Shangri-La Music recording group One eskimO has announced the upcoming release of its much-admired and anticipated self-titled debut. The collection arrives on September 22. The band will be touring in the U.S. in support of the album, beginning in New York City on September 15th (see attached itinerary.) This time, the band will be playing shows on their own club tour, offering audiences the opportunity to experience their dreamlike, ethereal sound in an appropriately intimate setting. The tour will include a performance at Philadelphia's World Cafe Live, to air on NPR stations.
The London-based band recently wrapped up a successful North American tour with Tori Amos, who hand-picked One eskimO as support. The band impressed audiences and gained new fans at every show; raving press called them "Breathtaking... a cut above...hook-filled and heartfelt."
A recent piece in Billboard Magazine likened One eskimO's music to that of Coldplay, saying "its soaring melodies are similar to those of the superstar band." It's not the first time a reference to that wildly successful bands have been made in talking about One eskimO. Other impressive comparisons include Massive Attack and Oasis; These are surely a testament to the band's eclectic style and boundless potential.
Adding another element to the One eskimO story is the "Find Little Feather" web campaign, which debuted at this year's Comic-Con in San Diego. The band performed live at the event, which was a landmark occasion- the first time a band has played at Comic-Con in its 40-year history. For more on how you can help the lonely Eskimo Find Little Feather, visit
Find Little Feather.
The brainchild of singer/songwriter Kristian Leontiou, One eskimO arrives with an impressive breadth of imagination that instantly marks them as something extraordinary. Produced by Rollo Armstrong (Faithless, Dido), the music is an ambitious and affecting collection of widescreen modern pop, alive with iridescent textures and intricately crafted songcraft. Songs like "Hometime" and "Kandi" (featuring an indelible chorus sampled from Candi Staton's classic "He Called Me Baby") are moving and expressive, touching upon such universal themes as love and heartbreak, success and failure.
What's more, the release comes in tandem with a full-length animated "visual album" (Passion Pictures) in which the band members are represented by a delightfully drawn line-up of anthropomorphized animals, with Leontiou himself presented as the lonely Eskimo of the group's moniker:
One Eskimo One eskimO's unorthodox self-visualization adds idiosyncratic color and character to a captivating musical work already abounding with invention and emotion.
The animation that accompanies the song "Hometime" has proven an international sensation, receiving numerous honors at film festivals around the world, not to mention a 2008 British Animation Award. In addition, the song - written while Leontiou recuperated from a snowboarding mishap in the Alps - was featured in Toyota's environmentally aware "Why Not?" campaign. Los Angeles' highly influential KCRW has already featured One eskimO's song "Givin Up" as a Song of the Day:
One Eskimo: Given Up - Today's Top Tune on KCRW Below are the US tour dates for One eskimO:
Sept. 15 - New York, NY - Joe's Pub
Sept. 16 - Boston, MA - T.T The Bear's
Sept. 17 - Philadelphia, PA - World Café Live
Sept. 20 - Seattle, WA - Crocodile Café
Sept. 22 - San Francisco, CA - Hotel Utah
Sept. 23 - Los Angeles, CA - Hotel Café
Sept. 24 - Los Angeles, CA -- Spaceland
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"One eskimO" - Press Release and Single "Kandi" Video
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