“2011 Artist to Watch.” Billboard
“A knockout punch!” Relix
“This band can alter your life.” NME
“Transcendent anthems....built to fill arenas.” Mojo
“One of the most anticipated albums of 2011.” Filter
“Songs of monumental quality.” Kerrang
“Arena-sized rock music, redolent of Bends-era Radiohead and full of shimmering grace.” Q
“Clearly designed to reduce stadia to rubble.” Clash
“A true monolith of self-belief and talent.” The Fly
‘The Cold Still,’ produced by Ethan Johns, released February 2011
London-based alt-rock quartet The Boxer Rebellion release their third studio album, already described by critics as one of 2011 most anticipated records. Created in conjunction with legendary producer Ethan Johns (Kings of Leon, Ryan Adams, Ray LaMontagne), The Cold Still is an exercise in master class performances and dark, sophisticated songwriting from a band that embodies the very definition of “independent.”
The album’s release marks the next stage of an incredible musical journey for Tennessee-native Nathan Nicholson, Australian Todd Howe, and Englishmen Adam Harrison and Piers Hewitt. Recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in the UK, The Cold Still is the follow-up to the band’s widely acclaimed album Union, which caught the world’s attention as the first self-released LP in history to break into the Billboard Top 100 Album Charts on digital sales alone. Union also charted Top 5 on the iTunes Album Charts in both the US and UK. By the end of 2009, iTunes US named Union their “Alternative Album of the Year.” Whether it be their chart successes, their unprecedented on-camera appearance in the recently released Drew Barrymore/Justin Long film “Going The Distance,” or their recent 20 date packed-out US tour, The Boxer Rebellion continue to push boundaries with unwavering perseverance.
Their new LP, The Cold Still, is certain to captivate an army of music fans around the world. Epic and intimate in equal measure, it is a breathtaking album, bristling with tense passion, gargantuan riffs, and heartrending lyrics, all with an effortless grace that has become The Boxer Rebellion’s trademark. As a whole, The Cold Still embodies the band’s alluring approach to songwriting as well as their relentless live spirit.
On working with Ethan Johns, guitarist Todd Howe comments: “Ethan had been our dream producer for years, so when we were asked to make a list of people to produce the third album my list consisted of one name. We didn’t want anyone else and, luckily for us, he was in from the first demo. We were looking for a more natural and evolved sound and we knew Ethan would get it right.”
Singer Nathan Nicholson adds: “Working with Ethan was a magical experience. We essentially produced Union ourselves, so handing over the reigns to someone whose work we respect so much was a really big move for us. Ethan started by setting us up in a circle facing each other - we had never played facing each other, ever. We recorded to tape and it was basically just press play and go. He really brought a new way of working to our creative process and it’s helped us make what we feel is our best record yet.”
The Cold Still, released on the band’s own Absentee Recordings label, is the next spellbinding chapter in the life of a band who have rewritten the rules from the start - for The Boxer Rebellion, what’s past is prologue...
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THE COLD STILL - 2011
UNION - 2009
EXITS - 2005
THE BOXER REBELLION EP - 2003