Following hot on the heels of beloved single and BBC Radio 2-playlisted Eleanor, the world becomes a dancefloor in the hands of Liverpool six-piece Red Rum Club, as they release the second single, Ballerino from their newly announced, second album The Hollow of Humdrum. Shimmying into the world via Modern Sky on Wed 19 August 2020, the festival stage specialists release yet more ‘hands in the air’ music to the masses, funnelling their resoundingly positive energy directly into fans’ homes.
At the same time, the band look ahead with typical optimism to 2021 and announce a huge, 27-date UK Tour, including a hotly-anticipated Liverpool homecoming headline date, shows finally rescheduled from the band’s postponed 2020 tour, plus seven dates in support of Circa Waves – all of this on top of confirming the release of their second album.
“It’s like a Billy Elliot story,
just forget what anyone else thinks and dance!”
– Fran Doran, singer
An ode to the person that’s always up dancing first, Ballerino is the fruit of the band’s collaborative, brotherly culture, with lead singer, Fran Doran, painting himself into the song with his rallying-call lyrics. Unashamed cheerleaders for finding and holding on to the good times, the band layers meaning into their feelgood songcraft to tackle toxic masculinity and the fear of really letting go.
Reflecting on just one of the album’s highlights, Doran, says: “I am always the fool that gets up first at a wedding, the ‘ballerino’ is me. The way I see it is that if I’m dancing, then I don’t know what you’re doing sitting there, you should be too. Ultimately, it’s about boys not dancing and that sense of unnecessary, toxic masculinity that stops people expressing themselves. It’s like a Billy Elliot story, just forget what anyone else thinks and dance!”
June single, Eleanor launched the band further into national consciousness with its playlist position on BBC Radio 2, having initially caught the ears of presenters, Sara Cox and OJ Borg. That hot summer hit and Ballerino are the first tastes of The Hollow of Humdrum, released on Fri 2 October 2020. Promising a total of ten, brand-new tracks recorded at Liverpool’s legendary Parr Street Studios, Red Rum Club locked-in with producer Chris Taylor (Blossoms, The Coral), to lay down the optimistic, energetic and insightful follow up to the debut that launched them to the world.
With Eleanor – also gaining plays across BBC 6 Music with Chris Hawkins and Steve Lamacq, plus international plaudits from the Netherlands (3FM and Kink FM) and the United States (LA’s KCRW) –
dealing with mental health and wrapping arms around loved ones, and Ballerino challenging concepts of modern masculinity, the band’s rapid growth in lyrical and musical confidence is plain for all to hear.
Having been forced to conserve their excessive live energy throughout 2020, next year looks brighter for the band and their fans with a lengthy spell on the road now announced for late winter and early spring 2021. Remaining tickets for rescheduled dates go onsale from Fri 20 August 2020, with 2021 headline tour available from 10am on Mon 24 August 2020. All of Red Rum Club’s confirmed, upcoming live dates are as follows:
- Wed 10 Feb Newcastle, Riverside
- Thu 11 Feb Glasgow, King Tut’s
- Fri 12 Feb Hull, The Adelphi
- Sat 13 Feb Manchester, Club Academy
- Mon 15 Feb Sheffield, O2 Academy 2
- Tue 16 Feb Huddersfield, The Parish
- Wed 17 Feb Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
- Thu 18 Feb Birmingham, O2 Institute 3
- Sat 20 Feb Bedford, Esquires
- Sun 21 Feb Oxford, Academy 2
- Mon 22 Feb Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach
- Tue 23 Feb London, Lafayette
- Thu 25 Feb Brighton, Patterns
- Fri 26 Feb Truro, Old Bakery
- Sat 27 Feb Exeter, The Cavern
- Sun 28 Feb Bournemouth, The Anvil
- Tue 2 Mar York, The Crescent
- Thu 4 Mar Glasgow, Academy*
- Sat 6 Mar Liverpool, Mountford Hall*
- Tue 9 Mar Leicester, O2 Academy*
- Wed 10 Mar London, O2 Academy Brixton*
- Fri 12 Mar Keele, Keele University*
- Sat 13 Mar Norwich, Waterfront*
- Sun 14 Mar Cardiff, Tramshed*
- Tue 16 Mar Bristol, Thekla
- Wed 17 Mar Milton Keynes, The Craufurd Arms
- Thu 18 Mar Blackpool, Bootleg Social
- Sat 17 Apr Liverpool, Mountford Hall
*supporting Circa Waves
Formed of Fran Doran (vocals), Tom Williams (lead guitar), Michael McDermott (rhythm guitar), Simon Hepworth (bass), Neil Lawson (drums) and their famed trumped player, Joe Corby, Red Rum Club’s moreish melodies helped to sell a whopping 3,000 tickets for last year’s homecoming shows at Liverpool’s O2 Academy. Purposely striding towards their own, distinct musical territory, Corby’s brass flourishes, inspired by obscure Cuban Pop and Mexican mariachi, bring an inimitable Tarantino-esque glamour to these north country boys.
Nominated at the AIM Independent Music Awards 2020 for Best Live Act, Red Rum Club won friends throughout the UK and Europe, routinely tearing crowds away from heavyweight festival headliners, while touring their acclaimed, 2019 debut album, Matador. Stepping off stage and re-entering their close-knit, creative bubble, whether in airports, vans or hotel rooms, it was amidst the euphoric, rock and roll atmosphere of a busy, gig-to-gig itinerary that their new album was written.
For further release information and details of all Red Rum Club’s upcoming live shows, including booking links, connect with the band online at: