huge influence on the band during those formative years.
Tracklist:
- SWEET PRINCESS -
1. Goodnight
2. New Job
3. Magic of Meghan
4. Traditional Fish
5. Phone Scam
6. Conversation
- BOUNDARY ROAD SNACKS AND DRINKS -
1. Dog Proposal
2. Viking Hair
3. Spoils
4. Jam After School
5. Sombre One
6. Sit Down Meal
About this product: this reissue is available on CD and LP formats.
The LP is pressed on transparent blue vinyl.