“A butterfly was seen by a glider pilot at 11,000 feet. They may fly higher...”

Losers began as an idea with two kindred spirits in the countryside studio of one of the noughties most interesting and underrated bands, The Cooper Temple Clause. The idea pupated, other musicians became involved, two kindred spirits became three and a butterfly emerged, beautiful, ready to take to the wind. 

Two albums into their career, they moved to Berlin, to be more inspired and signed a publishing deal with BMG. The idea pupated once more and the butterfly that emerged was darker, but much more powerful. 

The beauty and power of Losers has been acknowledged by some of the most beautiful and powerful TV shows for the Netflix generation. Game Of Thrones, The Blacklist, Reign, Black Sails, just part of a long list of epic and often groundbreaking television series that have used Losers music. 

The momentum that the band garnered in their Berlin studio under the production gaze of multi-instrumentalist Tom Bellamy was breathtaking and saw their music also used by high impact films like Hercules and Upgrade (from the director of the Saw franchise). 

But things don’t always go the way you want them to. The darkness of the Brandenburg forest, the isolation of the studio deep in that forest and the consequent downward spiral of all three members of the band saw the toughest couple of years imaginable and an album, ‘How To Ruin Other People’s Futures’, which reflected this pain and despair. 

Through their pain, Losers found an opportunity to grow, to transform and for them, the only way out was up. What emerged was the most spectacular butterfly the band could have ever envisaged and a journey ahead that continues to be unstoppable. With Paul Mullen’s soaring vocals taking them ever higher,

Losers decided to galvanize the live band into a two piece which is where they find themselves today. More focused, free and poised for anything that gets in their way. 

Thanks to long time collaborators like Damian Taylor (Björk, UNKLE, The Killers, Arcade Fire and Austra), and Dan Austin (Doves, Massive attack) Losers music sounds more expansive than ever. There is a balance that was missing before. The rage has turned to wisdom and the despair to hope. Their songs now look less within themselves and more at the world around them, a world in balance, with joy and sadness, with clarity and confusion, with contrast and with color. 

Losers are about to fly, and this time, they may never come down.

Barry Parkinson, Ric Thomas, Adam Shaw and Chris Tweedie are four grown arsed men giggling at their own stupidity.

While most bands try to be something they're not this Blackpool 4 piece are trying hard to not be something they are: socially-inept, culturally-handicapped genre cuckoos: pinching the best bits of a mixed bag of influences and inciting big dumb sing alongs across the North West with a barely contained energy that makes onlookers wonder if they're trying to kill each other. Sure, it's not big or clever or cool, but maybe that's the Music Industry's problem, maybe it should take a little break from its fancy haircuts and status updates and just have a bit of a laugh. 

https://www.facebook.com/dinosaursareshitdragons

The Happy Pill Academy are from London in the United States of Britain. It is a one-person endeavor but that one person maintains a healthy relationship with other the, largely imaginary, members of the band.

Email: happypillacademy@gmail.com
FB: @ pillacademy
Twitter: @ pillacademy
IG: @ pillacademy

BC: thehappypillacademy.bandcamp.com

GIG DATES BELOW
Hi, I’m Catlow. Currently on guitar & vocals in punk band Death Trails. I also fly solo sometimes, and run a monthly open mic/jam night in Blackpool. I've uploaded a few of my own tracks here from the past however many years I’ve been doing this and some stuff that I've worked on with different bands and pals. 

Gig dates:

Sun 12th January - Waterloo, Blackpool (Death Trails)

Sat 25th January - DIY Space for London (Death Trails)

Sat 1st February - Cybele, Blackpool (solo acoustic)

CORONA-CANCELLED 21st March - Gulliver's, Manchester (Death Trails)

CORONA-CANCELLED 19th April - Waterloo, Blackpool (Death Trails)

CORONA-CANCELLED 23rd April - Waterloo, Blackpool (Death Trails)

CORONA-CANCELLED Fri 24th April - 13th Note, Glasgow (Death Trails)

CANCELLED 6-9th August - Rebellion Festival, Blackpool, day/time TBC (Death Trails)

ALL CANCELLED Sat 29th August - Percy's Cafe Bar (Death Trails)

EVERYTHING IS CANCELLED Sun 20th Sept - Stanley Park Bandstand, Blackpool (solo acoustic)

GO HOME ITS OVER Sat 17th Oct - Compass Cafe, Blackpool (solo acoustic)

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