Lau

Lau are modern folk music's most innovative band. Brilliant musicians, thrilling performers and free-thinking visionaries.

Their latest album 'Race the Loser' (Reveal Records) was recorded in Scotland through the spring of 2012 with American producer Tucker Martine (Sufjan Stevens, The Decemberists, R.E.M., Laura Veirs). The album has become Lau's best-selling and most acclaimed release to date. Accolades include five stars from The Guardian, who also listed the album in their Best Albums of the Year poll, and a shortlist nomination for Scottish Album of the Year 2013 (SAY Awards). Following the release in October 2012, Lau were invited to perform on prestigious BBC music TV show "Later...with Jools Holland" performing 'torsa' and 'throwing pennies' from 'Race the loser.'

In February 2013 lau won the award for Best Group at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for a fourth time (winners previously in 2008, 2009 and 2010).

2007 debut album 'Lightweights and Gentlemen' mixed original tunes with inspired arrangements of traditional material and rocketed Lau to the fore of the burgeoning new-folk scene. This was followed by the much-loved 'Live' album just a year later. In 2009 came the equally acclaimed 'Arc Light,' with a grander setting that produced a heavily played single 'Winter Moon' and an invitation from Mojo Magazine to cover the Beatles' 'Dear Prudence' for their 'White Album' celebrations.

As Lau's reputation has grown, so too has their desire to collaborate with other artists. Following successful international touring, a proud catalogue of major festival appearances, side projects and solo recordings, came a string of intriguing collaborations that took place leading up to the release of 'Race the Loser.' In 2012 Lau were invited by Jack Bruce (Cream) to take part in a BBC documentary about his life and music. The chemistry was so strong that Jack subsequently featured Lau in a live show celebrating his back catalogue. Lau have released two collaborative EPs with Karine Polwart and Adem, and wrote and performed a vast orchestral work 'Strange Attractors' with composer Brian Irvine and Northern Sinfonia.

'Race the Loser' received incredible reviews, with critics acknowledging it as Lau's best, most universal and significant music yet, the sound of three exceptionally talented friends embracing with open arms yet another new chapter of what has already been an extraordinary musical journey.

Lau launched 'Race the Loser' with their own sold-out mini-festival (Lau-Land) over a long weekend in London's Kings Place. Shows included a live performance to a film by Scottish director Ruth Paxton and concerts from Mercury Prize nominees (2012) King Creosote and John Hopkins. In April 2013 Lau released a collaborative single with Scottish indie rock band Frightened Rabbit, for Record Store Day.

2013 saw Lau performing across Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan and selling out their largest UK headline show to date in advance at London's Union Chapel.

Solo works outside Lau have continued to appear at regular intervals: Martin Green wrote and performed a new commission for Opera North entitled 'Crow's Bones' (featuring Becky Unthank and Inge Thomson), Kris Drever released an acclaimed new album with E?amonn Coyne ('Storymap') in February, and Aidan O'Rourke had his third solo album ('Hotline') released by Reveal Records in July 2013.

The band will release a new EP featuring remixes by Matthew Herbert, Claro Intelecto, Silver Columns (Adem), Andreas Lust (Frightened Rabbit), Sei-A and Haiku Salut (who will be special guests on all of Lau's November UK shows).

The future for Lau looks brighter still with more collaborations, Lau-Land festival events and major touring.