The Colours Announce New Record Label

    The Colours can announce that they have signed to independent record label, Hey Bert Records.


    The Blackpool based quartet have become a
    dominant feature in the Lancashire music scene, with them performing numerous dates across the North-West region – including success in a recent ‘Battle Of The Bands’ competition.

    Jake Powell, vocalist for The Colours, states “the North-West hasn’t influenced me as greatly as everyone would expect, with my only real Lancashire based influences coming from Delphic and Chapel Club. The current scene seems to be majorly southern sounding, with the likes of Wolf Gang, who I recently saw a documentary about, finding a lot of mainstream success”.

    “I feel working alongside Hey Bert Records has helped increase our potential. The band no longer feels dependent on me or another member having to arrange everything. It seems being with Hey Bert, we feel more of a team. The main importance at the moment is getting these new tracks recorded and exposing what the best of our ability, currently, is” Jake explains.

    It is no surprise that their punchy vocals, melodic hooks and vibrant sounds have led to comparisons to Two Door Cinema Club, Funeral Party and Bombay Bicycle Club. One thing remains certain; The Colours is a name that will feature heavily in your playlist over the forthcoming months.

    The Colours formed in early-2010, consisting of Jake Powell (Vocals/Guitar), Ben Swift (Bass) and Joe Packman (Drums), but earlier this year included Gerald Buckfield (Guitar/Percussion) to the line up.

    Drummer, Joe Packman, mentions that “Gerald used to be our tech, with him being the only member of the band that has studied a music course. We felt a direction we wanted to go in, but couldn’t do that just as a three-piece, so his inclusion just seemed necessary. Thankfully he accepted, as it has helped us to indulge into newer sounds and experiment a little more”.

    The Blackpool based quartet is currently allowing a FREE download of their demo tracks, ‘Olivia In India‘ and ‘Everyone Complains, Nothing’s Granted‘, which is available at: http://www.heybert.co.uk/thecolours.

    “The release is just to illustrate the direction we’re heading and to inform fans that we haven’t just drifted off the radar. It’s the newest and, personally, our best stuff. We just hope it’s to everyone else’s liking” Joe adds.

    For more information about The Colours, visit: http://www.facebook.com/thecoloursmusic

Michael Jackson estate agrees record Sony music deal

The estate of Michael Jackson has agreed the biggest recording deal in history, worth more than $200m (£133m), with Sony Music, US reports say.

The deal reportedly involves 10 album projects over seven years - including one of previously unreleased material.

The singer died at his Los Angeles home in June, aged 50. He was due to stage a series of comeback concerts in Britain.

Michael Jackson's death was ruled as homicide, mainly caused by the use of the anaesthetic Propofol.

Massive debts

The contract with Sony could be worth up to $250m if certain conditions are met, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing sources close to the deal.

It reflects sales of Jackson's music and memorabilia - which have sky-rocketed in the months since his death, making the late star one of the biggest-earning acts of last year, says the BBC's Rajesh Mirchandani in Los Angeles.

Sony has sold about 31 million copies of Jackson's albums worldwide since his death on 25 June, the report said.

His estate may soon be able to pay off some of the huge debts he left behind, our correspondent adds.

According to US media, Jackson also left behind dozens of new songs, which may be released, along with revamped packages of old hits.

More details are expected in an official announcement later on Tuesday, but the contract is reported to include the soundtrack to the recent film, This Is It.

The footage showed Jackson rehearsing for his comeback tour just days before his death from an overdose of an anaesthetic.

His doctor, Conrad Murray, who told police he had prescribed Propofol for insomnia, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of manslaughter.

He has always maintained that he neither prescribed nor administered anything that should have killed the singer.