Vale band launch single inspired by eyesore Alexandria shopping centre

dailyrecord.co.uk:

By James Humphrey An Alexandria band have released a new single inspired by the town’s eyesore Mitchell Way shopping centre.The Bank Street Martyrs released Dormitory Town earlier this month, with the song set to be part of their new album that shares the same name.Ian Retson created the band, which was inspired by life growing up in the Vale, recruiting cousin Andrew Marsland and friend Joe Watema to turn his poems into songs.This resulted in their first album, Leven the Vale, which was released last December and centred on Ian’s life growing up in the area in the 60s and 70s.The band’s new single comes hot on the heels of their first album and Ian told how the issues facing his home town were a key inspiration.He said: “The muse, as with the first album, is the Vale and its people.

They were perfect for producing a rich source of material that perhaps has been overlooked in the pop genre.“The response from the first album was very positive so that encouraged us to continue what started off as an art project.“The lead single is a protest over the town’s urban decay, especially in the context of its glorious past.“Dormitory Town is a commentary on the failure of urban planning along with the lack of shops and facilities and vibe that used to exist.“It’s a companion piece to Torpedo Factory from the first album which was centred around the demise of industry.

And it shows how the Vale is becoming somewhere we just sleep in.”The new album has a very different sound and genre to the last.Ian explained: “On the first album the sound reflected the time period where the songs were set, therefore 60s and 70s pop rock.“On this album the subjects are broader and lend themselves to more of a bluesy jazz backdrop.