DRAGON WELDING - UP AND AWAY

Dragon Welding began as an anagram of lead guitarist and co-songwriter Andrew Golding, also a co-founder of indie noise-pop legends The Wolfhounds. An eclectic eponymous debut album was issued in 2019, followed by the all-instrumental 'Lights Behind The Eyes’ (2021) and the mighty ‘Fictionary’ (2023). Encompassing all that had gone before while also looking firmly forwards, the last of these featured 'The Dark' (feat. Anthony Chapman of Collapsed Lung) and 'An Angel Not Of This Earth' (feat. Alice Golding of labelmates The Othyrs), both hits in a parallel universe displaying the prowess of a group that has never stood still.

Following a live show in 2023 where a last minute replacement vocalist had been required for a few tracks, Nik Cockshott (formerly of ‘90s leftfield indie rockers The Spores and The Keatons) joined Golding and the duo immediately began working in a more consistently song focused direction. A new album was swiftly recorded before Cockshott emigrated from London to Manchester, since when they have worked together remotely. This initially resulted in the 2024 single 'These Are Dangerous Times', a radical electronic reworking of the very first Dragon Welding release from five years prior that neatly marked the full circle rebirth of the group.

With a consistent voice and solid focus on idiosyncratic and at times downright dark electronic backing, augmented by an increasing plethora of obtuse instrumentation topped by unpretentious ecologically and socially aware lyrics, this incarnation of Dragon Welding is now ready to exceed all expectations.

'Up And Away' is the first song to emerge from the aforementioned new album, 'The Naughty Step', which is set for release in January 2025 via Dimple Discs and is a clarion call to a dozing generation, or something. Its homemade video perfectly captures the barely contained infectious hooks within. The EP also includes two other new tracks, 'Sick Of The Sight Of Lies’ and ‘Grumpy’, neither of which will appear on ’The Naughty Step’. Expect more, imminently….