CITY RIOTS

The debut LP is a milestone in any musician’s career. When offered the opportunity to record in another country, with a highly renowned producer in a world-class studio, one would imagine this would result in that memorable milestone. The four shaggy-haired, long legged boys from Adelaide band City Riots would have agr...eed not so long ago. However, time, personal growth and creative integrity, have re-written their story. Debut single ‘Burning Me Out’ from City Riots’ ‘08 EP Socialize, was the first glimpse of their enticing indie-pop charm that caught the attention of national broadcaster triple j. As momentum spurred and an uncanny friend of a friend connection was revealed, five months later, City Riots found themselves shacked up in a two bedroom apartment in Chicago, USA working with producer Bjorn Thorsrud whose resume sights the likes of The Smashing Pumpkins and The Dandy Warhols. Armed with over twenty songs and an album on the horizon, the four-piece was ecstatic to be working with a producer of such calibre. As they settled in to the recording process, the experience became quite confronting as they were pushed outside their comfort zone. “There were moments of the recording that we felt uncomfortable with but we were trying to embrace working with Bjorn and make a record we might not be able to make on our own,” recounts front man Ricky Kradolfer. Upon returning home to Adelaide, the initial excitement spawned the release of their next triple j single ‘She Never Wants to Dance’ in early 2010. This track saw them return to the airwaves in a big way. When opportunity knocks at the door, it’s silly not to answer. City Riots spent the next year seizing amazing opportunities that arose. Showcases at SXSW and CMJ, Filter Magazine’s Culture Collide Festival in LA as well as an Australian tour supporting The Smashing Pumpkins, were only a few that surfaced. With the album release postponed due to a whirlwind year of touring both nationally and internationally, late 2010 saw the band revisit the recordings. Under rare circumstances, “we had the luxury of sitting with the record for a while before anyone heard it, and we realized that it didn’t really represent us as a band. I guess we never really grew into the parts that we were uncomfortable with in the first place. You only get one shot at releasing your first album,” outlines Ricky. A rapport with Melbourne based producer Paul ‘Woody’ Annison (Children Collide, Hunting Grounds) saw City Riots entertain the idea of re-tracking a couple of songs on the record. As they entered the studio, songs were stripped back to bare bones thus rekindling their fundamental mission to create catchy indie-pop gems. What originally began as a few songs, resulted in the band re-tracking their whole record. “To get to this point, we had been out of people’s attention for a while. To come back and put a record in people’s hands, didn’t feel right. As a band, we weren’t ready for it,” Ricky explains. October 7th has been a long time coming for City Riots. On that day they will unleash a five track EP, Matchsticks, featuring their brand new single of the same name. With Australia the firm focus for the foreseeable future, City Riots have already made an impressive impact upon their return. Leading into the 2011 EP release, City Riots have been touring extensively. A massive tour opening for British India and Boy in a Box and shows alongside Alpine and Papa vs Pretty and the national support for Ball Park Music, marked by a digital single release of ‘In My Head’. Another lap of the country quickly followed, supporting The Get Up Kids (US). City Riots will be on tour supporting Gyroscope throughout November. The new EP 'matchsticks' will be available through MGM on October 7th. See More