From Colne in Lancashire, the Milltown Brothers first burst onto the indie scene in 1989 with the ‘Coming From The Mill EP’ getting single of the week in NME.
The bands second indie single ‘Which Way Should I Jump’ started a bidding war between the majors.
Signing to A&M worldwide in 1990, WWSIJ was re-recorded & broke into the UK charts at Number 38. America liked it & put it to Number 10 in the Billboard US Rock Chart.
The album – Slinky – was a revelation and pushed the boundaries for their peers. Defying the critics who had incorrectly labelled them as baggy the MBs delivered an absolute classic album of catchy, punchy songs, perfectly paced & well-balanced.
The album received a maximum 5 Stars in Q Magazine.
The follow-up single to WWSIJ, ‘Here I Stand’, peaked at 41 in the charts and was A-listed on Radio One having been loved by the critics.
It was also selected as the theme tune for the hit BBC 1 series All Quiet on The Preston front which ran for three successful series in the mid and late 1990s.
Fast Forward to August 2023, the band burst back on to the live stage with an intimate show at the prestigious Hebden Bridge Trades Club. Selling it out in two days.
This live show also enabled the band to promote a Cherry Red supported compilation of pre-A&M singles and demos entitled ‘Tongue-Tied Mesmerised’ released at the end of 2022. ‘A Lot Like Love’ was also showcased and the song will appear on the Indie Citizens Volume II compilation of Manchester and North West bands which was released in November 2023.
The band followed their re-union show at The Trades Club with another triumphant live outing at Lancaster venue, Kanteena to rave reviews and plans are in place for the Milltown Brothers to play a number of gigs in early 2024 along with festival slots for the summer. The band is also in negotiation with Universal for the re-pressing and re-mastering of Slinky to coincide with the planned gig schedule of 2024. It is hoped that the new vinyl- only version of Slinky (Slinky+) will include at least two extra tracks and a limited-edition boxset with additional features.
