….bfm brings you
THE CHECKS – ‘HUNTING WHALES”
Their debut album released in the UK on Full Time Hobby 7 May 2007
What went so horribly right that five 15 year-old life long friends from Auckland ended up playing the blues in London in 2007? In one of the greatest live bands seen for years and with an amazing debut album under their collective arm? What happened?
Abandoning their choir boy roots not that long ago they soon found the blues - Screaming Jay Hawkins, Skip James, Big Bill Broonzy, Blind Willie Johnson, Howlin Wolf, Fats Domino, Sam Cooke, Ruth Brown, then fast forward to Jack White, The Kings of Leon, The Strokes all having a hand in the raw, throat ripping blues punk sound of The Checks that has won hearts both near and far..
They got a reaction from their first live show.. Girls. Boys. It didn’t matter. Their second gig ever aged 16 was a full house. They won NZ breakthrough artist of the year at the New Zealand Music Awards, after releasing just one 7” single in May 2005.
REM heard one song by chance and asked The Checks to support them in New Zealand alongside Bright Eyes. Next Noel Gallagher chose The Checks from a shortlist of 18 bands to support Oasis on the Australian leg of their tour. This was followed by a trip to Japan to support The Hives.
Not long after NME editor Conor McNicholas saw them perform at a showcase gig in Auckland and was so blown away he booked them on the spot for the NME New Music tour of the UK with The Rakes, Maximo Park and Towers of London.
Without skipping a beat the band moved to London to record their debut album with Ian Broudie (Lightning Seeds, The Coral, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Zutons). Due for NZ release in August the band gets a small window of opportunity to perform in Auckland. They come to NZ off the back of a 10 show tour of Australia with Jet and head straight back to the UK in late June.
Having already toured the UK 3 times this year to catch a CHECKS live performance back home is going to be a treat you won’t want to miss.
The Checks will be playing at 4:20 on K Rd Thursday 14 June with
The Electric Confectionaires and Cosher Cot Honeys.
Tickets available from Ticketek and Real Groovy from Wed 23 May.
