biography
Underwater Tea Party is the perfect mix of the past, present and future of pop music. The Madrid, Spain five piece band formed in 2004 and their ideal chemistry resulted in a swift recording of a six song demo.
The consensus among press and audiences was that the song “The Untold Story about Mary and Nick” was a hit- it is included here on Suburban Metronome. Underwater Tea Party was hailed as the new fresh sound in Spanish pop and their unique line up of two girls and three guys provided further grounds for interest.
In 2005, Project Demo 2005, an annual event hosted in part by Spanish National Radio (RNE-3) invited UTP to enter the festival. The intensity and freshness of their songs and live show was a huge success with the audience. As well, influential radio DJ Julio Ruiz invited the band to be on his RNE-3 radio show.
The year 2005 rocketed Underwater Tea Party to the high profile “festival circuit” where they were voted one of the 10 best new bands in a contest at the Contempopranea Festival. At the Navalpop Festival, the impressed the infamous producer Fine Oyonarte and Oyonarte immediately bid to produce the band’s first full-fledged album. (If you lived in Spain, you’d know who he is!)
The momentum of their early success resulted in a year-end RNE-3 audience poll recognizing the band as one to watch for 2006. The recording session for Suburban Metronome began in 2006 at the well-known Sonoland Studios (studio or classic recordings by everyone from the Rolling Stones to legendary Flamenco legends “Shrimp of the Island”). Underwater Tea Party were signed by Madrid based Junk Records in 2006 and the debut album was recorded, mixed and mastered for Spanish release in late 2006.
Introduced to the album in early 2007, Zip Records was struck by the band’s unique style and sensibility. The album has references to Belle and Sebastian, Ivy, Yo La Tengo, Mazzy Star and Stereolab. The album is also cool, provocative and highly addictive. The impact is immediate and UTP represents what appears to be the new wave of independent music in Spain.
The Junk Records release has garnered high praise as well. Recently awarded “Best Spanish Band with Female Vocals” at the Spanish Pop Music Awards, Underwater Tea Party present 10 near-perfect songs with universal themes of love, loss and missed connections.
Zip Records will release Suburban Metronome on January 8 in the United States and a college radio campaign will accompany the promotion of the album as well.
“The band’s smooth, catchy, ultimately hummable pop music is easy on the mind and spirit…while slightly exotic and rather unique. And the female vocalists sound wonderful. This ten song album is a pure feelgood experience from start to finish.” BabySue, November 200
