Thanks for everyones continued support at gigs, check out a review of our new track 7 years here: Penny Black Music Also go to www.myspace.com/thedeparturemusic to talk about gigs, meet other fans and see a video of our tour so far Speak soon the departure

The shows so far summed up in a few words - Norwich (a homecoming celebration for sam and simon), Leicester (a piece of rock and roll history to be forgotten and then remembered), nottingham (getting better, sam is on fine form tonight attacking the guitar with a ferocity dave grohl would be proud of), Preston (someone tell the students there's a great rock band playing at your union tonight would ya - very hospitable, great rider), Bristol (attentive! the new songs are coming through now and confidence is on the up), and finally Cardiff (the welsh are always on top form, the merch sellers particularly did a great job...a lot of bartering going on for half price t shirts too...how could we say no!) in other news simon has finished the first episode of the departure tour diary we will put the link up as soon as its on youtube.. see you on the rest of the tour the departure x

The Departure will be heading out next week on their first UK tour of 2007. 31 dates starting in Norwich on 12th Sept and ending with a home town show in Northampton on 19th Oct.
To help mark the occasion an extraordinarily limited hand-stamped 7" vinyl of new song '7 Years' will be given away to those who get down early to the venues at each gig. First 50 people through the door and that's your lot!
Also, as you've probably already noticed, you can download a FREE MP3 of '7 Years' from this very site right now.
To listen to the track as well as another brand new song Chemicals, you can go to www.myspace.com/thedeparturemusic
More updates on support acts for the tour coming soon...

Hi everyone, the Forum is now running again, there are tour dates on the main page, (click on The Departure Logo if you missed them) plus a free special 7" single for the first 50 entrants into each of our up coming gigs ... special huh! Hope you are all well, the next phaze of The Departure is about to begin...

Hi guys, we have temporarily disabled the forum but you can go to our myspace page and leave comments. Thankyou for your continued support. To all of the fans we have addresses for and promised something through the post, this will be arriving as soon as the tour dates have been confirmed for August/September. We are currently rehearsing and writing B sides, and also playing the odd warm up gig. These are usually confirmed the day before the show so if you don't hear from us about these shows until the last minute, we apologise. But we are playing tonight at the Hope and Anchor in Coventry, on at 10.30pm - hope to see you there the departure x

Right now....this minute...we are mixing our record.....its been a road filled with potholes, self-reflection, heartaches and bellyaches, and other such things.... We have an album title - but we are yet to disclose ..... New website will come soon....and we may even be able to play some gigs soon...imagine that!!! see you soon the departure xx

Happy New Year guys - 2007 - the year of the pig - and the year of The Departure - fingers crossed anyway - January is a crucial time for us - so sorry if we're not around that much - we will make up for it tho... the departure xxx

hi guys and girls We have a special treat for you this Christmas, we are playing some choice tracks from our new album due next year, plus a couple or three of our older tracks from the first album. lets make it a special evening - we are so excited about the new stuff and we want you all to share the excitement. check out www.myspace.com/thedeparturemusic for more details and updates....... the departure xx

The studio that we are working in at the moment - which we have nicknamed - LIONEL'S PLACE (AND YES THERE IS A THEME TUNE!!) is a sitcom waiting to happen, and over the coming weeks we will have stills and video footage of us and Lionel bonding over Ikea lamps and expensive leather sofas....enjoy xx david xx

hi guys, This is the first official news item since we broke the news of Andy leaving the band. We are really sorry to see him go, and we just want to say that there was nothing personal involved with the decision. We wish Andy all the best in the future, and we are still on speaking terms etc...it was an amicable decision. For all those of you who are wondering what is going on now, well...we have a clutch of new tunes, that are, we feel, a strong progression from our first album. we are working 5 days a week with a producer - who is shit hotlet me tell you - and then rehearsing at the weekends to kick the tunes into shape. We are all really vibed about the album now.....and although its been a tough year...but things are finally paying off....thanks for sticking around guys...I know that some of you may be going 'what the f**k' and we dont blame you....but we are also really confident that our new tunes are so hot right now hehe..... A new website is being designed as previously mentioned - but is hanging in the balance as we dont want to have to change it again when the album campaign begins......its going to be really exciting and very interactive - we are also filming stuff from the studio - cant wait to wet your appetites.... the departure xxx

The Departure (all of them) will be live on the Forum from 7-8pm for a question and answer session on Sunday 23rd July.

