New Starts are a spikey, fresh sounding band recalling the poppier ends of new wave and angular guitar rock. Lead singer Darren Hayman has his own long career running from the late 90s with John Peel faves Hefner to his more recent albums dealing with the English Civil War, William Morris and forgotten rural idylls. “I wanted a band again,” says Hayman, “and not a band that just backed me up and played my old songs. When we form our first bands in our teens we just find some friends and work through the musical differences. I usually look for players who play in a way I’m used to. This time I looked for variance and was led by people’s personality.” I decided that I would say ‘yes’ to every suggestion from the band, regardless of my instinct.” This made the songs warp and bend into new shapes and ensured that the record was the product of four individuals (Hayman, guitarist Joely Smith, bassist Giles Barrett and drummer Will Connor) Pretty much the only rhythm I use, left to my own devices, is the ‘road runner’ rhythm. More Break Up Songs is a collection of 12 Break Up songs because Darren broke up with someone. Again. “I suck’, he says, “But it’s never anyone’s fault. It makes me very sad but I do have to work through these things in song and there’s always something to learn. I try to make songs about breakups that could be understood by both parties. I’m not interested in nasty songs.” “I wanted it to be bright, immediate and young sounding, despite the fact I’m old. We recorded it in four days and I think this might be the record a lot of my audience has wanted me to make for a long time.”
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Recommended equipment and accessories
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Ortofon 2M Red Cartridge
Features an elliptical stylus that accurately tracks the grooves of vinyl records, delivering a rich, detailed sound with an output voltage of 5.5 mV
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Denon DP-400
Featuring a high-precision, belt-driven mechanism and an adjustable tonearm that ensures optimal tracking and minimal resonance
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Audioengine A2 Plus
Precision-engineered 2.75-inch woofers and a 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter, featuring built-in DAC and Bluetooth connectivity for seamless integration.
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Ortofon 2M Blue Premounted
Mounted on the SH-4 Black Headshell, this setup delivers exceptional clarity, dynamic range, and accurate sound reproduction.
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HumminGuru: Ultrasonic Vinyl Record Cleaner
Advanced ultrasonic technology with customizable cleaning cycles and a large tank capacity to thoroughly remove dust, dirt, and contaminants
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
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My Morning Jacket Z (20th Anniversary) [3xLP]
Ato Records
October 3, 2025 -
Kojey Radical Don't Look Down
Warner Bros UK
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Ben Webster King of the Tenors (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series)
Verve
October 24, 2025 -
Factory Floor Tell Me
Phantasy Sound
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Priscilla Block Things You Didn't See Light (Gold)
InDent Records
October 10, 2025 -
James Morrison Fight Another Day (White)
Cooking Vinyl
October 10, 2025 -
Motion City Soundtrack The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World
Epitaph
September 19, 2025 -
Emma Louise & Flume Dumb
Flume
October 10, 2025 -
Boo Boos Young Love
Play It Again Sam
September 19, 2025 -
Leon Vynehall In Daytona (Yellow)
Ooze INC
September 19, 2025 -
Other Lives Volume V
Play It Again Sam
October 9, 2025 -
Minami Kitasono Meridian
Jet Set
September 19, 2025 -
Wretched Decay
Metal Blade
October 17, 2025 -
Ludovico Einaudi & Leo Einaudi Einaudi V Einaudi
Decca UK
October 24, 2025