Seasfire in session at Maida Vale

"Inspired by Buckley and Burial, these Bristol boys tread a fine line between chilling and chill-out [...] they are, in many ways, our dream (new) group: a rock band who approximate the sound made by Abel Tesfaye, alias R&B wunderkind the Weekend." Guardian New Band of the Day

SEASFIRE…  Four young men skulk about Bristol, a city that has thrown up some of England’s more melancholic and introspective bands.

The four-piece formed, as most do, in a bedroom studio listening to the 3 B’s: Buckley, BunnyMen and Burial.

Mary Anne Hobbs first picked up on their track ‘Falling’ for Mary Anne Hobb’s XFM Music: Response.  It got such a great reaction for a demo that it was made ‘ The Game Changer’ and played every night on XFM for a week in early December 2011.  Subsequent radio support has already followed from BBC Radio 1’s Rob Da Bank, XFM’s John Kennedy and BBC Bristol. This week SEASFIRE played in session at Maida Vale for Steve Lamacq over at BBC Radio 6 Music. You can view the beautiful yet chilling live renditions of upcoming single 

'Falling' and other tracks here:  

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01c026l 

At the heart of SEASFIRE’s nocturnal and atmospheric songs are stories of love and losing love.  Their debut single 'Falling' is released on 27th February 2012. The lyrics of ‘Falling’ are full of the ghosts of relationships and the shipwrecks of heartbreak.  Skeleton beats and distorted bass underpin the cold piano and haunting vocals, creating a chilling yet sophisticated sound. 

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Axed radio station BBC 6 Music returns to life

BBC 6 Music, which costs £6m a year to run and has a weekly audience of 695,000 listeners, was one of the victims of a cost-cutting exercise announced in February.

But two months on corporation insiders have suggested it will be re-branded as Radio 2 Extra and will feature many of the same DJs and much of the same playlist as it does now.

A BBC spokesman said the idea that 6 Music might be re-branded was “speculation”.

The apparent change of heart follows an outcry from both listeners and a number of musicians, among them David Bowie and Lily Allen.

A public consultation into the planned closure of 6 Music is scheduled to run until the end of next month.

The BBC Trust, the corporation’s watchdog, regards the station as “distinctive and well liked”, and Sir Michael Lyons, the trust’s chairman, has suggested he might ask Mark Thompson, the director-general, to save the service if there was a strong backlash against taking it off air.

One Facebook group set up to keep 6 Music on air has more than 78,000 members, while 1,000 fans demonstrated outside Broadcasting House last month. The British Phonographic Industry has also protested at the closure, claiming it will block a much needed outlet for new bands.

The head of Absolute Radio, a commercial rival formerly known as Virgin Radio, has said that he would be prepared to take over 6 Music from the BBC and run it more efficiently.

Speculation about a reprieve has come a week after the station was nominated for seven Sony awards, the Oscars of the radio industry.

Lauren Laverne, its star presenter, received two nominations, while Jarvis Cocker, the former frontman of Pulp, was nominated in the “rising star” category for his 6 Music show.

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Protest confirmed to stop 6 Music closure

A protest opposing the planned closure of BBC 6 Music has been confirmed to be held outside Broadcasting House this weekend.

Listeners of the station are being urged to turn up for the peaceful demonstration outside the BBC's West London headquarters at 12pm on March 27.

A number of famous speakers, DJs and live buskers have also been lined up for the event in order to create "an air of festivity".

Organisers of the protest wrote on the love6music website: "This is a celebration of our beloved station; a demonstration of support for the staff, musicians, and a collective show to the Consultation team that we do not want to lose our station.

"Come along to show your solidarity and support; bring a flask of tea and have a party all in the name of saving 6 Music."

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BBC 6 Music fans urged to buy Half Man Half Biscuit track to save station

The digital music service is urging fans to buy a track by cult act Half Man Half Biscuit as part of a bid to publicise their plight.

Campaigners are being mobilised via Facebook - of course - and they hope it will rival the one that prop­elled Rage Against The Machine to an unlikely Christmas No.1 over Sim­on Cowell’s X Factor winner.

The radio station - known for its cutting edge, alternative angle on music - has been earmarked for closure following a BBC strategy review.

Now, its fans are being urged to buy Half Man Half Biscuit’s Joy Division Oven Gloves from April 6th and it is hoped the tune will hit No.6.

The track first appeared on 2005 album Achtung Bono by the satirical band from Birkenhead, Merseyside.

They released debut album Back In The DHSS a quarter of a century ago but never had a singles hit.

‘We see this great slice of Birkenhead poetry as being a great representation of all that 6 Music is about - a home for new acts and classic music that gets no exposure anywhere else on the radio,’ said organisers behind the protest.

The band’s influence now pervades 6 Music, with an evening this week dedicated to songs by every music act namechecked in their song, Irk The Purists.

Presenter Adam Buxton has also created his own protest song, a spoof version of Changes by supporter David Bowie.

It includes the line: ‘Still don’t know why they are closing it, ’cos there are loads of things in the BBC that are much more s**t.’

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