12/07/08
Just to let you know, the screening night at the Roxy has been moved from the 17th of July to 7th August. Also we're making the gig at the 12 bar on the 18th our last for a bit, I've taken up drums and im smashing them to peices for a couple of other bands. I'm writing new songs, oh and ive joined a choir, so uk states will have to wait till the next cd is out. which could be....october. more likely january. please come to one or other or both of the next two nights, wanna make them biguns!

21/05/08
well, its been a testing time here at uk states, our main-man, talisman, guru, DJ, all round good guy and pensmith of "cabin in the woods" Mr Countryfunk, aka Dougie Trumps has been ill. Gigs have not been the same without the heckling and post-gig anihilathon. A Normal service will soon be resumed at our forthcoming gigs including a screening of once mentioned video at the roxy and a trip to lynton to play their loevly festival in june, a few london dates are booked too, have a look!

03/03/08
Thanks to everyone for coming and making our single launch do a real laugh. apolgies that the video-jockying wasnt upto scratch, we'll sort out a proper screening night at the Roxy on borough High st sometime instead. we have a couple of gigs in march from E5 to SW9 so whatever your hood, pop in for a beer
11/01/08
Show Without Show Without Punch! SWP have had to pull out of the show on the 22nd which, frankly, would never have been forgiven if it wasn't for the other news; we've found a lovely harmony singer to join the band, so all's good, please welcome to the stage.. Jo Clarkson!!!!

15/12/07
We've been shortlisted for album of the year at House of Mercy radio!

19/11/07
Oooh! Neil Young has put one of our tunes on his website! I can just picture him now, holding back his hair and scratching his side burns as converts our track to an mp3 and inserts a link into his living with war page, his tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth as he carefully types "Eyes In The Back Of Your Head" by "UK STATES"! have a look at his web skills here and get a free download before we drop out of his top 100 and forfeit being invited to support on his next tour! which would surely happen.

5/11/07
GIG FLASH! November 18th at the The Ivy House for Pipe and Slippers. Our first gig in over a year and featuring a brand new line up of southern stars! Mike Forde on percussion (UK State of Catford) and George Brufton on bass (UK State of Streatham). nice.

22/10/07
UK States are humbly thankful to Shirley, Steve, Nick and all at Weatherbox and hitBACK records for putting out our 2nd album "Psychogeography". You will be able to stick it in your shopping trolley from October 29th but in the meantime you can listen to all the tracks right here on our spangly new website.

OLD NEWS FROM THE OLD WEBSITE....

summer 2007
hey Ive found a great new bass player in George Brufton and a lovelt fellow to play congas, Mike Forde, its a new era!!!
spring 2007
the new album is done! but Toby has quit, i need a band. a band anyone? anyone got a band? i need one.
winter 2006
Tobe and I did a gig, not much fun, someone wrote, in the time it took for them to complere their 20 minute set, it felt like the time from when the sex pistols had split up to the current day. I can only concur.
autumn 2006
havent heard from Tobe in a while. spect hes "going for it" somewhere in woolwich.
summer 2006
back in touch with Toby, "lets go for it". Yeah! he's been up a couple of times. Ive written some new songs
spring 2006
back from aus but Im living on gumtree, trying to find a new band, auditions, that would make a good C4 doc.
winter 2005
I'm playing with Jolyon in Australia, having the time of my life. SMS from Toby: "Sorry dude, Ive got to quit the band, the shit has hit the fan. love boot". He'd found a band that liked gruff vocals in his own post code. cheers boot! HitBack records have offered to put out our next album. "Our"??? that must mean. me and....
July 2005
Well, now weÕre just getting lazy, we only made one outing this month to the best decorated gig in London; the Fabulous Whats Cookin. Tobys tunes have made nosed their way into the set and now he keeps blowing me off stage with them, dispite my attempts to sabotage him with highly suspect mandolin scratching and asthmatic harp sucking. But while IÕm still booking the gigs, the man wit the most hair still fronts the band.
June 2005
Toby and I have had to have a break from ÒSticking it to the manÓ and instead have been working for him. Which is no good.
Spring 2005
Trips to Manchester and Bristol were great fun, despite an incredibly moody landlady incident in the humdrum town. Thanks to Sam and Alex for a their hospitality and summer warmers on the saturday, the spirit made it most of the way up the M4, then we hit the tins. There have been some notable London gigs too; thanks to our friends at Stolen recordings for putting us on at the Spitz, which was heaving. And Andy at the 12 Bar, which always feels like a home fixture.
Winter 2004
WeÕve got new songs coming out of our ears at the moment, and hopefully into yours at a gig near you sometime soon. WeÕre pleased to introduce some new recruits for the forthcoming gigs É. notre batteur: Ian Escario e en guitare basse: Pete Cherry. The album is set to be released in the spring, distributed by Cargo records. And weÕre really pleased to have Paddy Forwood handling press and Lee Conlon at overground looking after radioplay.

