Miss Black America

(MBA) are a rock band based in Suffolk, England. Its members are Seymour Glass (voice/guitar), Dan Smart (drums, previously Simon Chapple and Simon Cooper), Mat Anthony (lead guitar, previously Gish), Laura Kidd (bass/voice, previously Mike Smith and Ryan Banwell). Miss Black America formed in the sleepy English town of Bury St Edmunds in October 1999. Influenced as much by drum ‘n’ bass, The Stone Roses and dEUS as The Clash, their sound was a direct reaction to the boredom and frustration of small-town life, and their incendiary live shows quickly earning them a rabid and loyal fan base. Debut single, the self-financed ‘Adrenaline Junkie Class-A Mentalist EP’, sold out within weeks of release after legendary DJ John Peel began to champion the band on his Radio One show. Over the next couple of years, the band recorded numerous sessions for Peel, and in 2003 were invited by the man himself to play at the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, Holland. MBA signed to Integrity Records (home to Million Dead, Reuben and Katastrophy Wife) in 2001, and debut album ’God Bless Miss Black America’ won widespread critical praise (Rolling Stone’s Michael Krugman and Jason Cohen voted ‘God Bless…‘ Album of the Year 2002); all five singles from the album ranked highly in John Peel’s Festive Fifty and live favourite ‘Talk Hard’ was Virgin Radio’s Single Of The Week. The band’s hefty touring schedule and close association with Rock Against Racism has also seen them playing high-profile supports with The Libertines, Buzzcocks, Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, The Others, Doves, Billy Bragg, Cornershop, Alabama 3, The Dears, The Dandy Warhols, Kinesis, Therapy?, Reuben and Ms Dynamite. After a year’s break from touring to write and record, Miss Black America signed to London-based Ruby Slippers Records in August 2005. Following a series of riotous gigs in the capital, new album ‘Terminal’ has once again attracted praise from the UK press, backed up with enthusiastic radio support and sessions for XFM and BBC 6music. The first single from the album, ‘Dot Dot Dot’, was Rock Sound’s Single Of The Month, while follow-up ‘Drowning By Numbers’ was The Independent’s Single Of The Week. Miss Black America are currently planning their first full European Tour for Spring 2006, and a UK tour with We Start Fires is booked for April.