Strange as it may seem, the music industry isn’t always there to help talented artists create a career. Giant Killers – Jamie Wortley (guitar, keys, lead vocals) and Michael Brown (bass, keys, brass, vocals) – are only one recent example. Or… ‘recent’… This story starts in the 1990s. The duo were signed to the legendary MCA Records label in 1995, where they released two singles. Also, they played some major support gigs and appeared in high profile TV shows. Yet, their debut album never saw the light of day. It took them three decades to get their rights back and release the album, Songs For The Small Places, after all.

The band say about their new single: “Around The Blocks is our love song to the kind of communities we grew up in, and that shaped our outlook – it is an opus to the overlooked, and for those whose endeavours are more likely to end in failure, because they weren’t born with the right kind of head start in life, but pressing on anyway because there is no other option. To us, thematically it’s both personal and universal. This song was a live favourite back in the days when we were opening for Blur on their Country House tour or touring with Dr. Robert (Blow Monkeys) and Nick Heyward. That makes it especially thrilling for this song to get a 2024 make-over to bring it (hopefully) to new audiences.”

Around The Blocks is a timeless, beautifully produced and melodious track. Louder Than War described it as ‘the best song the Lightning Seeds never wrote’. Funnily, Giant Killers have recently been added to the line-up of Shiiine On Festival in November, on a bill that includes… the Lightning Seeds!

Around The Blocks by Giant Killers is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. This implies that it will be prominently displayed at the top of the blog for an entire week.

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In the Wildcards 2024 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.

Werner Schlosser

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.