Pool Of Sound - Clean Cut Kid

Clean Cut Kid

Clean Cut Kid is an indie pop band from Liverpool formed in 2012 after Mike Halls, lead vocalist and guitar, and Evelyn Halls, backing vocals and keys, were set up on a blind date by a friend. Evelyn says, "As soon as we sang together there was a real.., I guess it sounds a bit cheesy, but there was real chemistry, and the tones of our voices just sat well together." After some time writing together, the pair recruited bassist Saul Godman and, with support from the Arts Council in Liverpool and the Merseyside Arts Council, they received funding and time to go into the studio to record, 'Vitamin C' and 'Runaway'; then a couple of months after that drummer Ross Higginson came on board; both Ross and Sean they had known from the local music scene in Liverpool. The band's trajectory in 2015 was roller coaster-like in its rapidity; they gained a manager in January and the second of their two shows in March was pushed back by an hour so that the queue of major-label head honchos could squeeze into the venue. They got signed on their second gig by Polydor in April 2015, up until then they'd just been playing by themselves in their room. The band also released their debut single, 'Vitamin C', through Polydor's Babe Magnet records in July 2015 to praise from the likes of DIY Magazine saying, " 'Clean Cut Kid' are the thing missing in your life" and The Line of Best Fit stating it was an "impressive, infectious debut."
2016 saw them play an extensive touring schedule, covering 91 shows and 31 different festivals across five countries, with support slots on tour with 'The Courteeners', 'The Kooks', 'The Killers' and 'Circa Waves'.

Following key performances at festivals including Glastonbury and SXSW, they geared up to release their much anticipated debut album, 'Felt', which they did in May 2017.
In October 2017, Mike and Evelyn announced on SoundCheck Podcast that they had started work on their second album, the same day they finished 'Felt'. It was also announced that they would be parting ways with Polydor for their next release with a desire to go independent for more creative freedom. Saul Goodman departed the band in late 2017 and was replaced by Gareth Bullock.

2018 saw the band take a shipping container and turn it into a full-blown studio in the Baltic Triangle to make the follow-up to their well-received debut album. Their second album 'Painwave', released in 2019, showed it was clear the band were not afraid to take risks and were revelling in their new found creative freedom after cutting ties with Polydor and returning to their roots. It was also obvious that they were not copying the generic formula for indie pop, they were breaking new ground, to be placed into their own genre category, as it was hard to distinguish whether this was indie-pop, indie-rock, folk-rock, alternative-rock or just the sound of themselves.
You can't underestimate the strength of their great songs which they seem to have by the bucket load together with Mike and Evelyn’s dovetailing harmonies. They also have the ability to translate that harmony in a live performance, with a stage presence that connects and communicates so strongly with an audience.

Their 2018 tour took in dates as far afield as Glasgow and London, Bristol and Leeds, Nottingham and Birmingham and the band released their third album 'Mother's Milk' in 2020. In October 2021 Mike posted, "Tomorrow is the last night of the @orlagartland tour. It’s been such an adventure to do this as a duo. Shooting up and down the country on trains, checking into hotel rooms, seeing family, eating boss food and partying with fans. We’ve missed our lads @garethlikestoplay and @rosshigginsondrums,

see also:- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2020/05/pool-of-sound-sugarmen.html