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.[1]
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.[2]
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[3][4] and in Ireland.[5][6][7][8]
Bolts
The bands second album Bolts was released on Strange Bew on 30th March 2015.[9] Bolts was shortlisted for the Northern Ireland Music Prize for Best Album.[10][11]
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'.[12]
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[13], Reading and Leeds[14], Latitude[15], and Electric Picnic.[16]
Discography
Albums
- Yeah OK (2010)
- Bolts (2015)
E.P.s
- WROK (2009)
References
- ^ "Not Squares, Little Big Tent". The Irish Times.
- ^ "Not Squares: Sonic Shapeshifters". Red Bull. 25 November 2016.
- ^ "Album Review: Not Squares - Yeah Ok". Drowned in Sound. 6 December 2010. Archived from the original on 21 January 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ "Not Squares – Yeah OK". The Line of Best Fit.
- ^ "Not Squares". The Irish Times.
- ^ "A very good year: the best Irish acts 2010". The Irish Times.
- ^ Byrne, Niall (November 25, 2010). "Stream: Not Squares – Yeah OK". Nialler9.
- ^ Murphy, Celina. "Yeah OK". Hot Press.
- ^ Murphy, Lauren (June 28, 2015). "On record: Not squares". www.thetimes.com.
- ^ "2015". NI Music Prize.
- ^ "BBC Blogs - Across the line - Shortlist Announced for 2015 Northern Ireland Music Prize".
- ^ "BBC Radio Ulster - ATL Introducing: In Session, Not Squares in Session". BBC. April 13, 2015.
- ^ "Glastonbury 2011 - Saturday a Worthy Farm, West + Wales (2011) ⟋ RA".
- ^ "BBC - Radio 1 - Reading & Leeds Festival - Not Squares". www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ Reporter, News (May 12, 2009). "Patrick Wolf and Amazing Baby join Latitude line-up". NME.
{{cite web}}:|first=has generic name (help) - ^ "Electric Picnic 2012 lineup and stage times". GoldenPlec.