Blood Red Shoes to play Glastonbury

by Kev Geoghegan
Radio 1 music reporter

Blood Red Shoes have told Newsbeat that they are playing this year's Glastonbury festival.

The Brighton two piece, made up of guitarist and singer Laura-Mary Carter and drummer/vocalist Steve Ansell, are currently on a UK tour.

They are also on the bills for Reading and Leeds, T in the Park and Ireland's Oxygen festival.

Ansell says it's an honour to be on the bill at Worthy Farm

He said "Glastonbury is the one that I used to go to loads.

When we did Reading last year, that was Laura ticking a box, like a teenage dream come true and Glastonbury is the one for me.

"Even if only two people come to see us at least I can say we did it."

To be honest, I would rather watch Jay-Z than The Verve Steve Ansell

The band are not overly keen on at least one of Glasto's headliners though and, surprisingly, it isn't Jay-Z.

The rap superstar has been blamed by some fans for the fall in demand for tickets, despite organiser Michael Eavis' claims that last year's bad weather was to blame.

"That's complete c**p, I call it 'rockism', there's like racism, sexism, rockism.

"If it doesn't have guitars then it isn't credible. That's bulls**t."

Instead, Blood Red Shoes' disapproval is directed at The Verve's Richard Ashcroft.

Ansell said: "To be honest, I would rather watch Jay-Z than The Verve. Jay-Z is going to go up there and he's going to be the smoothest dude that's ever walked the stage. It's going to be great."

The album process

Formed in 2005, it has taken three years for the Blood Red Shoes' debut album, Box of Secrets, to be released. After initially being signed to V2 records, the album will be released by Universal on 14 April.

Carter said: "We didn't really want to make an album, we just wanted to release singles.

"We were a bit scared, I'd never made an album before with any of my other bands.

"We didn't really know each other when we started the band so it took about a year to get there and I think you need to find your sound and be able to play your songs."

Ansell agreed: "We thought we were getting better and better and didn't want to make an album.

"We got to the point where we thought we were good enough to make a record, we're writing the best songs and we're at home with each other."

The band also revealed that they will be releasing an EP of completely new material just three months after Box Of Secrets.

Ansell said: "Because we've been playing loads, during sound checks we've been jamming and have got some new songs.

"We didn't want to sit on them for ages and wait until we had an album's worth.

"They are quite rocking though."

Blood Red Shoes single Say Something, Say Anything is out now.