The Ting Tings
The Ting Tings are an English indie/electronic band, consisting of two members: Jules De Martino (drums, vocals) and Katie White (vocals, guitar, bass drum). They formed in 2006 when based at Islington Mill, Salford; a building that is home to artists and emerging creative ventures dealing in everything from fine art to theatre and film[1].
Katie White first appeared as a teenager in girl group TKO - short for Total Knock Out. The band, consisted of Katie and two friends. TKO supported acts like Steps and Five but never signed a record deal or released a record.[2]
Jules De Martino started out in a teenage band called Babakoto, and released a single called "Just To Get By" in 1987. After Babakoto split up De Martino was singer in an indie rock group "Mojo Pin". Mojo Pin released two singles, "You" in 1995 and "My Imagination" in 1996.
He met White whilst she was in TKO just before they split. A few months later the pair bumped into each other and went on to form trio Dear Eskiimo who were signed to Mercury Records - but creative differences and the management style of the record label caused them to split.[3]
This earlier experience left White and De Martino with a distrust of the music industry, so when they formed The Tings Tings the band started out playing private parties at the Mill, which ended up as some of the most sought after tickets on the Manchester party scene - with various A&R reps and record producers, including American Rick Rubin who artistes include the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Johnny Cash, asking for tickets.[3]
Their first single That's Not My Name was released on local label Switchflicker, and together with their second single Fruit Machine were on heavy rotation in British radio (amongst others BBC 6 Music, played regularly by many DJs including a session for Steve Lamacq), are considered Indie music hits. Fruit Machine was a limited-edition, 500-only seven-inch single on Legendre Starkie Records, which was only available at the group's Electrowerkz gigs in Salford, Islington, Berlin and at Glasslands in Brooklyn, New York City.[4]
They had a notable performance at Glastonbury Festival 2007, and after an October 2007 tour of Universities in the UK with Reverend and the Makers, signed for Columbia Records,[5] and appeared on Later with Jools Holland on 14 December, 2007.
In January 2008 they were voted third in the annual BBC 6 Music poll of industry experts Sound of 2008, for acts to emerge in the coming year.[2] In February 2008 they are the opening slot act on the 2008 Shockwaves NME Awards Tour, performing with The Cribs, Joe Lean And The Jing Jang Jong and Does It Offend You, Yeah?.[6]
Their latest single, Great DJ, is the first major single for the band. Released on Columbia Records, it has received considerable airplay on new music stations BBC Radio 1 and Xfm in the UK; it has also been hyped by magazines such as the NME with a tentative release date of March 3rd.
The Ting Tings Forums
| The Ting Tings | Topics | Posts |
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| The Ting Tings General Forum | 1 | 1 |
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We Started Nothing
– Track by track album lyrics.
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| Discography – Every single, EP & album the Ting Tings have released. | 1 | 1 |