User:Senseofurgency/Sense of urgency

Sense of Urgency are a six-piece ska / punk band, taking influences from a wide variety of genres. Regulars on the UK underground punk scene, Sense of Urgency (aka SOU) have been playing for over a decade. They have recently entered a deal with Manchester-based D.I.Y not-for-profit record label TNSrecords. TNSrecords released a 3-way split E.P featuring Sense of Urgency with Stand Out Riot and AWarAgainstSound, entitled TNS008, in late 2009. So far the E.P. has received excellent reviews from sources such as Punktastic. , Rock Sound and Leeds Music Scene. to name a few. Sense of Urgency are perhaps best known for their riotous live performances, and are often complimented for pushing the boundaries of the ska/hardcore cross-over. This seemless mix of contrasting musical styles is paralelled by the stark thematic contrasts in lyrical content; often apathetic, sinister, wistful and penitent in tone whilst overtly optimistic and hopeful.

Biography
Sense of Urgency formed officially in 1999, although the individuals involved had been loosely arranged into various musical groups prior to this. Dec O'Reilly, Joe O'Reilly (brothers) and Paul Beard had written music together from as early as 1996. When Paul moved away, Dec and Joe started playing shows with various line-ups under the names Pre-Punkt and The Brews. The most notable gig was with Pist.On at The Red Rose in Rugeley.

In 1999 Paul moved back to England from Jacksonville, FL and, shortly after, joined Dec (guitar) and Joe (bass and vocals) as the drummer in a hardcore punk band, still called Pre-Punkt at the time. The trio soon grew as Alex Day took on the role of bassist and Adam Gater brought a sax to the mix, which opened up new musical possibilities. The group then changed their name to Sense of Urgency and matured musically when Tommy Maund joined to complete the horn section with trombone. This line-up proved very successful and the group were selling-out headline shows at large venues in The Midlands, such as the The Sugarmill in Stoke, while still only 15-17 years old. Disaster struck when, due to other commitments, Adam was forced to leave the band and Alex joined another group called Firechild (now Black Vegas). Fortunately, an E.P. showcasing 4 of the best songs was self-released before the line-up split.

For many years Joe, Dec, Paul and Tommy continued to play music. They switched instruments, went through endless different members, and even played in other side projects. Things got back on track when Tom Houseman (previously from Space Weevils, Attacked By Mic, and now also in Rising Strike) joined the group in 2006, leading to another 4 tracks that were later recorded as a mini E.P. entitled 'What We're About'. Finally, Maya Hany stepped up in 2007 to replace the sax with a trumpet and complete the most successful line-up so far. Both new members brought their own influences and perspectives to the writing process, each helping to drive the band back towards a consistent sound. TNS008, the result of this new line-up, is currently being received well in national and international press. Recurring references to other bands include Link 80, Slapstick and Kid Dynamite.

Tommy Maund has now joined Rising Strike alongside Tom Houseman - Their new E.P. called 'Bite The Hand That Feeds' was recently released on TNSrecords and has been lauded as a new champion sound for the UK ska-punk scene. Declan and Paul now also play in a four-piece punk outfit called Only Strangers. Their album is due for release in early 2012. Joe has joined a group called The Deadnecks who will be making their live debut over the coming months.

SOU are recording for a new compilation release and are hoping to release a full-length album soon.

Releases
4Track E.P. (Self-Titled)


 * 1) "Times We Spent"
 * 2) "Same Old Sound"
 * 3) "Better Way"
 * 4) "Half-Baked"

What We're About


 * 1) "King Campbell"
 * 2) "Eradication of The Emotional Menace"
 * 3) "Wanna Dance, F*cko?"
 * 4) "Men Without Jobs"

TNS008 (Tracks 1-4)


 * 1) "Glory Days"
 * 2) "Lowbrow"
 * 3) "The Night We Exploded"
 * 4) "Silent Seethe"

SOU have also appeared on several compilations, most notably TNSrecords' "Mainstream Music Is Sh*t".