HAPPY MONDAYS’ Gaz Whelan to release amazing new YOGI-G AND THE FAMILY TREE single ft. Queen Vee
Echo Bass Records is proud to present Shine On (Brother), the powerful new single from Yogi-G and The Family Tree, set for release on April 4th ahead of their upcoming UK tour and eagerly awaited album Show Me The Truth out May 23rd. Led by Gaz Whelan—co-founder, Ivor Novello winning songwriter and drummer of the legendary Happy Mondays—this project blends his iconic Madchester groove with fresh, infectious energy, delivering music that’s both raw and transcendent, and also features the irrepressible vocals of Rowetta making the sounds of 1990 come alive again in glorious fashion.
Gaz’s influences mainly stem from John Lydon, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. A more cerebral character than bandmates Shaun, Bez and co. but still a major proponent of that larger-than-life Mancunian braggadocious swagger that have paved the way for a whole subculture of British indie pop bands like The Stone Roses, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, The Charlatans, Primal Scream, Badly Drawn Boy et al.
With a working title of ‘A Record Collection in One Album’, the newly titled and as yet unreleased album Show Me The Truth is a genre-free zone, a collision of moods and styles that dovetails Whelan’s ragged, dark lyrical musings with soulful vocals and African rhythms.
It’s the aural equivalent of lying in a warm bath in the middle of a snowstorm—where spaghetti western strings stretch from heaven, rubbing up against filthy electric guitars and punk gospel rhythm and rhyme. A hidden optimism weaves through its DNA, offering soul salvation for the cynical, a safe haven from an ever-insane world.
As Gaz explains, “Yogi-G and The Family Tree are not hippies, we give a fuller human experience that is more devolved from the punk experience, where you never quite know if you’re going to get a hug or a headbutt. Life is filled with peace and love but equally excitement and pain.”
Started in Toronto and finished in Warrington, the album was born out of frustration and creative restlessness, as Gaz further explains, “I got fed up waiting around to try to agree to write a new Mondays album. When it became apparent, we couldn’t agree, I decided to do my own. I think it’s bloody great and the support has been outstanding and for all the good ones we’ve lost along the way like Gil Scott Heron, Tony Wilson and more recently my bandmate Paul Ryder, this is for them and for all those who just love to get off on good music.”
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UK Tour Dates:
3rd April – Birmingham, Sunflower Lounge
4th April – Derby, Dubrek Studios
10th April – Glasgow, The Hug and Pint
19th April – Newcastle, Little Buildings
24th April – Swansea, The Bunkhouse
25th April – Bristol, Exchange
30th April – Brighton, Komedia
9th May – Bournemouth, Canvas
16th May – Manchester, 33 Oldham Street
17th May – Bury, Wax and Beans
24th May – London, The Social
New single ‘Shine On (Brother)’ is out on April 4th followed by debut album ‘Show Me The Truth’ on May 23rd by Yogi-G and The Family Tree both on Echo Bass Records.