Lucky Number Music

Priestgate have today announced their second EP One Shade Darker for release on 3rd March. The EP’s newest single “White Shirt” – an anthemic homage to their hometown of Driffield – arrives today. Priestgate kick off 2023 with a Dork Hype List accolade under their belts (“The best new live band on the planet”), following an NME 100 nod in 2022, and will headline the Dork Hype List tour next month, which includes a show at Colours in Hoxton. Full live dates and tickets available NOW.

Speaking about “White Shirt” vocalist Rob Schofield explains: “It’s about Driffield – whether it be missing it, loving it or hating it… it’s about home. Where we’re from doesn’t really have a creative community, there’s some good joiners – just no bands. It’s about seeing the same old stuff growing up, I’d never really left the place all that much before the band started. I had it in my head that I’d end up making coffins with my dad.”

Commenting on the forthcoming EP One Shade Darker, Rob adds: “It’s our attempt at pushing the sound to another place, but we never sit down and say “let’s make this sound like X artist or Y artist” – we write each song then see if they all work together afterwards. It’s just how we are as a band; we’ve always found ourselves wanting to see what will happen next. It’ll always sound like us to a certain degree, maybe just with a different haircut if you will.”

Ascendant Yorkshire five-piece Priestgate have today shared their brand new single “Some Things Never Change“, an anthemic ode to small towns and growing up, with Priestgate vocalist Rob Schofield explaining: “Change has been a theme through our tracks and the more I thought about that the more I understood that not everything does. This song is the opposite of our previous work in that sense, it’s quite literal, some things never change.”

Accompanied by a music video shot by their collaborator Luke Hallet, the single is the first new music from Priestgate since the enthralling Eyes Closed For The Winter EP arrived in March this year. The EP was heralded with glowing praise from the likes of Gigwise, DIY and Dork (“Nothing is more exciting than starry-eyed potential, and Priestgate have that in spades”) who all awarded it 4* reviews. Priestgate have also been garnering praise for their formidable live performances at festivals including Reading and Leeds (where they were recorded for BBC Introducing), Latitude and Community this summer.

Their debut single “Bedtime Story” and EP title track “Eyes Closed For The Winter” were met with widespread acclaim from the likes of NME (where Priestgate were immediately crowned a First On artist and included in the NME 100 tips list in January), Dork and CLASH. The singles were further lauded at radio by Jack Saunders (who crowned “ECFTW” a Next Wave), Sian Eleri and Gemma Bradley at BBC Radio 1, and Steve Lamacq and Emily Pilbeam on BBC Radio 6 Music.

Driffield’s finest Priestgate have today released their incredible debut EP Eyes Closed For The Winter, and this week shared an enthralling live video for “By The Door”, which you can watch below:

Commenting on “By The Door” and its live video, vocalist Rob Schofield explains: “‘By The Door’ is about questioning things that don’t necessarily have or need answers, and how we often want to know why we feel a certain way, whether that be happiness or sadness… we always seem to ask why. We recorded the live video at The Nave with Matt Peel, he engineered our EP so we figured it’s only right we make his life hell again.”

The EP itself has been subject to glowing praise from Gigwise, DIY and Dork (“Nothing is more exciting than starry-eyed potential, and Priestgate have that in spades”) who all awarded it 4-stars. Previous singles “Bedtime Story” and “Eyes Closed For The Winter” have also been met with widespread acclaim from the likes of NME, with an inclusion in the NME 100 in January this year, Dork and Clash. The singles were further lauded at radio by Jack Saunders, Sian Eleri and Gemma Bradley at BBC Radio 1, as well as Steve Lamacq and Emily Pilbeam on BBC Radio 6 Music.

Priestgate will celebrate the release of the EP with a special headline show at the Polar Bear Club in Hull tonight, before embarking on a support tour with Walt Disco.

Ascendant Yorkshire five-piece Priestgate have today announced their debut EP Eyes Closed For The Winter – out 25 March. (Pre) Order HERE.  Priestgate have also shared the EP’s title track and its accompanying video.

The follow up to previous single ‘Bedtime Story’ – their first for Lucky Number – ‘Eyes Closed For The Winter’ is yet another stellar slice of indie dream-pop with deft gothic undertones. Speaking on the new single, vocalist Rob Schofield explains: “‘Eyes Closed For The Winter’ is about how time affects us as people & how often we avoid things we’re scared to deal with. Sometimes the best medicine for this is to just close your eyes and accept that things can get a little hard at times.”

Produced by Nick Hodgson (Alfie Templeman), and mixed by Caesar Edmunds (Foals, The Killers, PJ Harvey), the Eyes Closed For The Winter EP is a formidable statement straight out the gates – and a window into the world of one of Britain’s most thrilling young bands.

Following recent dates with Dream Wife and The Ninth Wave the band will shortly head out on an Independent Venue Week tour alongside Deep Tan and Deadletter and will also support Walt Disco on their upcoming UK tour. Priestgate have also announced a headline show at the Polar Bear Club in Hull on 25 March, with pre-sale tickets available 19 Jan and general sale tickets available 21 January via the band’s website HERE.

We’re delighted to welcome the ascendant Yorkshire five-piece Priestgate to the fold, and to share their brand new single ‘Bedtime Story’. Produced by Nick Hodgson (Alfie Templeman) and mixed by Caesar Edmunds (Foals, The Killers, PJ Harvey), the track is a fevered slice of indie dream-pop with deft gothic undertones. Vocalist Rob Schofield explains: “‘Bedtime Story’ is about coming to the realisation that all that’s really yours is your own time. Love, friends, and money will come and go, but you’re always going to be stuck with yourself. Nothing really matters when you’re asleep.”

Raised in the sleepy town of Driffield in East Yorkshire, Priestgate are Rob Schofield (vocals), Bridie Stagg (drums), Connor Bingham (guitar), Isaac Ellis (guitar), and Kai Overton (bass). The nucleus of Priestgate came together after Ellis was recommended to the band by none other than Schofield’s dad, who he works alongside building coffins as his 9-5 job. Soon after Overton, a mental health worker for the local council, completed the line-up.

Formed as a battlecry against the restlessness and mundanity of rural life, Priestgate began as a reaction to the sparse local music scene around them, which in turn has allowed them to craft and develop their own unique sound without the added pressure of conformity. Drawing comparisons to The Cure and The Maccabees, Priestgate have combined bright guitar-pop hooks with darker lyrical sensibilities, concocting their own angst-laden blend of the hypnotic and euphoric.

Priestgate will also head out as support for The Ninth Wave and Dream Wife this October, before performing at Live at Leeds and then London’s Sebright Arms on Thursday 4 November. Tickets for all of Priestgate’s upcoming shows are available via the band’s website HERE.