Thanks for the feedback on the new songs guys....we are almost there I feel with the album blah blah ... just thought it was about time for a news item.. keep the dream alive kids... the departure xx

For those who haven't had an e-mail from The Departure on myspace there is a low Key, mini tour, in May. Dates are on the Tour Dates page

Hi guys...we are playing a few low-key gigs in May to roadtest some new material and stuff....it'd be really cool if we could see lots of our fans there .... the exact dates will follow ...the gigs will be our first as a fourpiece. the departure Also there will be two new acoustic tracks on myspace over the weekend..

Hi guys....got over-excited last night and posted some new lyrics on myspace (in a blog)....probably take them down soon but anyway.... yours truly..

Hi..a fan from the Netherlands sent us this picture that was inspired by the song 'Talkshow' .....its really rather good....and it got us to thinking that it would be cool to ask all of our fans to see what they can come up with creatively.....with a lean towards the future ... so if anyone has got any creative ideas - doesn't have to be drawing or painting or whatever....it can be ANYTHING...then submit stuff to our myspace page....or email us from this site telling us that you dont have myspace or whatever and we'll sort out an alternative way to receive your stuff.... The bigger version will be up on the site somewhere soon, but it gives you an idea..... the departure

Hi guys...we are demoing next week and will post some of these onto myspace....we haven't forgotten.....we all want to put them up as much as you want to hear them but we cant run away with ourselves now can we...!! anyway .... bye bye

hi guys Sorry to have been so aloof of late.....just to say we are going to be putting some new songs on myspace shortly and would love your feedback.....also we are going to record some rehearsals so you can get an idea of how the new record is shaping up...and just so you can see us in action .... hope everyone is ok.....things are moving on quite nicely here....we have had some tough times...but there is light at the end of the tunnel....and we are all very excited right now.... speak soon the departure ps...we will let you know the finer details of when the new songs are appearing online, next week....

The waiting is killing you we know...its killing us too but things are going well.....we are itching to play live again and show you all what we've been up to... for now bye bye .... the departure its all elementary!

Hi there....I know there has been a lot of speculation and talk in light of recent events, on the forum...well just like to say.....could any harsh words directed at people be left for coffee table chat........us, the band, are the only people who really know whats going on...so please trust us and be assured that we are writing some top tunes right now and cant wait to play live.....we are trying to schedule some live stuff as soon as poss to play some new songs and try out as a fourpiece.....(im hearing backing tracks) hehe......anyway things are cool......as I hope you guys are... Thanks to everyone for sticking by us......as someone else said....what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.. david xx

Just to confirm Lee's post on the forum....we're afraid the news is true. Lee has left due to artistic differences (to torture a cliche) and so forth... Lee's contribution to The Departure has been great and we will miss him dearly, he is still a dear friend and the decision was strictly a professional one....we wish Lee all the best of luck for the future Further more....The Departure are still hard at writing what is turning out to be a great second album! Which we hope you will all hear very soon. As ever, thank you for your continued support....see you very soon. The Departure xx

Hi there people, we are continuing our love hate relationship with schedules and discovering new things all the time.... The more you look the less you see.....isn't that right Sorry to be so cryptic ... thought we'd check in ... to tell you we are thinking of you.... the departure

Happy New Year everyone......thanks to everyone who came to see us at the Soundhaus......it was an amazing show.....we have all enjoyed our christmas break and are now back at HQ to continue our assault ..... check diary (new entry from Andy), forum and our myspace account for more info..... www.myspace.com/thedeparturemusic

Hi guys.....in case any of you had forgotten we are filming the Soundhaus show and giving you a chance to win an interview with the band and also to get a free copy of the dvd with the interview and show on it.... If you are in the queue with the first 50 people you will receive a hamper...and inside this will be a question or two .... The answers will be put into a hat and the winners/s will grab the jackpot prize.....sound cool?? Well anyway just to remind you and to say we are looking forward to a great night!!! The Departure