Autumn 2004 Finished the debut Album "House" at Bark Studios with Brian O'Shaughnessy. taking a break from gigging because Jo is in Oz and Toby's having a baby. Been going to alot of other great gigs though... Femi Kuti at the Barbican Martin Carthy at the Cellar Upstairs Folk Club The Redlands Palomino Co at Come-down-and-meet-the-folks Wizz Jones at the Islington Folk Club Nick Cave at Brixton Academy Silver Ray at The Spitz Tony Bennett at The Lincoln Centre New York, New York Kevin Tihista at Water Rats Violent Femmes at The Forum
Summer 2004
Gigs galore. Uk states made their electric debut at the Windmill and also ventured out of London, The highlight had to be Steve Lamacqs "Good Afternoon" in Devon, but Manchester was brilliant even without the ape. Supporting the Magic Numbers at the Borderline was cool too and apparently "we didnt sound as shit as we looked" (the fly) fair enough, well i was wearing sandals. "Well Done You're Number One" was released online
Spring 2004
Jolyon Gray joined the band on lap steel and we started gigging, first up, a set for Stolen Records at Catch 22 supporting The Belles, followed by a couple of great performances at The 12 Bar and The Windmill. Plus a private show at the Barracuda club featuring Andrew Morgan.
NEWS FROM BEFORE THE INTERNET EXISTED
In 2003 i suddenly found myself out of work and a bit bored then I realsied, i know what, I havent been in a band for about 5 years, that was fun, sort of. maybe I'll do that. So i gathered some mates from SE London and formed "Southern Star". We were under the mentorage of Nigel Adams from Eat sleep records and things were looking good until, On the eve of going into the studio to record our first single, my lung collapsed in a bizzare kitchen incident. Well, bizare that i was in the kitchen at least and other reasons that i wont got into, well i was taking some exercise of sorts.. ..anyway..that left me out of action for about 6 months sat on my arse watching seinfeld DVDs and my lifes savings go down the tubes.
By the time I'd recovered, my band had split; one to california, one to margate, and the other, I dont know where. So I formed a new trio called "Parker Brothers" with my friend Richard Turner, built on a mutual love of the film "funny bones" and tea.
The bass player Alan Gregg had written his own album and left to form "Marshmallow" so we all went with him!
In 2004 I was playing a kind of bearded Paul McCartney on bass for John Cunningham and a sober David Crosby for Alan when a friend of a friend heard my southern star demos and offered to manage me, the first thing he said was "quit those other bloody bands and have a shave you look like the biggest geek this side of the bare naked ladies, and start drinking, whats wrong with you!"
"Yes Mr Hurley, yes sir. right away" With foam still in my earholes and a 4-pack in my gig-bag I got in the studio. Fueled on late night Thai takeouts I Recorded 5 tracks; "Fortune Cookies" and Mastered them at Abbey Road. Old SE mate Toby Carter was helping out and decided join so "UK States" was born. I know, awful name.