Christchurch band ‘stoked’ with US deal
When Ewen Glasgow was a teenager he bumped into one of his rock heroes, Ozzy Osbourne bassist Rob ‘Blasko’ Nicholson, and got his autograph.
Over a decade later, Glasgow’s rock band Pieces of Molly has signed to the American music label Nicholson helps run.
The Christchurch band, who first formed in
2012, have signed to heavy metal label Ripple Music, where Blasko is an executive vice president.
Glasgow, the lead singer, said he was ‘‘stoked’’ to sign to the label after a lifetime of playing music.
‘‘It is amazing,’’ he said. ‘‘It was pretty surreal because I have grown up playing gigs. I have always been a musician since I was 13 or
14.
‘‘We have played a lot of gigs and travelled long distances to play to three people. And then sometimes we have had amazing, packedout gigs.’’
He discovered they had been signed in an email and quickly called his bandmates, guitarist Sam Kubiak, bassist Doug Stewart, and drummer Kurt Fleming.
‘‘That was in February. It has been the worst thing ever to not say anything to anyone about it.’’
Glasgow said they were inspired by metal bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Motorhead, along with more modern bands like The Datsuns and All Them Witches.
He said the new label would give them global distribution for their forthcoming releases, including a new album at the end of the year, and a single in May.
The label may also help them organise possible tours in the US and Europe.
‘‘We will be a part of a bigger network of bands that are signed to this label.’’
The signing came after their Australian manager and booker, Anthony Blayney of Your Mate Bookings, emailed Ripple Music chief executive Todd Severin in California with some early recordings from their forthcoming album. ‘‘He sent him a few unmixed and unmastered tracks with no vocals and they signed us straight away.
‘‘He was blown away and really keen to work with us.’’
The band’s next gig in Christchurch is at the Darkroom on June 5, and they will support California band Nebula on their tour of Australia and New Zealand in August.
It is a long way from the afternoon in 2008 when Glasgow met Nicholson, who has been Ozzy Osbourne’s bassist since 200, in Wellington at the Rock2Wgtn festival.
He saw Nicholson in a cafe and asked if he could have a chat. ‘‘He was really nice and gave me his autograph.’’