Public Service Broadcasting

Public Service Broadcasting is the corduroy-clad brainchild of London-based J. Willgoose, Esq. who, along with his drumming companion, Wrigglesworth, is on a quest to inform, educate and entertain audiences around the globe. PSB's uniquely spell-binding live AV Transmissions see them weave samples from old public information films, archive footage and propaganda material around live drums, guitar, banjo and electronics - beaming our past back at us through vintage TV sets and state of the art modern video projection devices. On Every Valley, the follow up to 2015’s The Race For Space, J. Willgoose, Esq. takes us on a journey down the mineshafts of the South Wales valleys and the stories found there are a black mirror to the plight of workers everywhere. He explains: “This album isn’t just about mining, and isn’t just about Wales. It’s a story reflected in abandoned and neglected communities across the western world, and one which has led to the resurgence of a particularly malignant, cynical and calculating brand of politics”. The title of the record is taken from that of a 1950’s transport film yet it implies peaks and troughs, ups and downs, and has deep biblical resonance with the sound of voices proclaiming, “Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low”. The sentiment of those voices has been transposed into a 21st Century of ‘fake news’, populist politics and a total disregard for the voiceless. Speaking on what drew the band to the subject J. Willgoose, Esq. says: “It’s often difficult to say with precision where an idea came from and when or why it arrived. What I can say with conviction is that the more I thought about it and the more the world changed over the past couple of years, the more pertinent and gripping the idea of writing an album about coal mining, centred on the communities of South Wales, became.” Musically speaking, Every Valley manages to be both classic PSB, whilst also introducing a first for the band. Current single Progress is the first to use a guest vocal, as Tracyanne Campbell of Camera Obscura lends her affecting delivery to the track. The album’s opening and title track features a clip of Richard Burton and highlights beautifully the kudos and status attached with being a miner while the industry was prospering. ‘Every little boy’s ambition in my valley was to become a miner… They were the kings of the underworld’. In an age when Britain recently went a full day without generating coal for the first time since the 1880s, his words take on a cruel significance. Following up on the massively successful, silver-certified The Race For Space, which went on to spawn a remix and live album, as well as their excellent debut LP Inform - Educate - Entertain, Every Valley is Public Service Broadcasting’s most affecting and powerful work yet. PSB launched their second album, The Race For Space, in February 2015 at 2 special shows at the National Space Centre – the album went on to chart at #11 in the UK album charts and spent a further 5 weeks in the Top 40 and has since gone on to sell over 70k copies worldwide. The band have been on a globe-trotting tour promoting the record with tours in Australia, New Zealand, North America & Europe - including 2 sold-out UK tours including legendary venues The Roundhouse & Brixton Academy in London. Debut album Inform – Educate – Entertain (nominated for a whole host of AIM awards in 2013 and over 50k sold worldwide since release) received widespread critical acclaim and was picked by BBC 6Music DJs & staff as the 9th best album of the year and appeared in many best of the year lists. The band first broke onto the scene in 2012 with The War Room EP and lead single Spitfire which first brought the band regularly onto the nation's airwaves. Public Service Broadcasting have quickly developed a reputation as one of the most exciting live acts in the UK, wowing audiences over the past two festival seasons with major appearances at SXSW, Glastonbury, Bestival, Green Man and a whole host of others. Support slots with Arcade Fire & The Rolling Stones at Hyde Park followed alongside longer tours with Manic Street Preachers across Europe and an arena tour with the Kaiser Chiefs in early next 2015. Another triumphant summer of festivals in 2015 is behind them including a support with The Strokes at Hyde Park, a second headline slot at Secret Garden Party and appearances at Glastonbury, Latitude, Green Man and many more.