Rain in July is the first EP by Welsh pop punk band Neck Deep.
Rain in July | ||||
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EP by Neck Deep | ||||
Released | 18 September 2012 (2012-09-18) | |||
Recorded | July 2012, Celestial Recordings, Wrexham | |||
Genre | Pop punk | |||
Length | 16:42 | |||
Label | We Are Triumphant | |||
Producer | Sebastian Barlow | |||
Neck Deep chronology | ||||
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Vocalist Ben Barlow met lead guitarist Lloyd Roberts when Barlow's older brother, Seb, was recording the Wrexham hardcore band Spires that Roberts played in.[1] At the time, Ben Barlow wrote pop punk songs on his own for fun.[1] On 19 April 2012[2] the duo posted the song "What Did You Expect?" online under the name Neck Deep.[1] According to Roberts, Barlow "literally said, 'What about Neck Deep [as the band name]?' and that was that."[1] The name comes from the Crucial Dudes' song "Boom, Roasted".[3] "What Did You Expect?" soon gained attention online.[1]
This resulted in the duo adding guitarist Matt West, who also played in Spires, and drummer Dani Washington, who was aware of Wrexham's local music scene.[1] Bassist Fil Thorpe-Evans joined shortly after leaving Lincoln post-hardcore band Climates.[1] "I Couldn't Wait to Leave 6 Months Ago " was posted online on 8 June.[4] On 11 June, it was announced the band had signed to US label We Are Triumphant.[5] In July,[6] the band recorded more songs with Seb Barlow in the attic of Ben's home,[1] dubbed Celestial Recordings.[6] The recordings were then mixed by Michael Fossenkemper at Turtletone Studios.[6] The EP contains "six songs about girls and one song about posers", according to Rock Sound's Ollie Pelling.[7] Barlow wrote "A Part of Me" when he was 16 "about a girl who I was crazy about."[8]
Rain in July was made available for streaming via AbsolutePunk on 17 September 2012 and was released a day later[9] through We Are Triumphant. Barlow dubbed the character on the artwork Ned the Head.[10] The band's sound has elements of The Story So Far and City Lights.[9] On 28 October, a music video was released for "I Couldn’t Wait to Leave 6 Months Ago".[11] In November, the EP was released on vinyl via Hang Tight.[12] According to Barlow, "People took notice [of the band] and demanded that we play shows."[1] The band supported With the Punches and Me Vs Hero in the UK in December.[12] The 3 December date of tour was the band's live debut.[13] On 20 January 2013 a music video was released for "Over and Over".[14]
The EP was remixed and remastered as part of the compilation Rain in July / A History of Bad Decisions, released on Hopeless on 17 June 2014.[15] It was released to capitalize on the band's popularity at the time.[16] Barlow said that this compilation would be "definitive release of [these] songs".[17] The band hoped that the new fans that enjoyed Wishful Thinking "will enjoy the chance to check these songs out now that we've had a chance to improve how they sound!"[17]
Rock Sound reviewer Ollie Pelling wrote that despite "looking distinctly average on paper, Neck Deep are more than distinctly average."[7] He mentioned that listeners "won't find many bands writing better pop-punk hooks".[7] He ended with calling the EP "derivative, but there's enough passion, energy and talent here to make it count."[7]
All tracks are written by Neck Deep[6].
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Kick It" | 1:34 |
2. | "Silver Lining" | 2:43 |
3. | "What Did You Expect?" | 3:17 |
4. | "Over and Over" | 2:55 |
5. | "A Part of Me (feat. Laura Whiteside)" | 3:09 |
6. | "I Couldn't Wait to Leave 6 Months Ago" | 2:22 |
7. | "All Hype, No Heart" | 0:42 |
Personnel adapted from the booklet/sleeve of the Rain in July / A History of Bad Decisions compilation.[6][18]
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Neck Deep | |
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Studio albums |
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Extended plays |
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