When I first wrote about Dancing Years back in 2012, I suggested that they were on the verge of stepping things up. Just over a year later, I can now report that that is indeed what has happened, with the band having shared a stage with acts like Dry The River, James Vincent McMorrow, Stornoway and Benjamin Francis Leftwich, as well as being featured in a number of noteworthy places, such as Q Magazine.
Their new single, ‘Here’s To My Old Friends’, is soon to be released on Hide & Seek Records. The song is a nostalgic-yet-realistic look at the past, slow burning lament for times gone by that never descends into rose-tinted sentimentality. Rather than shouting “being young is great! Being young is great!”, this is nostalgia as sense of sadness, a fondness for familiar things in the face of a superficial present.
The single is yet another signal of intent from the band, placing them alongside British acoustic/alternative/folk acts like Keaton Henson, as well as those they have alread supported. They are doing a widespread tour of the UK, beginning at the end of the month. A full schedule can be found here.
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You can pre-order the upcoming single here, as well as pick up some smart merchandise.