Sports Team are currently west London's best guitar band and wrote one of the best British songs of 2018 so far. I unfortunately will not be taking questions on either point at this time, but thank you. The six-piece have also just put out a new song, "Margate," in time for this second wave of warmth in the UK. The track, soaked as always in the band's jangly guitars and singer Alex Rice's ridiculously expressive voice, is an homage to the seaside town that's had a bit of a weird relevance revival in recent years. “‘Margate’’s a song about English summers," says Rob Knaggs, the band's guitarist. "Hosepipe bans. Overgrown hedgerows. Frayed tempers. The season of Reeling in the Years and tailbacks on the A303. We went in to record it with Burke Reid" – who produces Courtney Barnett – "during the first group stage games, when things were looking up. Some of that optimism rubbed off.”
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You can see that optimism in full force in the Kris Rimmer-directed video, at the top of the page. Filmed in Margate, obvs, it sees the band taking in all the best of the English seaside while Alex dances on every possible street corner. And once you've watched about 49 seconds of "Margate", it becomes clear that it is full of moods. Positively rammed with them. If this were 2013, we would have collated those in gif form because Alex's movement really clinches 90 percent of them. But it's 2018 and no one's eyes deserve the over-stimulation of gif lists anymore. Instead, enjoy a few screenshots.
WALKING HOME FROM THE SHOP WITH YOUR REALLY SPECIFIC HANGOVER BUYS, GETTING READY TO OPEN THE BAG OF HARIBO TANGFASTICS BEFORE YOU GET BACK TO YOURS
FIRST PROPER WEEK OF SUMMER HOLS WHILE AT SCHOOL :')
WATCHES STOP MAKING SENSE ONCE
THAT SECOND DAY OF EXERCISE WHEN EVERYTHING HURTS, AFTER YOU'VE SPENT A MONTH DRINKING SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND EATING DELIVEROO WHILE WATCHING THE WORLD CUP THEN LOVE ISLAND
YOUR ONE FRIEND WHO JUST GOT INTO ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT AND QUOTES GOB RELENTLESSLY NOW
TEEN BOYBAND HEARTTHROB
THE MOST FUN ANYONE'S HAD STRUMMING AN ELECTRIC GUITAR THAT'S NOT PLUGGED IN SINCE NIRVANA WERE ON TOP OF THE POPS IN 1991
Lovely stuff. Thank you, Sports Team. Catch the band on their upcoming live dates, including ones headlining BBC Introducing's stage at Reading and Leeds festivals – they really are that good.3 Aug – Tom Thumb Theatre, Margate
4 Aug – Visions Festival, London
24 Aug – BBC Introducing @ Leeds Festival
26 Aug – BBC Introducing @ Reading Festival
1 Sep – Knee Deep Festival, Cornwall
19 Sep – Scala, London
29 Sep – Rock City, Nottingham*
1 Oct – O2 Academy, Bristol*
2 Oct – O2 Academy, Bournemouth*
3 Oct – O2 Academy, Liverpool*
4 Oct – Keele University SU, Newcastle*
5 Oct - O2 Academy, Oxtord** - supporting The Magic GangYou can find Noisey on Twitter.
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