Forward Russia biography
¡Forward, Russia! were an English alternative band from Leeds, formed in early 2004, though are currently on hiatus. Until 2006, the band only named tracks with numbers, in the order that they were written. The band has used Faux Cyrillic, with its name occasionally typeset as ¡FФЯWÐ"ЯD, RUSSIÐ"!.
Band members
- Tom Woodhead - vocals, synth
- Rob Canning - bass guitar
- Katie Nicholls - drums, vocals, shouts
- Whiskas - electric guitar, shouts, synth
Katie remixed I Was a Cub Scout's "I Hate Nightclubs"; her remix was released as a bonus single available exclusively online. She has also been nominated for the Peta 2's (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) 'World's sexiest Vegetarian 2007' but did not win.
Whiskas remixed Howling Bells "Low Happening" under the name '¡Constructicons Form Devastator!' and his remix was released as a bonus single available online and on 7".
Tom reached the final of the British Air Guitar Championship, held at Camden's Electric Ballroom in 2004. He also has an electronic side-project AnteAter, with one release to date, "Final Lekky" on DTTR's 3rd compilation Something I Learned Today - released March 2007. He also performed the vocals in the chorus of the Yes Boss song "Tongues In Knots" from their album Look Busy.
Career
¡Forward, Russia! formed in early 2004 from Leeds band The Black Helicopters, of which Tom and Rob were members. They joined siblings Katie and Whiskas (previously of Leeds band les Flames! amongst others). The band performed their first gig in April, closely followed by demos which received reviews from prominent music magazines such as
Drowned in Sound and
NME, who called it
"Convulsing punk-funk brilliance from Leeds".
In April 2005, ¡Forward, Russia! released "Nine", a split 7-inch single with This Et Al, released on guitarist Whiskas' label Dance To The Radio. This single was reviewed by NME, who put it on their 'Radar'. By summer 2005, Nicholls had finished college and others had quit their jobs to take up the band full-time.
Single "Thirteen/Fourteen" was released in August 2005 on White Heat Records, accompanied by a UK tour. Also during 2005, the band was featured in NME as one of Leeds' forerunners in the so-called New Yorkshire scene (alongside The Research, The Sunshine Underground, The Ivories and Black Wire). This was followed by several support slots and culminated in the band's first headline UK tour, which took the band to 37 different venues.
The band's next release, "Twelve" appeared in January 2006, on Dance To The Radio, entering the UK Top 40 at 36. Their next single, a new version of 'Nine', was released in May, and preceded the debut album Give Me a Wall, released on 15 May 2006 in the UK. Around this time they toured with We Are Scientists and played alongside The Automatic, The Long Blondes, Howling Bells and Boy Kill Boy on the 2006 NME New Music Tour.
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