Described by NME as a ”grunge-pop guitar don”, Du Blonde is the stage name of outlandish songwriter Beth Jeans Houghton. Her experimental palette explores psychedelic-folk, alt-rock and glam-pop as heard on the albums Welcome Back to Milk, Lung Bread for Daddy and Homecoming.
Du Blonde now announces the release of her next title Sniff More Gritty which is promoted with a January tour that is about to be on sale with Gigantic Tickets.
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Newcastle-born songwriter Beth Jeans Houghton first seized attention working with the baroque-pop outfit Hooves of Destiny. Signing to Mute Records, Houghton dropped her album Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose in 2012. With veteran producer Ben Hillier (blur, Depeche Mode, Elbow) at the helm, Houghton was able to create an electrifying opening statement that was delightfully eclectic and often wonderfully over the top.
Houghton then hit the festival circuit with Hooves of Destiny, showing off Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose at Glastonbury, The Great Escape, Latitude and Bestival. She also appeared on Later... with Jools Holland the following year.
But Houghton was dissatisfied with their early output, feeling like it didn’t truly capture their energy or accurately express their spirit. Splitting from the band, Houghton adopted the now-familiar title of Du Blonde. She returned to the studio in 2015 and recruited Jim Sclavunos from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman to record the Welcome Back to Milk LP. The new gritty yet glam direction was a hit with critics, reaching an impressive aggregate score of 73/100 on Metacritic.
The change in moniker also spurred on a burst of creativity, as Houghton also began to work on her comic book series Butt Hurt and later directed and illustrated the animated video for the Red Hot Chilli Peppers single "Sick Love". She switched labels to Moshi Moshi Records and released Lung Bread for Daddy in 2019.
In 2021, she dropped their latest album Homecoming which saw them team up with a variety of stars including Ezra Furman and Shirley Manson on lead single "Medicated", and Andy Bell from shoegaze legends Ride for the epic anthem “All The Way”.
Now, Du Blonde unleashes her singles “Blame” and “TV Star” ahead of her upcoming album Sniff More Gritty. It sees Houghton swing between a first-person perspective and adopting personalities, in an almost schizophrenic approach to songwriting.
"I feel like a lot of the new album swings between characters and mindsets, and being able to play with the more unhinged sides of my personality both lyrically and aesthetically has been really freeing and fun."
See Du Blonde unveil her new material when they kick off the new year with a tour in January and February. Tickets are soon released by Gigantic, the home of live music.
📆 Tour Dates:
- Sunday 26th January 2025: Du Blonde - YES Basement, Manchester
- Wednesday 29th January 2025: Du Blonde - Yellow Arch Studios, Sheffield
- Friday 31st January 2025: Du Blonde - The Bodega, Nottingham
- Sunday 2nd February 2025: Du Blonde - Thekla, Bristol
- Tuesday 4th February 2025: Du Blonde - Dust, Brighton
- Thursday 6th February 2025: Du Blonde - The Moth Club, London
Du Blonde tickets go on sale 10:00 Friday 23rd August 2024.