05 February 2021 - 0 Comments

Hamilton, New Zealand (Kirikiriroa, Aotearoa) based indie-rock band Bitter Defeat today released their debut EP Minor Victory via Gravel Streak Records.

"I like that... A LOT!" - Adam Walton on 'Light That Shines', BBC Radio (UK)

"...'Light That Shines’ is an effervescent slice of classic New Zealand indie pop mixed with a Buzzcocks swagger and a rousing chorus." - Backseat Mafia (UK)

Recorded at The Porch Studio by long-time The Datsuns sound engineer and collaborator Scott Newth, Minor Victory is the band’s first full release, containing five slabs of off-kilter, hook-laden indie rock with a distinctly 90's feel. Three of the songs - Light That Shines, Long Lash and Better - have been released as singles and another, Streetlight, appeared on last year’s fundraising album In Thrust We Trust - a compilation album for their one-time drummer Dean Ballinger.

Rob Shirlow, the band’s originator and main songwriter says "Minor Victory is just that, really, in loads of ways. We managed to record it at the last minute during a lockdown-ridden year, after health issues and all that other stuff going on. I’ve been so lucky to have found a band who are into the same things as me with a similar outlook on making music plus the same level of ambition – enough, but not too much!” Shirlow continues “I think a lot of the best music ever made comes from the late 80's/early 90's, especially the ‘slacker’ bands like Pavement, Grandaddy etc. That was peak time for indie-rock, or college rock in the US, echoed by the Flying Nun-era here in Aotearoa. There were so many good bands around then - far out man! Sonically that’s where a lot of our influences come from and there’s definitely a DIY she’ll-be-right attitude in this band which I absolutely love, unexpected given that we have a surgeon and a professor in the band! I had never really sung and played guitar before this band, Ian hadn't touched the keys, nor Julian the bass, so it was very much a ‘let’s see what happens’ type thing, and it really worked. Having gone through a year like 2020 in which we juggled busy, day-to-day lives and also dealt with some pretty full-on global stuff, having an EP of songs that we are proud of really does feel like something of a minor victory!”

Minor Victory is available to buy at gigs, on Bandcamp and also stream in all the usual places:

Bandcamp: Minor Victory EP
Spotify: Minor Victory EP
Apple: Minor Victory EP

Comments

Return to News Archive