Following on from their second collaborative album Tuxedo II, Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One unleash their blistering new single ‘Thank You’. Full of punchy bass, crisp drums, triumphant brass and sleazy synths it summons the creative spirit of Parliament Funkadelic, Don Blackman and Average White Band and compounds them into a funk infused disco belter, perfect for the dance floor.

Both descendants of the one-word moniker family of funk, the Tuxedo collaboration began with an exchange of mixtapes back in 2006. "They had a lot of the same songs on them." said Jake. "I couldn't believe there was another person in the world that cared about this style of music.” The G-Unit production member whose laundry list of production credits includes Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Future, De la Soul and The Weeknd finally met fellow Grammy nominee Hawthorne and the ground was set for a collaboration. The fruits of a long-standing kinship were three tracks that mysteriously showed up on Internet doorsteps in 2013. Those three songs sparked a barrage of inquiries, and the allure simmered while they recorded their self-titled debut LP. The transfer of energy between Jake's West Coast funk slaps and Hawthorne's Midwestern harmonies is something few outside of their specific origins could pull off. Their first full length release in March 2015 was mixed by tenured disco hit maker John Morales at his home studio in New Jersey and debuted at #1 on iTunes RnB chart. 

Considering their individual successes it’s no surprise their powers combined have yet again yielded a bevy of absolute slappers that are packaged perfectly for dance parties in 2017. Recorded while the pair was on the road during their last tour, Tuxedo II is both a continuation of and improvement on the first album. "The sound really clicked towards the end of recording the first album. This time around we just did it better,” says Mayer. “It's like Empire Strikes Back where you already know the characters and you can get straight to the action.” They both insist Tuxedo is about having fun and dancing. "We needed a carefree release in these fucked up times,” says Jake. Tuxedo II is a modern testament to unity and positivity in trying times. It is a reminder that the dance floor will always be there to welcome you, whoever you are.

Younger pop music consumers may not know that the latest hits from Daft Punk, Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson derive from a genre that was swept under the rug for decades. The material here, while wholly original, is an exercise in honouring its forebears. Tuxedo II recalls the future- funk wobble of Zapp, Gap, Jam/Lewis and Junie Morrison, while nodding lyrically to Mtume, Jodeci and Cameo. The crystallization of the album's concept comes courtesy of its message of universal love; thanks to the signature combination of soul and pop sensibility that have come to define Mayer's hooks. You can feel the imprint of greats in combination with sounds made famous by hip-hop legends, mastering a new ‘old’ sound in a loving albeit modern homage, wearing their influences on the sleeves of their tuxedos.  

Howie Payne has announced details of his new single ‘The Brightest Star’ and an upcoming headline tour for October 2017. The single is the first taste of The Stands founding member Howie’s new studio album (due in the autumn), the long awaited follow-up to his Ethan Johns produced 2009 solo debut Bright Light Ballads. “‘The Brightest Star’ was inspired by both a train journey, and a film I saw about Andy Warhol’s Factory,” says Howie. “Someone said about Edie Sedgwick ‘Edie was Andy’s brightest star’, or something like that. It’s not about her directly or anything but I liked the phrase and it stuck in my mind.”

“The next day or so I was on the train between Liverpool where I’m from, and London where I live. I was leaning against the window, and the shuffle of the wheels on the tracks was making up this brilliant hypnotic rhythm. I was zoning out to it and this tune started going through my head with the phrase ‘You’re the brightest star, you’re the truth, no one gets around loving you’. Once I had that the rest of it just kind of wrote itself.”

In October, Howie will embark on a headline full band UK tour. The set will feature songs by The Stands, songs from Bright Light Ballads, plus Howie will premiere songs from his forthcoming album. The twelve-date tour starts at Liverpool Buyers Club on October 12th and culminates with a show at The Borderline in London on October 28th.

Before then, Howie is reissuing classic material from the band that brought him to the attention of the world. Released June 23rd, ‘The Stands Recordings 2003 – 2005’ set is a collection of 3 vinyl LPs, the first two featuring alternate, rare, remixed and unreleased versions of tracks spanning 2003 – 2005, while the third features a whole host of Howie Payne’s unreleased demos.

Listen to ‘The Brightest Light’ here

Howie has also announced details for a 12 date full band tour through October (rescheduled from previously announced May dates):

Howie Payne & The Band Of The Sun, UK Tour October 2017

12 OCT - LIVERPOOL - Buyers Club

13 OCT - LEEDS - Belgrave Music Hall

14 OCT - GLASGOW - Hug & Pint

16 OCT - NEWCASTLE - Think Tank

17 OCT - YORK - Fulford Arms

18 OCT - CARDIFF - Clwb Ifor Bach

20 OCT - BIRMINGHAM - Actress & Bishop

21 OCT - NOTTINGHAM - Bodega

22 OCT - LEICESTER - The Cookie

23 OCT - OXFORD - The Bullingdon

25 OCT - SOUTHAMPTON - The Joiners

28 OCT - LONDON - The Borderline