Modern English Live: Australia & New Zealand Tour Announcement

Modern English, veteran 4AD post-punk band and creators of the timeless 1983 hit “I Melt With You”, to embark on their first-ever Australia & New Zealand tour

MODERN ENGLISH, the English post-punk band signed to 4AD in 1980 and responsible for the worldwide early ’80s hit “I Melt With You”, are set to embark on their first ever tour of Australia and NZ in October as special guests of the Buzzcocks.

Modern English were just the second act signed to the legendary label 4AD and contemporaries of the likes of the Cocteau Twins and Dead Can Dance. They were early instigators in the much-loved 4AD musical collective This Mortal Coil helmed by label head Ivo Watts-Russell, and they were the act through which their close friend Vaughan Oliver became the label’s inhouse artist and creator of the iconic 4AD visual style.

Somewhat conversely, Modern English are also the band responsible for the international 1983 hit “I Melt with You”, as famously and prominently featured in the early Nicholas Cage film Valley Girl. “I Melt With You” ranks among the top 500 songs ever played on U.S. radio, and is ranked #39 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s.

Having maintained its core line-up since 1979, Modern English are not only loved as early ’80s hitmakers, they have become widely respected as post-punk innovators, thanks to younger generations discovering their catalogue and new artists citing the band as an influence. Appearing as special guests of the Buzzcocks (with whom they have previously toured in Europe and the States), the band’s first Aus/NZ tour will follow the acclaimed early 2024 release of their latest album 1 2 3 4, which received raves internationally in the likes of Rolling Stone, Uncut, Spin and Mojo, who said of the album, “The cold clang of post-punk guitars and synths sounds very ‘now’, but the veteran band brings a depth and worldliness to these songs that sets them apart.”

MODERN ENGLISH, APPEARING AS SPECIAL GUESTS OF BUZZCOCKS:
Brisbane – The Triffid – Fri 25 Oct Tix
Adelaide – The Gov – Sat 26 Oct Tix
Fremantle – Metropolis – Sun 27 Oct Tix
Newcastle – King St Bandroom – Thurs 31 Oct Tix
Sydney – Metro Theatre – Fri 1 Nov Tix
Melbourne – Northcote Theatre – Sat 2 Nov Tix
Lorne – Lorne Theatre – Sun 3 Nov Tix
Castlemaine – Theatre Royal – Mon 4 Nov Tix
Tauranza (NZ) – Totaro Street – Thurs 7 Nov Tix
Wellington (NZ) – San Fran – Fri 8 Nov Tix
Auckland (NZ) – Power Station – Sat 9 Nov Tix

STREAM/BUY MODERN ENGLISH’S 2024 ALBUM 1 2 3 4 HERE

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Modern English is a paragon of consistency. Formed in Colchester, Essex, England, the band has maintained its same core lineup since 1977: vocalist Robbie Grey, guitarist Gary McDowell, bassist Mick Conroy, and keyboardist Stephen Walker. In recent years, Modern English has become widely respected as post-punk innovators, thanks to younger generations discovering their catalogue and new artists citing the band as an influence.

In 1979, Modern English self-released their first single on their Limp Records label before signing to 4AD, home to like-minded acts such as Bauhaus, Cocteau Twins, and Dead Can Dance. Laying the foundation for future musical movements such as goth and industrial, Modern English would gain the attention of renowned BBC DJ John Peel, who featured the band twice on his program. They released their first album Mesh & Lace, on 4AD, in April 1981.

Modern English co-produced their sophomore effort, 1982’s After the Snow, with Hugh Jones (Echo & The Bunnymen, Simple Minds), pairing trademark moodiness with spiky guitars and shimmering keyboards. In addition to the UK top 40 hit “Life in the Gladhouse,” the LP became known for “I Melt With You,” which became a top 10 hit on U.S. Rock Radio.

1983 saw the release of the Sixteen Days/ Gathering Dust EP by This Mortal Coil, a supergroup assembled by Ivo Watts-Russell for his record label, 4AD. The title track was a medley of two early Modern English songs, and the group featured members of Cocteau Twins, Colourbox, Modern English, and vocalist Gordon Sharp of Cindytalk.

Across the decades, the band released several singles and albums – (1984’s chiming, meditative “Hands Across the Sea,” from Ricochet Days), anthemic (1986’s extroverted rocker “Ink and Paper,” from Stop Start), or even the danceable (1990’s upbeat “Beautiful People,” from Pillow Lips).

After a long hiatus, the original lineup of the band, Robbie Grey, Michael Conroy, Gary McDowell, and Steve Walker, reunited to record Take Me To The Trees. The album was co-produced with Martyn Young of Colourbox and M/A/R/R/S fame. In addition, the album’s beautiful cover was designed by Vaughan Oliver.

In 2020, Modern English issued After the Snow: Live From Indigo at the O2, a 40th-anniversary live collection featuring the songs from the album on CD, CD/DVD, digital, and vinyl. Extensive touring throughout the U.S. on various legs led to the band’s late-night television debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and performing on The TODAY Show in October 2022.

In February of this year, Modern English released their brand-new album 1 2 3 4 – produced by Mario McNulty (David Bowie, Lou Reed, Nine Inch Nails), mixed by Cenzo Townsend, and mastered at Abbey Road. The album retains the intrinsic spirit of their early post-punk days. The album encompasses seething songs with punk bite (“Long in The Tooth,” “Plastic”), keyboard-forward melodic rockers (“Not Fake,” “Crazy Lovers”), and simmering, darkwave-meets-post-punk gems (“Exploding,” “Out to Lunch”). The release was met with great reviews in the U.S, U.K, and Germany.

“A searing new single which takes aim at leaders on both sides of the pond.” — Rolling Stone

“Not unlike ‘I Melt With You’, ‘1 2 3 4’ taps into political themes reflective of the last four years.” — SPIN

“‘1 2 3 4’ remains firmly rooted in a 1980s New Wave aesthetic of sharp-edged guitar jangles and world-weary, vaguely sarcastic and gently political lyrics.” — UNCUT

“The cold clang of post-punk guitars and synths sounds very ‘now’, but the veteran band brings a depth and worldliness to these songs that sets them apart.” — Mojo

The band looks forward to visiting Australia/New Zealand for the first time. Catch them when they appear with Buzzcocks this October. and November.