Eliza and The Bear head into Group Therapy on album two Â

And fresh from new single Real Friends the band's second full- length, Group Therapy, is due in October. 

It's been a tumultuous couple of years for the London-based outfit. Tipped for success on their emergence in 2013/14 by many corners of the music press, a sold-out UK arena tour with Paramore followed, along with main stage appearances at the Reading and Leeds Festivals, Boardmasters, and V Festival. Their self-titled debut album made the top 40 in 2016. But then they were dropped by Universal, leading them to a crossroads and a difficult time all round, particularly for frontman James Kellegher:  '˜This record was written during some tumultuous time for Eliza, after breaking from the haze of a major label whirlwind where one day you're the man, the next they can't remember your name, we didn't know if anyone still cared about us or about what we had to say,' he says.  '˜Some people face life's problems head on, some find a way around. 

'˜Talking, for me, was never the easy route, so I never took it.

'˜But now a conversation has been started, too many times we wake up to news of another suicide, and it's becoming more frequent in the entertainment industry.  '˜Dealing with anxiety/depression/whatever your mind does to mess up your day, shouldn't be a solo effort.

'˜It became clear that we were all suffering in different ways, with different things. These different things, became songs and those songs became Group Therapy. '˜I'm hoping Group Therapy means as much to you as it does to us. Don't suffer in silence.' 

Heartbreakers, Southampton

Thursday, August 9

heartbreakersbarvenue.co.uk