Bands to watch in 2011: Penguins Kill Polar Bears & ticket competition!

Penguins Kill Polar Bears

 When it came to thinking about the bands that people should be keeping an eye on in 2011 these guys were one of the first names to come to my head. After the release of their great debut EP "Dawn" the band went from strength to strength playing dates down in Wimbledon Calling, supporting acts like Twin Atlantic, Twilight Sad and Errors and ofcourse being featured in our live award...ok not as cool as supporting Twilight Sad but still pretty good. With the impending release of their new EP "Vessels & Veins" and a huge headline tour I managed to track them down and ask them a few questions. After the interview theres a little competition to win tickets to see them on Wednesday night at King Tuts with the awesome Carnivores & Scores.

1. Happy New Year, how are you all doing?

We're good, but Bloated! We've basically just eaten so much over the Xmas period that we look like The Pixies when they had their comeback tour. We have the combined mass of a small planet.

2. Any resolutions?

Less Talk, More Rock!

3. Are you excited about your big new years revolution gig next week with Flood Of Red?

Yeah definitely, we're all pretty stoked for that one. King Tuts is one of our favourite places to play and we haven't played there since the summer so we're just excited to play there again. The fact that we'll be playing with some cool bands is just the cherry on a really nice cake. Think we'll have a loudness war with Carnivores on our hands though... easy!

4. How do you think the band have progressed since the release of Dawn

It's almost as if Dawn's been a springboard for us, we weren't really doing much before hand and then Murray our manager came on board and helped us to put out the first EP, since then it's been nothing but gigs. Lots of people got into it which is a big confidence boost to us, it makes us hungry to do more.

5. Feeling any pressure now you've got labels on both sides of the atlantic and a big headline tour or just exctied?

Pressure? No. The fact that there are people on the other side of the pond who have shown an interest in us and want to put our music out over there is humbling more than anything else. As far as the tour is concerned, we just can't wait to get out there and play! We've been itching to get back up to Inverness after the last time we played there and there's lots of places on the tour we've never been so, yeah, we're like kids at Christmas!

6. Whats the new EP like?

                                         It's pretty loud. Probably the only way we can describe it.

7. Whats been the highlight of the past year?

There's been lots. Releasing the EP, first tour, opening for Twilight Sad / British Sea Power / And So I Watch You From Afar, playing a charity show dressed as Zombies, adopting/kidnapping a girl from Finland in London, we just called her Finland.

8. How do you hope to expand over the next say 6 months, any idea of fest slots etc?

I guess we'll just take it as it comes. We'd love to play as many festivals as possible, it just depends if any of them want us to come play for them. It's something we've never done before. Our friends in Make Sparks used to put on a festival at Lunan Bay on the east coast of Scotland which is pretty much the most perfect beach in the UK. We're twisting their arm to put it back on again. Beach + BBQ + good bands = ideal weekend!

9. How Do Penguins Kill Polar Bears? surely the commute must be killer for a penguin hit man to start with.

You back a Penguin into a corner and it'll do some damage. Didn't everyone think George Foreman would destroy Ali? Look how that went down!

10. Parting thoughts?

We're not really political but... if we all had a penny for every time Nick Clegg lied, could we all afford to pay for University?

So PKPB will be playing at the awesome King Tuts on Wednesday night in support of Flood Of Red as part of the New Years Revolution festival. And they've been nice enough to put up a pair of tickets for you to win! What nice guys eh? My question is how would you take down a polar bear? Email your answers to soundsurroundsblog@gmail.com or answer on the facebook page here.