With newborn acts growing stronger by the month and fully-grown artists flexing and stretching nicely, this latest Furious? Records update brings you a healthy balance of news. Of course, what it doesn’t bring you is the true story about how they’re all robots intricately programmed to take over the world. But that’s probably best left for another month.

Everyone
The first band to sign to Furious? Records while still in their embryonic phase, Everyone have subsequently brought a little sparkle into the world. Not only has their eponymous debut album been released to the delight of, um, everyone, but their North American tour in support of Sonicflood has left audiences marvelling at their ability to get under a crowd’s skin.

With tales of epic support from radio and vital interest from print, Everyone have done everything they need and more to help establish themselves as the band to listen out for this year.

Christianity Today tagged the album as being ‘a cut above the rest’ while Gospelsite.net declared Everyone ‘the most original, appealing and moving effort of 2003.’

Gig reviews have been similarly euphoric, with crowds turning up the heat for the band’s 21st century take on worship that mainlines direct to the heart. Like so many other acts Everyone connect with the audience between entry and exit, but what sets this band apart is the speed in which this happens. To see it in action, punters can treat themselves to a double dose of Everyone and Delirious at a couple of dates at the end of May. On the 30th they will both be at the YC 2003 conference in Edmonton, Canada, while the next day will find them slipping down the coast to Santa Clara, with a gig on June 1st at the Palladium, LA.

Delirious?
As well as planning dates with Everyone, being busy in the studio and gigging in North America (including a couple of recent ‘Acquire The Fire’ events and a mini-tour of the great and the good just after Easter), the band have been playing host to various film crews, journos and media types who all seem to want a sniff of the Delirious pie these days. The boys have also been getting ready to release some more treats into the market place. May 6th sees the North American release of Libertad, the band’s ear-catching Spanish language project. With new vocals recorded by Martin, Libertad looks set to continue its worldwide success as it brings the band’s material direct to a new audience that is often neglected. The band have also released Access:d, their latest and most intricately delirious live offering. The double CD has already done the business worldwide and is currently taking up temporary residence on North American shop shelves.

But that’s not all, as the band are currently in training for the release of their debut DVD. Out on May 31st and known as Archive:d, the digital treat brings together a bewildering array of Delirious visuals from over the years. As well as the live tour video from 1997 (‘A View From The Terraces’) and the promo/documentary ‘Promod:e’, the DVD also features the previously unreleased videos for ‘I Could Sing’, ‘Take Me Away’ and ‘Waiting For The Summer’. As if that wasn’t enough the techies have also squeezed on the title sequence from the Fire Tour as well the background videos from five of the tour’s top tracks.

What makes Archive:d extra special is the fact that its new NTSC format means that it will play on any DVD machine, regardless of region. It’s also available worldwide direct from Furious? Records [try www.delirious.co.uk] and comes in conjunction with a very special sweatshirt offer.

Graham Kendrick
Graham’s latest and much-anticipated album ‘Do Something Beautiful’ has made an impressive start out of the blocks. Backed up by a sell-out major UK Cathedral tour, it has been winging its way out of the stockroom since its April 5th release date. Early reviews have been suitably charmed and many have already pointed to the duets with Tim Hughes and Darlene Zschech and the title track (chosen as this year’s Spring Harvest 25th Anniversary theme song) as instant classics. With a UK tour coming up as well as further key appearances in the diary, expect Graham’s latest to spark even more flames over the coming months.

All Star United
Still on a buzz from the success of their radio single ‘Sweet Jesus’, All Star United served up the goods we all know and love when they appeared at the Tsunami showcase – an event which turned out to be one of the serious fringe benefits of this year’s GMA. The band delivered their usual cart load of diamond-edge tunes, but this time with the added grunt of a fifth band member. Like all great bands their life-blood can be found on stage. Watch out for details of transfusions near you.

As well as sorting out the suits at GMA, ASU have plugged into some feisty new power source right now, with their website bearing the fruit. It comes in the form of new track ‘Taboo’: a truly engaging, captivating piece of song writing. Go to www.allstarunited.com and look for yourself.

Superhero
The four-piece guitaring anarchists from Glasgow are cueing up their debut album release with their first single, Stars and Fragile. The single gets released on 19th May in the UK, with the album following on June 23rd. Created by a couple of early years crammed in a transit van while delivering multiple gigs each week, the album has been crafted by producer Alan Branch (Primal Scream, Bjork, Sade). Possessing the midas touch, Superhero are a band whose future in the UK charts will be as exciting as it will be epic.

Release schedule:

Everyone: Everyone: released May 17th [rest of world outside north america] out now North America

Delirious?: Libertad, cutting edge songs in Spanish: released May 6th 2003 [North America] out now rest of world

Delirious?: Archive:d, DVD including "a view from the terraces" and "promode": released May 31st 2003