Boy Azooga
{{short description|Welsh indie rock group}}
{{Use dmy dates|date = August 2019}}
{{Use British English|date = August 2019}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Boy Azooga
| image =
| alt = File:Davey Newington.jpg
| caption = Davey Newington DJing at Greenmail Festival (photo by Lucien Wise)
| origin = Cardiff, Wales
| years_active = {{start date|2017}}–present
| genre = Dream pop
| label = PIAS / Heavenly Recordings
| associated_acts =
| website = [https://www.boyazooga.co.uk/ boyazooga.co.uk]
| current_members = Davey Newington (vocals, guitar)
Live:
Dafydd Davies (drums)
Sam Barnes (bass)
Dylan Morgan (keyboard)
| past_members =
}}
Boy Azooga are a Welsh band from Cardiff, Wales. Formed in 2016, the group is led by front man Davey Newington (vocals, guitar), who is joined live by band members Dafydd Davies (drums), Sam Barnes (bass), and Dylan Morgan (keyboard).
History
Davey Newington writes the music and plays the instruments on record. The bands influences include The Beach Boys, Dungen, The Lemon Twigs, Charles Bradley (singer), El Michels Affair, Keys, Weyes Blood, Bernard Herrmann and The Beatles. The early releases were a result of work between lead singer Davey Newington and hip hop producer Ed Al-Shakarchi (Dr Ed Boogie).
The band name originates from the 1994 comedy film The Little Rascals, which Newington would watch as a child when visiting his grandmother in Scotland.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/music-interviews/boy-azooga-interview-2018-2241028|title=Boy Azooga on the 'really heavy riffs' of debut album '1,2 Kung Fu! |last=Bartleet|first=Larry|date=2018-02-13|website=NME|access-date=2019-08-29}}
In 2017 the band made their first festival appearance at Green Man Festival in the Brecon Beacons.
The band toured their debut album in several British towns and cities in June 2018. Later that year they performed at Paradiso in Amsterdam and at the Live at Leeds festival.
Boy Azooga made their television debut in May 2018 on Later... with Jools Holland,{{Citation|title=(TV debut) Boy Azooga - Loner Boogie on Later… with Jools Holland|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeHwHtuzvEM |website=YouTube |publisher=BBC |date=2018-05-15 |access-date=2019-08-29}} alongside fellow Welsh artists Gwenno and Manic Street Preachers. Newington has also appeared on a show hosted by Mike D of the Beastie Boys as well as having their music featured on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 6 Music.
In May 2019, the band performed as a warm up act for Neil Young on a European tour. Liam Gallagher has previously claimed that the band are his "favourite up and coming artist".{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/liamgallagher/status/1171093240059224069|title=Boy Azooga|last=Gallagher|first=Liam|date=2019-09-09|website=Twitter.com|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925054731/https://twitter.com/liamgallagher/status/1171093240059224069 |archive-date=25 September 2019 |access-date=2019-09-09}}
The band went on to support him for a couple of concerts at the end of 2019 including two nights at The 02 Arena in London.
Live Band members
- Davey Newington – vocals, guitar (2017–present)
- Dafydd Davies – drums (2017–present)
- Sam Barnes – bass (2017–present)
- Dylan Morgan – guitar, keyboard (2017–present)
=Davey Newington=
A native of Cardiff, Newington was introduced to music at an early age by his parents, classically trained musicians{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/boy-azooga-mn0003694696/biography |last=Monger |first=Timothy |title=Artist Biography (Boy Azooga) |website=AllMusic |access-date=2019-08-29}} who met in the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.{{Cite web|url=https://www.m-magazine.co.uk/newmusic/featuredartist/featured-artist-boy-azooga/|title=Featured artist: Boy Azooga|date=2018-06-11|website=M (magazine)|publisher=PRS for Music|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-29|archive-date=29 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190829235840/https://www.m-magazine.co.uk/newmusic/featuredartist/featured-artist-boy-azooga/|url-status=dead}} Newington took up drums at age six,{{Cite web|url=http://heavenlyrecordings.com/artist/boy-azooga/|website=Heavenly Recordings |title=Boy Azooga |access-date=2019-08-29}} and began songwriting at fourteen.{{Cite web|url=https://www.getintothis.co.uk/2018/05/boy-azoogas-davey-newington-talks-broad-musical-palettes-bowie-karaoke-and-refusing-to-play-it-cool/|title=Boy Azooga's Davey Newington talks broad musical palettes, Bowie, karaoke and refusing to play it cool|date=2018-05-23|website=Getintothis.co.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-08-29}} He also played the timpani, xylophone and sleigh bells in youth orchestras. Although proficient on several instruments, in the early part of his career he mainly played drums.
Newington decided to sign with label Heavenly Recordings after following the career of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard.{{Cite web|url=http://www.newsoundwales.com/interviews/boy-azooga-interview-by-kevin-mcgrath/|title=Boy Azooga interview by Kevin McGrath |website=Newsoundwales.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-29}} Label owner Jeff Barrett listened to the track "Hangover Square" while he was travelling to a King Gizzard performance in Brighton, he heard the lyric "on the train to Brighton" and called Newington confirming he would like to sign the band to the label.
Newington began writing his discography at age 19, beginning with Hangover Square from what became their debut album 1 2 Kung Fu!{{Cite web|url=http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4152025-music-should-never-be-defined-by-one-thing---dis-meets-boy-azooga|title="Music should never be defined by one thing": DiS Meets Boy Azooga|date=2018-09-26|first=Dom|last=Gourlay|website=Drowned in Sound|language=en|access-date=2019-08-29|archive-date=29 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190829182748/http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4152025-music-should-never-be-defined-by-one-thing---dis-meets-boy-azooga|url-status=dead}} He recorded largely all of 1 2 Kung Fu, except for some string performances by his father on "Jerry", "Hangover Square" and "Breakfast Epiphany II". His father Richard Newington is a violinist with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales{{cite news |title=A Heavenly Start for Cardiff Band |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/western-mail/20180615/282170766859613 |accessdate=30 August 2019 |work=Western Mail |date=15 June 2018 |location=Cardiff |url-access=limited}} and has a wide range of other credits, including appearances on Gruff Rhys' 2018 album, Babelsberg.
Newington has played drums for artists including Katy J Pearson, H. Hawkline, Alice Low and Charlotte Church. He is currently finishing writing the bands second album.
Discography
= Singles =
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Title !Label !Album |
| 2017
|"Face Behind Her Cigarette" |1 2 Kung Fu! |
| 2017
|"Face Behind Her Cigarette" (Mikey Young Remix) |Heavenly Recordings | |
| 2018
|"Loner Boogie" |Heavenly Recordings |1 2 Kung Fu! |
| 2018
|"Jerry" |Heavenly Recordings |1 2 Kung Fu! |
| 2018
|"Waitin'" (Edit) |Heavenly Recordings |1 2 Kung Fu! |
| 2018
|"Do the Standing Still" |Heavenly Recordings | |
| 2019
|"O Silly Me" |Heavenly Recordings | |
| 2020
|"U.F.O" |Heavenly Recordings | |
= Albums =
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Title !Label |
| 2018
|1 2 Kung Fu! |Heavenly Recordings |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.boyazooga.co.uk/}}
- [https://www.allmusic.com/artist/boy-azooga-mn0003694696/biography Allmusic]
{{Music of the United Kingdom}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Commons category|Boy Azooga}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boy Azooga}}
Category:Welsh rock music groups
Category:Musical groups established in 2017
Category:Welsh indie rock groups
Category:British blues rock musical groups
Category:British dream pop musical groups