Hi not sure if anyone knows about this already, but for those of you who dont....we are featured in the 'Inspired by' rizla exibition...we did a lovely photoshoot in a London public house...which involved a crowd and a piece of wire!! anyway here is the link - www.inspired-by.co.uk check it out...and let us know what you think...you can go and see the exibition - featuring lots of bands and artists: 1st - 22nd December 2005 The Exhibition Gallery, Golderbrock House, 15/19 Great Titchfield Street, London W1 enjoy xxxx

Its monday morning.....aah....we are aiming to get 6 songs finished by 14th dec...and then we will be playing them....somewhere.....we havent worked out where yet...but it could be a diy affair...... There are a few people who are wanting details on new songs and stuff...well we have a number that we are working on - Too Pretty - single material! Headlights - muse anyone! Here They Come - just off the press Stupid Song - upbeat catchy little number Lost Myself - ballad for the broken These are only working titles......and maybe I am giving too much away...but thought i would let you know what we are doing so you dont think we have gone to Iceland for a seasonal break!! speak soon the departure xxxx

Hi guys just to say that anyone who hasnt brought a ticket to the Soundhaus and wants to come now is your chance.... Writing is going well......we are trying some new tracks out at the Soundhaus ... Its gonna be exciting.....the departure religion sounds cool...but what about 'the departed' - debate at your leisure... David xx

hi We are going to be previewing new material at an intimate venue very soon....you will have to be sharper than sharp to work out where its gonna be......but dont worry the clues will be ample... The Soundhaus gig is almost sold out.....we have yet more surprises for the gig......none disclosed thus far... We may be going to Ireland for an exclusive show soon too....not sure what's going on its all up in the air and crazy right now....but thats the only way to be....normality is boring! speak soon david xx

Hey how is everyone? We have been showcasing all week...to keep the MAN happy....i say that in the nicest possible way.....we are getting somewhere at the moment its all good....we are getting closer to finishing the album....we have lots of ideas flying around..... There are yet more surprises for the soundhaus gig......ooooh but you will have to wait!! see you soonx

There are only about 50 tickets left for the Soundhaus so everyone who hasnt got one should hurry....... Xx

URGENT - CALLING ALL DEPARTURE FANS OR ANYBODY ELSE WHO STUMBLES ACROSS THIS BOARD TO HELP OUT WITH KEEPING THE ROADMENDER OPEN IN NORTHAMPTON.. www.roadmender.org IS THE WEBSITE - YOU CAN SIGN A PETITION THERE .. AND ALSO ATTEND A PUBLIC MEETING - 10TH NOVEMBER IN THE AFTERNOON I BELIEVE - call 604222 for more info

hi So competition competition - the first 50 people through the door at the Soundhaus will each receive a free Departure goodie bag (it will be exciting we promise) as well as a list of questions which will prove how well do know the Departure - it will contain random questions about the band....and many of them may use the debut album as a reference point....just a tip...anyway the top 5 or 10, haven't decided yet, will get the chance to make a small video interview with the band backstage - you will receive a free dvd (or video) to take home and cherish for the rest of your days!! how exiting..... Oh and could someone make some departure santa hats please!! the departure xxx

Keep checking the diary entries we're updating quite regularly now. Also a group has been set up on www.myspace.com - Thanks Tash! - So join up...

Hi We have some exciting news for you...the Soundhaus show (23rd December) is going to be filmed,and we are going to be conducting a competition on the night, which will allow you to get your hands on a free copy of the video and a short little interview by the band, and footage of you meeting the band either before or after the show.... The competition wont be hard to win ... that's all we know.... Whose going to the show....? Tickets are going pretty fast so it may be an idea to purchase soon to avoid dissapointment...this will be a night to remember...(www.seetickets.com) the departure xxx

Hi guys....thanks for your support.......I've been thinking, this website isnt exciting enough for ya, we havent updated the diary for eons, and the links page is boring....amongst other things... so, here is what we are going to do... Update the diary ... and turn it into a kind of writing log....how everythings going....this will be accompanied by video footage of us rehearsing and stuff, which we will post as much as we can starting soon..... - (diary) Basically we just want you guys to feel as involved as possible..and we realise we have been a little slack on the web front lately....so accept our apologies...and we hope you enjoy our extra little titbits we have in store.... david xxx

Unfortunately the release date for 'Arms Around Me' has been moved back a week to 17th October - sorry! - But on the bright side you now have more time to pre-order it, if you haven't already - remember it will only be available for ONE DAY.

