Freakender & Pop Mutations presents:
Novelty Island
+ support
Friday 12th May
The Old Hairdressers

Advance tickets available at https://www.citizenticket.co.uk/events/pop-mutations/

Novelty Island follow up their stunning debut ‘How Are You Coping With
This Century?’ with ‘Wallsend Weekend Television’ via Nine x Nine Records and Think Like A Key Music. Novelty Island is the bizarre-pop project of Liverpool-based songwriter / producer, Tom McConnell
.
‘Wallsend Weekend Television’
is an album that has been a long time
coming. His body of work started taking shape through various
incarnations and projects over the years. In 2018 he made the ultimate
pilgrimage from his native north to Abbey Road Institute
with all of these songs in hand. This is where Novelty Island was born, inspired by classic pop, woozy electronica and northern wordplay. McConnell would record in session at Damon Albarn’s Studio 13 and in Abbey Road Studios 2 and 3, giving him the freedom to explore and create the album. Whittled down from 80 songs and an almost infinite combination of track listings, it has driven him mad at many points.
McConnell returned to Liverpool and released his 2021 debut album,
‘How Are You Coping With This Century?’
to five-star reviews (
Shindig
/
RnR
)
and support from
BBC 6 Music
,
Amazing Radio
. Novelty Island’s new
live incarnation emerged from lockdown to launch the debut album and
support
The Pale White
on their UK-tour. In 2022 they completed a
headline UK run and performed at
Glastonbury Festival
.
“
‘Wallsend Weekend Television’
was supposed to be the first album as it
was mainly done before but I’m glad I parked it for a bit to get some
distance from it” says Tom. Novelty Island’s primary-colour psychedelia is
on full chromatic display. More elaborate and cinematic than the first
record with a much bigger sound. Obsessed with television and the
escapism it provided from a young age, each song is like a little TV
channel that chops to the next. Tom will also be continuing a tradition he
started on his first record - each single from the album will have exclusive-
to-Bandcamp b-sides for Novelty Island completists to seek out.
Praise for
‘How Are You Coping With This Century?’
•
“Such a joy” 8.5/10 (live4ever)
•
“You’d have to be a real sourpuss to not enjoy this”
★★★★★
(Shindig!)
•
“Already my album of 2022”
★★★★★
(RNR)