DEPARTURE LOUNGE: TOO LATE TO DIE YOUNG

"Some of the most wonderful, eclectic, optimistic pop music being created at the moment" (Sunday Times)

"One of 2002's candidates for record-of-the-year honors... A top-to-bottom masterwork... Among the best English pop created in a decade. (Magnet)

"this is, literally, the record of the year" (Detroit Metro Times)

"****" (Q Magazine)

"****" (The Independent))

"This is a very good album indeed". (Croydon Guardian)

'Too Late to Die Young' is the latest album from Departure Lounge. It was released in the UK and Europe March 4th (on Bella Union/Naive) and the US and Canada March 12th 2002 (on Nettwerk America). It follows on from their universally acclaimed debut 'Out of Here' and the enchanting Series 7 instrumental album 'Jetlag Dreams'.

'Too Late To Die Young' features all four members of Departure Lounge playing a wide variety of instruments and found objects, and guest appearances from Simon Raymonde of the Cocteau Twins (guitar), Robyn Hitchcock (guitar, harmonica), Lisa O'Neill from Sing-Sing (vocals) and the album's producer, Parisian groovemeister Kid Loco (guitar, percussion). It was recorded in three ten day sessions at their friends' studio, Blah Street, on an old farm deep in the English countryside. The medieval/psychedelic decor, huge number of lovely old instruments, home-made electronic toys and excellent home cooking make it 'the best studio in the world', according to Kid Loco.

Departure Lounge are based between Brighton, Nashville and Paris. They have recently had songs featured in the films 'Dean Quixote', 'Sidewalks Of New York' and (coming in 2003) 'Scorched'. 'Over The Side' from 'Too Late To Die Young' is currently helping advertise a chain of convenience stores in Taiwan.

They toured in 2002 with Paul Heaton in England and the Glands in the US, as well as headlining dates in France and Spain. They also played the Benicassim Festival in Spain, La Route du Rock in France and Les Nuits Botaniques in Belgium, where the single 'King Kong Frown' topped the playlist charts of the two biggest national radio stations.

In 2001 the band set up a residency in Nashville, Tennessee called the Living Room at their favourite nitespot, the Slow Bar. Here they performed fortnightly, mixing their own songs with covers ranging from the Human League to Kenny Rogers to Motorhead. An abundance of guest musicians including Josh Rouse, members of Lambchop and Ryan Adams' band, and former band mates of Bob Dylan and John Cale joined them on a multitude of instruments from hammer dulcimer to clarinet to pedal steel. One night Departure Lounge fan Lee Hazlewood turned up with his mate Duane Eddy and gave a thumbs up from the back to their version of the song he wrote for Johnny Cash, 'If It's Monday Morning'.

Departure Lounge have also presented their own radio show on Nashville's college station, WRVU, and Tim's voice can also be heard gracing 6 of the 10 tracks on Kid Loco's latest album, 'Kill Your Darlings'. Tim also sings on Kid Loco's remix of Saint Etienne's 'Stop and think It Over', which is to be released shortly.

The group have been together since early 1998 when singer / guitarist Tim Keegan, then a recovering singer / songwriter, asked his friends Jake Kyle (bass / double bass / trumpet), Chris Anderson (guitar / various keyboards/ saxophone/ oboe) and Lindsay Jamieson (drums / keyboards / flute) to join him on some new recordings. One evening at the Fortress in London they turned into a band, having written literally thousands of songs in the space of a few hours.