The MTV2 Bandwagon Tour starts tonight in Leeds, we're also in Newcastle, Liverpool, Loughborough, Warwick, Southampton and Swansea, Plus a gig with the Subways in London, Hope you can make it to one - or more! Get there early tonight as the first 50 people through the door will get a limited edition 10" tour sampler featuring a track from each of the bands. The Departure track included is 'This New Craze'.

Hi guys, hi to everyone on the forum who has been helping us by voting and stuff.....dont lose faith!! oh, and we are rehearsing at the moment and working on new stuff...no details disclosed just yet but we are doing good...... Thinking about plasticine men a lot, and wondering how long it would take to make a music video using plasticine....moving every frame... so there you go...too much time on my hands!! david xxx

The new 'Arms Around Me' video can now be viewed on the Media section on the Promo Video page

Arms Around Me will be released as a single in the UK on 10th Oct. It will available on extremely limited edition 7" coloured vinyl only and will be available for just one day. The B-side will be Arms Around Me (acoustic). The video for the track will be coming to the website soon!

hi guys Just to let you know you can watch the 'Arms Around Me' video exclusively on MTV2 this week ... enjoy and make sure you vote for it too.... the departure xxxx

MTV2 BANDWAGON TOUR ANNOUNCED The Departure will be playing 7 different student unions across the UK in October with Clor, The Kooks and Viva Voce as part of the MTV2 Bandwagon Tour. Viva Voce will open each gig with the other 3 bands rotating the headline slot. The full list of dates are on the tour dates page. Click here to view the poster

Hi Seeing as we havent updated the news section at all lately...thought I would say hi from Japan....I am in Tokyo, and at the hotel. We have acquired some presents from some fans already.....pretty cool watches actually....and we are doing lots of promo and getting excited about playing the festival at the weekend. have to go now...more later...... Australia was amazing though, there is an Oxford Street, a Liverpool and a Newcastle.....go figure!! david xx

You know when you turn up somewhere and you are not quite sure what to expect? well that's how we felt when we arrived at Paleo festival in Switzerland. We thought it would be a small festival with not much atmosphere...how wrong were we? the crowd were amazing, they didnt know who we were, well most of them, and the tent was absolutely packed.....we felt invincible...it was an incredible experience...thanks to everyone who made it happen....especially the crowd.... V FESTIVAL IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE GOOD TO LIVE UP TO THIS! And the cool thing is we are playing in the same tent tonight so it will happen all over again !! the departure xxxx

Hi guys just saying thanks for coming to T in the Park and Oxegen we had a wicked time, Snoop Dogg's bouncers are hu-age they were sitting outside his dressing room looking very scary...there necks were as big as my waist seriously.....we are going to germany tonight, which we are looking forward to..... Songs for the new album are coming together.....ideas are being put onto Ben's lovely laptop ..... we will keep you guys posted as to how its all going.... the departure

DIRTY WORDS COMPETITION WINNER ANNOUNCED! Congratulations to Liam Flanagan who is the winner of our Dirty Words competition! You will be receiving your Fuji Finepix 450 Digital Camera in the post this week! Well done! Commiserations to those who didn't win, but they'll be more competitions coming to the site soon....

Thankyou to everyone who came to see us in Manchester last night, there wasn't a stage, but the atmosphere seemed to be really good....it was just a little strange for me ... that's all !!! I am sitting in an easy internet cafe in Dublin right now as we are playing Oxegen tomorow....we are excited about this one... We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to anyone who has been affected by the terrorist attacks yesterday....we all have friends in london and I hope they are all ok!! Also who wants to help us with our next video?? Maybe a forum thread should be started about this!!

