Good Laika - Heads I Win, Tails You Lose

Good Laika release their debut album Heads I Win, Tails You Lose at Mighty Mighty, Wellington on Thursday 30th August 2007.

In the past, Wellington band Good Laika has created much but shared little. Their infectious and soulful songs have developed in secret backrooms, and their live performances, though well received, can be counted on one hand - even one with a few fingers missing. This is all about to change, with the release of their debut album, Heads I Win, Tails You Lose.

The band’s members Robin Hinkley, vocals and guitar, Jason Fa’afoi, vocals and guitar, Matthew Armitage, bass and vocals, Ricky Boyd, drums and percussion and Nic Marshall, rhodes and organ, combine their talents to create a sound that is both unique and compelling.

While the groundwork for the album was a five-year process, Heads I Win, Tails You Lose was recorded by Nic McGowan at Island Bay Studios over a period of just three days.

The band wanted to capture the idyllic atmosphere of their practice sessions at Waitarere beach, and chose to record the album together in one room, and almost entirely without overdubbing. As a result, the album imparts a feeling of warmth, but one that is tinged with melancholy.

This mood is in keeping with the band’s name. Laika, the first dog in space and Russian national hero had her suspicions when the men with beards and fluffy hats started dressing her up in a spacesuit, but she adored the attention. Like the ill-fated canine, Good Laika the band invokes pictures of bitter irony, grim humour and passionate ambition.

Each of the members of Good Laika have had successful musical careers with other bands. Robin fronted Bleakhouse, which, bereft of any literary credentials, was in fact named after an interesting sounding but otherwise nondescript Auckland road; accomplished actor and raconteur Jason played guitar in The Stereo Bus, who met critical acclaim during the late 90s; multi-instrumentalist Matthew lent his guitar playing skill to garage-funk outfit Odessa; Ricky kept time for the Accelerants and led the notorious 50s rock 'n' rhythm Boom Shack sessions; and Nic played with arts festival stalwarts, musical collective Verona.

http://www.myspace.com/goodlaika

ENDS

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