As you’ve probably seen, here at CelebMix we’re looking back on some of our favourite artist’s 2018. Today we’ll be looking back on what was an incredible year for New Hope Club. Blake, George and Reece were one of last years biggest success story as they headed out on their first headline tour and released their second EP; Welcome To The Club Pt.2.
Where 2018 began for New Hope Club…
At the beginning of the year it was announced that New Hope Club would be featuring on the soundtrack for Aardman and Studiocanal film Early Man. Releasing two tracks for the film; original Good Day an upbeat, feel-good track and a cover of Mud’s Tiger Feet which will immediately get you up on your feet. We had the chance to chat to the trio about the film and their input, which you can watch here.
This year started off with the trio in Asia perform in Manilla, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Singapore and Bangok at the end of January. The headline shows were much to the delight of fans and highlighted that even without an album under their belts NHC were from the start destined to make 2018 the year they went global.
Another year, another tour with The Vamps
New Hope Club heading out on tour with The Vamps is fast becoming a yearly tradition and one we look forward to year upon year. 2018 was no different as they joined them across the UK, Europe and North America for their Night & Day tour. Debuting new material taken from their upcoming Welcome To The Club Pt.2 EP and playing fan favourites, the trio shone brightly onstage creating a beautiful musical atmosphere and winning over hearts in the process.
Their relentless touring and great friendship with The Vamps which has seen some of them helping to produce some of NHC’s tracks, it was only right they had a chance to feature on Night & Day (Day Edition). Featuring on Tristan’s edition, they perform the track My Life which feels as if it truly was written for them to perform. Singing of being able to cope without having someone in your life even if you didn’t think you would, it’s a powerful track about coming out on top regardless of your journey to getting there.
The Road To The Empire and beyond
2018 saw the trio head out on their Road To The Empire tour, a series of free shows which would ultimately lead them to their biggest headline shows to date at O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on 1st and 2nd June. The free fanfests saw them playing six shows across the UK for fans who were lucky enough to get their hands on tickets. These intimate shows were truly something special, NHC have always had a great relationship with fans and the sheer fan of these small shows reminded us how much love is reciprocrated between both parties. Taking on fans question in a short Q&A section as the fanfests it was also a chance for those who might not be noticed on Twitter and have burning questions for the trio to ask them.
We headed down to the first fanfest which took place in London’s The Borderline and was also their first UK headline show. With fans travelling from across the country and even further to be part of NHC history, the vibe was absolutely electric. The trio had full support from the fans singing along to each track, even those unreleased and just played live showing the power of their fanbase. When performing live, their vocals shine brightly and give a chance for their individual personalities and styles to shine through. Sadly it wasn’t plain sailing as Reece was taken ill with appendicitis soon after the London show, causing him to miss the remaining fanfests shows whilst recovering.
When New Hope Club performed two sold out headline shows at the Shepherds Bush Empire, it was a career defining moment as fans who’d followed their journey from the start saw them be the true stars of the show. Performing a set of both covers and original material it took fans right back to the start as they performed Oh Cecilia; The Vamps cover which they performed back in 2016. Supported by Max & Harvey and Roadtrip, NHC went overnight from support acts to headline stars and we just hope 2019 is set to bring more of this.
Later on, in the year New Hope Club did their bit for charity by supporting Teenager Cancer Trust by busking in Newcastle, Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester and London. These special events were arrange through a competition for fans to win the chance to have perform in their town, giving fans a special show but also raising vital funds for the charity in the process. Later on, in the year they brightened up the Teenage Cancer Trust Christmas party at University College London Hospital, their connection and support for a charity so close to their heart reminded us just why we love them so much!
NHC Welcomed Fans To The Club again
Musically it was a busy year for NHC with their tracks on the Early Man soundtrack kicking it off before they officially released their beautiful cover of Ed Sheeran’s Perfect. Always bringing their unique twist to the track, it’s had a sprinkle of New Hope Club magic. Throughout the year the trio have unveiled a number of covers which helped to develop their fanbase, these have included the likes of BTS, Dua Lipa, Shawn Mendes and George Ezra. It’s too hard for us to choose our favourite, but if you’re up for the challenge tweet us and share yours!
At the start of their Road To The Empire tour, in London, the band announced the imminent release of their new single Start Over Again at midnight. The video for the track saw them having a bit of a nightmare at their high school prom, all facing disasters and just wishing they could start all over again. The track became a fan favourite thanks to its infectious chorus and far too relatable lyrics.
Prior to the EP release, Medicine and Crazy which had become fan favourites through the trio’s live shows were released teasing fans into what they could expect from the release. Medicine is arguably one of the bands funkiest tracks and instantly became a live set highlight as fans sing along to the empowering and feisty chorus. With a video for the track recorded in Birmingham on the Night & Day Tour, it sees them living out their dreams onstage with a sea of loving fans watching on. Crazy maintained the upbeat, lyrically strong theme of the tracks which the band are known for releasing. Teaming up with influencers Ava Allen and Matthieu Lange in Los Angeles for the video, it sees them trying to gain new fans, failing to get tattoos and then drawing in a huge crowd for their evening show. We’ll be honest this pretty much does feel like New Hope Club’s story of their rise as a band in video form and we love it!
But the biggest and most important part of their musical year was the release of second EP Welcome To The Club Pt.2 in October. The four-track EP follows up pt.1 which was released in May 2017 and even featured (after fans were desperately pleading for a release of it) Let Me Down Slow, recorded live at the O2 Arena show with The Vamps. Crazy and Medicine which were previously released also feature on the EP alongside Karma, a brand new track. When we listen to the EP we were taken right back to the start when we first heard about New Hope Club, being able to see how much they’ve musically grown but how many of the elements we first fell in love with are still there. We can’t wait to see what they pull out of the bang when their highly anticipated debut album is released, regardless of when that may be.
Ending the year with the release of their version of All I Want For Christmas Is You, it saw them teaming up with IET and Blue Peter to encourage young people to consider a career within engineering. They submitted treatments for the music video and the winner saw their idea come to life whilst on set with the band. We love everything this video stands for with its Christmas magic. Ending their year on a resounding musical high and giving us something to listen to constantly over the festive period was the perfect Christmas treat.
But what does 2019 hold?
2019 already has some great New Hope Club goodness lined up, with them announced to support The Vamps on their Four Corners UK tour. We’re anticipating a lot more live shows, both with The Vamps and as the headlining act. We’d love to see the release of Why Oh Why, one of our favourite NHC live tracks which we and many others are still desperate for. But ultimately we’d love to see the trio getting the success they deserve, winning over hearts globally and having a great time doing it in the process. Be sure to keep with CelebMix for all your New Hope Club news!