Not Squares
{{Short description|Irish band}}
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{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Not Squares
| image =
| caption =
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| background = group_or_band
| alias =
| origin = Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| instrument =
| genre = Electronic
| occupation =
| years_active =
| label = Richter Collective
Teto Records
Strange Brew
| associated_acts =
| website =
| current_members = Ricki O'Rawe
Michael Kinloch
Keith Winter
| past_members =
}}
Not Squares was an Irish electronic dance-punk band from Belfast. The band grew out of the alternative music scene that flourished in Northern Ireland in the years after the Good Friday Agreement.{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/not-squares-little-big-tent-1.734025|title=Not Squares, Little Big Tent|newspaper=The Irish Times}}
History
Not Squares formed in Belfast in 2008, initially as a four-piece consisting of Michael Kinloch (vocals, bass, synths), Keith Winter (vocals, drums, synths), Ricki O’Rawe (vocals, bass, synths), and Rachel Keenan (vocals, synths) The band combined elements of punk and dance music, a sound captured on their early E.P. WROK and their debut album Yeah OK. When Keenan left the band in 2010, the band moved in a more electronic direction, a shift that culminated in the poppier club tracks that make up Bolts.{{cite web | url=https://www.redbull.com/ie-en/not-squares-sonic-shapeshifters | title=Not Squares: Sonic Shapeshifters | website=Red Bull | date=25 November 2016 }}
=''Yeah OK''=
Not Squares debut album Yeah OK was released by Dublin-based cult label the Richter Collective in November 2010. The reception was mixed in the UK{{cite web | url=https://drownedinsound.com/releases/15845/reviews/4141649 | title=Album Review: Not Squares - Yeah Ok | date=6 December 2010 | website=Drowned in Sound | access-date=27 February 2025 | archive-date=21 January 2025 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250121145242/https://drownedinsound.com/releases/15845/reviews/4141649 | url-status=dead }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/not-squares-yeah-ok-39646|title=Not Squares – Yeah OK|website=The Line of Best Fit}} and in Ireland.{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/album-reviews/not-squares-1.682067|title=Not Squares|newspaper=The Irish Times}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/rock-pop/a-very-good-year-the-best-irish-acts-2010-1.682010|title=A very good year: the best Irish acts 2010|newspaper=The Irish Times}}{{Cite web|url=https://nialler9.com/stream-squares-album-yeak/|title=Stream: Not Squares – Yeah OK|first=Niall|last=Byrne|date=November 25, 2010|website=Nialler9}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.hotpress.com/music/yeah-ok-7337503|title=Yeah OK|first=Celina|last=Murphy|website=Hot Press}}
=''Bolts''=
The bands second album Bolts was released on Strange Bew on 30th March 2015.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/on-record-not-squares-dqvb8qmrgdx|title=On record: Not squares|first=Lauren|last=Murphy|date=June 28, 2015|website=www.thetimes.com}} Bolts was shortlisted for the Northern Ireland Music Prize for Best Album.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nimusicprize.com/2015|title=2015|website=NI Music Prize}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/webarchive/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fblogs%2Facrosstheline%2Fentries%2F5ac0993a-8235-4986-8c2d-78ab8c37be7c|title=BBC Blogs - Across the line - Shortlist Announced for 2015 Northern Ireland Music Prize}}
Radio live sessions
The band recorded a number of sessions for the BBC. In 2009 they recorded a session for BBC Radio 1 at Maida Vale Studios, which was broadcast on the Huw Stephens show. In 2010, they recorded a session for the RTÉ show Arena, while in 2015, they recorded a full electric session for Across the Line on Radio Ulster, recording tracks from 'Bolts' and a cover of the Dinosaur L's 'Go Bang'.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02slt02|title=BBC Radio Ulster - ATL Introducing: In Session, Not Squares in Session|date=April 13, 2015|website=BBC}}
Live shows
Between 2008 and 2015 the band toured across the UK, Ireland, Europe, and Asia, and played major festivals across Ireland and the UK, including Glastonbury,{{cite web | url=https://it.ra.co/events/197458 | title=Glastonbury 2011 - Saturday a Worthy Farm, West + Wales (2011) ⟋ RA }} Reading and Leeds,{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/readingandleeds/2009/artists/notsquares/|title=BBC - Radio 1 - Reading & Leeds Festival - Not Squares|website=www.bbc.co.uk}} Latitude,{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/patrick-wolf-27-1303945|title=Patrick Wolf and Amazing Baby join Latitude line-up|first=News|last=Reporter|website=NME |date=May 12, 2009}} and Electric Picnic.{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldenplec.com/electric-picnic-2012/|title=Electric Picnic 2012 lineup and stage times|website=GoldenPlec}}
Discography
=Albums=
- Yeah OK (2010)
- Bolts (2015)
=E.P.s=
- WROK (2009)
References
{{Reflist}}