They’ve have been championed by DJs including Lauren Laverne, Steve Lamacq, Rob Da Bank, Huw Stephens, Gideon Coe, Bethan Elfyn and Shell Zenner. Across a packed 2014, Tuff Love played festivals including Glastonbury, T in the Park, Wickerman, Howlin’ Fling and Long Division, toured the UK and Europe, and opened for artists including PAWS, Real Estate, Joanna Gruesome, Perfect Pussy and Honeyblood. The video for their single ‘Flamingo’ was directed by and starred comedian Josie Long. Dross will be released by Lost Map Records on 10” coloured vinyl (w/ download code) and as an iTunes download.
Tuff Love are Julie Eisenstein (guitar, vocals) and Suse Bear (bass, vocals – also a member of fellow Lost Map artists Monoganon and The Pictish Trail’s live band). They come from Glasgow, and they write dazzling, sun-streaked guitar pop songs with mesmerising lyrics, heart-wrenching vocals and dreamy melodies like the sound of pure summer. They make all their music in Suse’s flat, self-engineering and self-producing everything. They wouldn’t have it any other way. “We know the best way we like to record and produce things,” says Suse. Where Junk was a very “home” sounding record, as they put it, companion piece Dross captures more of the essence of the band’s blistering live shows, as honeyed harmonies laze behind fuzz-drenched guitars, sleek bass lines and bruising drumming. ‘Slammer’ orbits a tense riff in the verses and lets rip in the choruses as Julie politely proclaims “I’ve got rage”. ‘That’s Right’ is a soaring adrenaline shot themed around instructions on a box of pain killers. ‘Sebastian’ bristles with low-down dropped-tuning hooks. Written on the night bus to London, ‘Cum’ is a swaying, savage-tender musing on regret and compassion. Get set to fall in love with Tuff Love all over again.
‘A band to fall in love with’ – The Guardian
‘Great college rock… They look set to have a bright summer’ – NME
‘Perfect pop music’ – Vic Galloway, BBC Radio Scotland