Irish duo Hudson Taylor, made up of brothers Alfie and Harry, start 2018 on a high with the release of new single ‘Run With Me,’ the follow to their 2017 comeback single ‘Feel It Again,’ produced by Ryan Hadlock (The Lumineers and Vance Joy) and mixed by Ruadhri Cushnan (Mumford & Sons/Ed Sheeran). ‘Feel It Again’ was a huge hit in their native Ireland, reaching #1 on the Irish iTunes Singer Songwriter chart for 12 weeks running and now at two million streams combined. ‘Run With Me’ is an instantly melodic slice of americana-inflected pop, whilst the video features Alfie and Harry in their native Ireland taking a visit to the Dogs Trust, whom the band partnered with in the making of the video.

Speaking about the video the band said: “'Run with Me' is about those friends that are by your side at all times and lift you up whatever you're going through. Dogs are often that exact type of friend for people and we wanted to make a video that was uplifting and fun but also delivered the message that there are so many dogs in shelters and rescues around the country that just need loving homes. We absolutely loved making this video and we hope people not only enjoy watching it but also consider giving a rescue dog a home and having that dog give them their unconditional love and friendship in return.”

Suzie Carley, the Executive Director at Dogs Trust, said: “We are thrilled to join up with Irish folk duo Hudson Taylor for the launch of their fantastic new single, Run With Me! Both Alfie and Harry are huge dog lovers so we were delighted to welcome them to our Rehoming Centre recently, where they shot some scenes for their brand new music video and met some of our beautiful furry residents! It’s so important to raise awareness about adopting instead of buying a dog so we were delighted that the boys asked us to be a part of spreading this message through their video. We all had an amazing experience working with Alfie, Harry and their wonderful team – especially our dogs, who couldn’t resist lots of cuddles and kisses in between takes!”

Hudson Taylor will also embark on a UK tour in January, following their appearance with Gabrielle Aplin at London’s Union Chapel just before Christmas. The tour will call at the following:

Saturday 20th January - O2 Institute, Birmingham – SOLD OUT

Sunday 21st January - Academy 3, Manchester – SOLD OUT

Monday 22nd January - King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow – SOLD OUT

Wednesday 24th January - The Fleece, Bristol – SOLD OUT

Thursday 25th January - The Scala, London – LIMITED TICKETS LEFT

Will Varley has released ‘Seven Days’, the latest track to emerge ahead of his forthcoming fifth studio album, Spirit Of Minnie, which is due to be released February 9 through Xtra Mile Recordings. Propelled by Varley’s burnished vocals & an innate gift for relatable lyricism, the track arrives alongside an animated music video created by Varley himself. Compelled by the track’s affirmation of life’s fleeting, milestone moments, Varley has created the monochrome pixel art animation which accompanies the release of ‘Seven Days’, influenced by the classic 8-bit DOS games of his own ‘90s childhood.

Following 2016’s much praised Kingsdown Sundown and a sold out show at London’s Union Chapel, Spirit Of Minnie marks a distinct change of direction for the singer songwriter, being the first time he has recorded with a full backing band. Produced by Cameron McVey (Massive Attack, Portishead, Neneh Cherry), the new album expands on the pared back musical palette of Varley’s previous sound, all the while retaining his gift for painterly, affirming and immediate lyric writing.

After a run of UK shows the album will come out on the same day he plays his biggest headline show to date at the iconic 02 Shepherds Bush Empire. Will is accompanying the announcement by releasing a brand new track from the album on Spotify and other digital platforms along with his entire back catalogue which, until now, could not be found on any streaming sites.

Aided by McVey’s nuanced, widescreen production and the warm cascading sound of his new band, Spirit Of Minnie, straddles Will's sound and style from past to present. Counting the likes of Billy Bragg, Valerie June and Frank Turner as his fans, and with tours scheduled across Europe and America, the young songwriter from Deal seems poised for a huge 2018.

UK HEADLINE TOUR

30 January BIRMINGHAM 02 Institute 3

31 January NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms

1 February LEEDS Brudenell Social Club

2 February EDINBURGH La Belle Angele

3 February MANCHESTER Club Academy

6 February SOUTHAMPTON 1865

7 February CARDIFF The Globe

8 February BRISTOL Trinity Centre

9 February LONDON Shepherds Bush Empire