Leeds band Ultimate Thunder have shared new single ‘Holiday Camp Holiday Inn’ from their upcoming self-titled debut album, released on 29th July. A collaboration recorded in person and over Zoom with producer / musician James Mabbett (Napoleon IIIrd), the band will release their debut in conjunction with their longtime supporters at Pyramid.
Press
Championed by The Guardian and described by the Big Issue as “The most punk-rock band in Britain”, new single ‘Holiday Camp Holiday Inn’ is a captivating blast of industrial electronics, surreal stream of consciousness lyrics and krautrock-adjacent beats, however, as with all comparisons to the band, any similarities are totally accidental and of no real importance to the members of Ultimate Thunder.
Endlessly curious, absolutely open minded and completely absorbed in their own musical world, the band creates music with little regard to how it’s received – the result being the unique, idiosyncratic and gripping album ‘Ultimate Thunder’
First coming together in 2013 with the help of Leeds charity ‘People In Action’, original members Dan Milligan (vocals), Thomas Neil (drums), John Greaves (bass), Alex Sykes (keyboard) and James Heselwood (mentor, guide and guitarist) began writing, performing and gigging in Leeds, Wakefield and Bradford.
Following numerous line up changes, the band began to work officially with Leeds arts charity Pyramid in 2017 with Heselwood staying on to guide and mentor the band, and Pyramid offering band members the support they need for the band to thrive. As the current line up of Matthew Watson (vocals), Scott Anderson (drums), Stuart Illingworth (synth), John Greaves (bass), Alex Sykes (keyboard) , John Densley (percussion) and Kenneth Stainburn (guitar/synth) settled in, the band made their live debut at DIY space Wharf Chambers before collaborating with Lumen on a sound / art installation at The Tetley in 2019.
Having spent much of the last decade focussing on their live performances, the band had to reassess their plans once their weekly sessions were moved online in the pandemic. Enlisting the help of acclaimed Leeds artist and producer Napoleon IIIrd, the collective set about writing and recording their debut album over Zoom under Mabbett and Heselwood’s guidance.
The band will unveil their record a week early tonight at Duke Studios / Sheaf Street in Leeds. A free entry showcase, attendees will be treated to the improvisational, chaotic and free-flowing shows the band have become known for – who knows what might happen…
‘Ultimate Thunder’ will be released digitally and via 12” vinyl produced at Press On Vinyl in Middlesbrough.
This project is supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
