Kirkby rock trio set to release debut album

Desensitised, consisting of singer and bassist Charlotte Radford, 26, guitarist Libby Butters-Smith, 25 and drummer Claire Brookes, 26 will launch their first album Sister Psychosis, on Saturday May 18 at Nottingham’s Rock City.

Although Charlotte and Libby were best friends right from nursery school, they met Claire when they moved up to Ashfield Comprehensive School.

The trio started the band in 2011 after being inspired by their favourite musicians.

Singer and bassist Charlotte, who is a teacher by day, said the band are ’so excited’ about the launch party.

“We have worked so hard on this album so we are looking forward to celebrating its release and having a great time,” she added.

Libby, who is also a teacher, said: “It’s heartwarming to see our efforts paying off.”

Sister Psychosis was recorded at Belper’s Sound-Hub studios, and has been described as a ‘masterpiece’.

Already receiving glowing reviews from smallmusicscene.com, and Devolution Magazine, Desensitised are tipped to become a force to reckon with in 2019.

Their single, Wasted, was played on BBC Nottinghamshire’s Introducing, in March.

Inspired by bands such as Nirvana, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys and Blink-182, listeners can expect “catchy choruses, vibrant guitar riffs and punchy drum beats”.

“It’s difficult to pick a favourite song, but some stand-out tracks for us personally are ‘Emily’, ‘All Eyes On Her’ and ‘I See Red’,” Charlotte added. s.

Through pre-orders of the album, Charlotte, Libby and Claire have managed to fund its production without a record deal.

Libby said: “We did it without any major record label backing, as we had a clear vision of what we wanted, and wanted to do it ourselves.

“We rely on social media and word of mouth if you want something done right you should do it yourself.”

The entrepreneurial musicians describe themselves as a DIY band, and have big plans for the future.

Charlotte said: “Ideally we would love to be able to play in the band full time and focus on writing new music and touring.

“We are a DIY band and do absolutely everything ourselves.

“We are proud of what we have achieved so far and plan to continue working hard to share our music with the world.”

Desensitised have a tour coming up with dates in Derby and Nottingham, and say touring is important.

“Every gig we play gains us new fans so it’s important to us to keep visiting new places,” said Charlotte.

“The response we’ve had to our live shows has been amazing and we are so appreciative of those who travel far and wide to see us play.”

As a female band in a male dominated industry, Desensitised may have faced challenges, but are determined not to let that hold them back.

“The only challenges we have faced in that sense have been other people’s misconceptions of us, some people see women playing rock music as a novelty, and we have certainly experienced sexist situations both at gigs and online.

“The quality of our music speaks for itself, and we refuse to let anyone else’s negativity affect our love of being in a band, making music and rocking out at gigs,” said Charlotte

And they have solid advice for any wannabe young rock stars out there who might want to follow in their footsteps: “Do it! Go out to local gigs to meet like-minded people and start a band. Teach yourself to play an instrument or book a lesson. Writing a song and hearing it come to life is the best feeling in the world, if you work hard you can achieve anything you want to.”

Desensitised will launch Sister Psychosis at Nottingham's Rock City on Saturday May 18. Doors open at 6.30pm, and tickets are £5 in advance, £6 on the door.

With support from Yur Mum and The Dandylions

To find out more, or buy tickets visit: www.desensitised.co.uk/tourTo see Desensitised in action, visit their social media sites:

https://www.youtube.com/desensitisedukhttps://www.facebook.com/DesensitisedUKhttps://www.twitter.com/desensitised_ukhttps://www.instagram.com/desensitiseduk/