| Public Relations Exercise | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Leicester, England |
| Genres | Post-hardcore Alternative rock |
| Years active | 2003–2008 |
| Labels | Field Records |
| Members | |
| Lloyd Carter Martin Smith Danny Star Tiernan Welch Spencer Baggots |
|
Public Relations Exercise were a Leicester, England based post-hardcore/alternative rock group. A five-piece combining aspects of screamo and math rock, layered with penetrative and socially observant lyrics.
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The band began as a product of the development of bedroom songwriters Martin Smith and Lloyd Carter. From an early age, they worked on various projects with local drummer Danny Star, and with the later addition of Irish-born bassist, Tiernan Welch, and guitarist, Spencer Baggotts, their line-up was finalised in September 2005. The name is taken from the inlay of Radiohead's second album, The Bends.[1]
In their short history; Public Relations Exercise played with acts including Youthmovies, 65daysofstatic, and Foals many others. After demoing material for some time, the band recorded their debut single 'Subteniente' , at Far Heath Studios with producer Angus Wallace (The Fall, The Prodigy) in 2007, which was released as a through Nottingham based Field Records in conjunction an extensive UK tour with ex-Million Dead frontman Frank Turner and London Hardcore outfit Score One For Safety.[2]
Public Relations Exercise earned limited notoriety but gained reviews in national press such as Rock Sound. Their first long player album, Come you are safe, we are from the bombs, was released on April 2, 2007 via Field Records to positive reviews.[3]
P.R.E's second single was released on October 22, 2007. The single, which included two unreleased b-sides, were recorded at their rehearsal space located in Merrylees Industrial Estate, situated in the West of Leicestershire, on 8 & 9 August. In order to promote the single the band completed a tour with Northern Irish Post rock outfit And So I Watch You From Afar.
Popular zine Drowned In Sound launched a competition for a reader to produce the artwork for the single. The final artwork chosen was designed by Ed Pentelow and was announced by the webzine on 15 August.[4]
The single was received decent reviews from the usual on-line webzines and a "celebrity review" from members of Finnish Viking metal idiots Turisas in the October issue of Rock Sound.[5]
2008 saw the band splitting amicably.
Members of the band Martin Smith, Tiernan Welch, Lloyd Carter and Danny Star briefly played together in Bronze Age who recorded with Field Records' Tim Waterfield and played a handful of shows in 2009.
Public Relations Exercise offer more immediate thrills with their highly-charged antics. A man by the name of Fats stands hunched over a microphone, spitting out words with a manic sense of urgency and desperation while intensely rhythmic guitars pound away at the cranium. Simultaneously catchy and chaotic, the Leicester bunch are quite simply a joy to behold.
Mike Kemp - Rock Sound
Come you are safe, we are from the bombs is pretty much the record we'd all come to expect from an outfit as uncompromising and inventive as Public Relations Exercise, which only goes to show that the derelict dungeon of despair known as Leicester does have something to offer after all.
Leicester's Public Relations Exercise have been garnering a lot of positive press of late and it's not hard to see why. Their debut album is a healthy dose of alt-rock with a smigden of Slint mixed up with a healthy portion of Fugazi. Musically it's all over the place, discordant blues rock gone to hell and screamo with a posh accent, but above all it's absolutely incendiary. Where have these boys been hiding because it's time for them to take a bow.
A whirlwind of noise takes breaks for angular guitar work and singing...a triumph without compomise.