Posted: Saturday 13th September 2008

Following their recent appearances at Glastonbury and SXSW in Texas as well as opening for The Beach Boys in Germany, Hey Negrita are releasing the double A-side ROOM SERVICE/THE LAST THING THAT I DO on September 29th. The enhanced CD, which follows the release of the band's third album YOU CAN KICK (September 8th), contains an extended MPEG music video, which has already had over 630,000 views on Youtube, reaching No. 3 in the daily chart.

The band have appeared at over a dozen festivals this summer, including Latitude, Cambridge Folk Festival, The End Of The Road Festival and a headline slot at Bestival. They are now preparing for their first UK headline tour, which kicks off in London on September 16th.

Described as a twisted cross between Johnny Cash and The Rolling Stones, Hey Negrita blend raw Americana with old school British rock 'n' roll to create a unique brew of transatlantic music. The journey began when singer/songwriter, Felix, moved to South Florida in 2000, where he spent his nights jamming with one of Ray Charles' backing singers and a fifty-five year-old cowboy junky who had worked with Gram Parsons and Little Feat. Having left London in search of a new life following a five-year battle with heroin, Felix embraced the dark humour, warm weather and earthy music of the Deep South. Within a few weeks of arriving in Delray Beach he secured a residency at the bohemian Da Da Lounge where he began writing and performing the songs that would evolve into Hey Negrita's debut album 'We Are Catfish' some five years later.

This autumn also sees the release of the music documentary WE DREAMED AMERICA which stars Hey Negrita alongside Alabama 3, Little Feat, Kitty Daisy & Lewis, Old Crow Medicine Show, Guy Clark, Willard Grant Conspiracy and The Broken Family Band as well as commentary from Bob Harris, BJ Cole and Sid Griffin. The film, which recently premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in Texas and the East End Film Festival in London, is being released on DVD by Verve Pictures on October 6th.

YOU CAN KICK sees lead singer/songwriter, Felix, and drummer, Neil Findlay, joined by new recruits Matthew Ord (guitar and vocals), Paul Sandy (double bass) and Captain Bliss (harmonica and vocals). The majority of the songs were written during the band's two US tours and 19-date UK stint with Alabama 3 at the end of 2006. The album was recorded live in a house in North London and mixed at Eric 'Roscoe' Ambel's studio in New York, which counts Steve Earle, JJ Cale and Ryan Adams among its regulars.

YOU CAN KICK is a raw and energetic record, packed full of addictive melodies, stunning harmonies and potent lyrics that testify against life, love and the pursuit of happiness whilst quietly luring you back to the pub.