Earning an impressive live reputation on the vibrant and competitive Oxford music scene, Black Hats are Ian Budd (Bass & Vocals), Nick Breakspear (Guitar & Vocals) and Mark Franklin (Drums & Vocals).

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Their debut EP, Austerity for the Hoi Polloi (produced by Sam Williams – Plan B, Supergrass), garnered praise online from sites such as Muzu.tv, Stereoboard and Red Hot Velvet and received acclaim in local press such as the Oxford Mail and Ocelot Magazine.

 

Follow-up singles 'Button Down Shirt' and 'Gang of One' earned equal praise with the band finding commercial success in the US with their single 'No More Smoke...' - the song featured in both Shameless and The Magician on US TV.

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Their most recent EP, Bad News Telephone (August 2019) caused a stir in the press with rave reviews across the board.

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High-profile shows at Truck Festival, Wychwood, Gathering Festival and support slots with Dodgy and NME darlings, Spector, have strengthened support that the band has already had from BBC Introducing Oxfordshire and BBC 6Music (Tom Robinson). Oxford’s respected music journal, Nightshift Magazine, has sighted Black Hats as ‘ahead of the current crop.’