Hi, A big thankyou to everyone who came to see us at Glastonbury....we had a fantastic time, even though we got through many pairs of trousers due to the mud!!! We are shooting our next video soon, and may require some assistance from some of our fans....full details posted soon.... Rockin Park in Holland was also good, and the weather over there was perfect. We had the privilige of watching Interpol from the backstage with Michael Stipe standing right next to us.....now we are back in England working on new songs and looking forward to playing Stay Beautiful in London on Friday night. speak soon david x

All the tracks from Dirty Words are now available as ringtones/realtones for your mobile, click the REALTONES button on the Media page

Hey guys, thankyou to everyone who has brought the album so far.....did anyone hear us on Jonathan Ross on Saturday? It was hilarious....we played Arms Around Me and chatted to him for a bit.... We are in Oxford as we speak....about to play at a university ball......erm.....we will see you at Glastonbury I hope... the departure

In case you were wondering whether to buy the album or not there are LOADS of album reviews on the Press page and there's a 30 second clip of each track in the Albums section of the Media page, to help you make up your mind.

Dirty Words - the album is out today in CD and Limited Edition gatefold vinyl formats. Visit www.dirty-words.co.uk to hear clips from all the album tracks, download online tools and play the Dirty Words puzzle game.

All Mapped Out is in the shops today! To download the extra download only mixes of the track - the Remapped Out mix and The Emperor Machine Dub - visit iTunes now.

Listen to clips from all the album tracks, download online tools and play the Dirty Words puzzle game when you visit the new micro-site www.dirty-words.co.uk now! We'll be adding more content soon to keep checking in.

NORTHAMPTON SIGNING ANNOUNCED Before The Departure play their hometown gig at the Black Bottom club on 15th June they will be signing copies of Dirty Words at Virgin Megastores Northampton, 28-30 Princes Walk, Grosvener Centre @ 4pm. Full updated list of upcoming dates in the Tour Dates section.

The Departure are playing a live session on Zane Lowe TONIGHT (Wednesday 1st June) on Radio 1. Zane's show runs from 7pm until 9pm. Tune in here

hey one week until All Mapped Out is re-released....if you brought it first time around, then go buy for the fantastic new b-sides on all formats....it will be worth it! We will play one or two of the b-sides live at the Virgin Instore signing....and it would be cooler if some people knew the words! Not much else to say.....still really busy touring and spreading the word, new dates have been added to the Tour Dates page....I promise we will update our tour page more diligently in future! thanks xx

VIRGIN OXFORD STREET INSTORE GIG AND SIGNING The Departure will be celebrating the release of All Mapped Out by performing live instore at Virgin Megastore, Oxford St, London on 6th June. They will be onstage at 6pm and will also be signing copies of the single too! Also, a limited number of free 'Dirty Words' fridge magnet sets will be available from this Virgin store on the day of the single release. Ask behind the counter for more details.... After the instore gig, the band will be going straight round the corner to DJ at Wash Your Hands @ The Social bar, 5 Little Portland Street, W1. It's free entry and they will be playing their favourite records all night until midnight. They'll also be loads of free Departure giveaways on the night too.

Exclusive shows! The Departure will be playing two very special intimate shows in Brighton and Northampton (14th and 15th June) to celebrate the launch of their album 'Dirty Words', ask instore for details. Tues 14th June Audio Brighton 10 Marine Parade Brighton Doors 7pm Tickets avilable - ask instore: Rounder Records, Resident, Virgin Records and HMV Brighton Weds 15th June Black Bottom Club The Courtyard George Row Northampton Doors 8pm Tickets available - ask instore for details: HMV and Virgin Megastores Northampton.

The band are now back in the UK - latest Diary entry and theres an album review on the Press page

There's a couple of articles on the Press page, a new Diary entry and some photos from the ULU gig in April in the Gallery

"There is talk of an instore show and signing at Virgin Megastore on Oxford Street"....Find out more on in the Diary

Please vote again... this time for 'All Mapped Out' www.mtv2europe.com and click on VOTE NOW.... Please Please Thankyou!

You can view the new All Mapped Out covers plus track info on the audio section of the Media page, audio clips will be available soon... Plus there's a new entry in the Diary

The band are putting entries in the Diary again telling the joys of being on tour with Hot Hot Heat.

hi guys, the Hot Hot Heat tour is going really well....they are cool guys, and we will be partying with them quite frequently i'm sure. It seems some people are a little annoyed at the re-release of All Mapped Out...well, sorry if you don't agree with re-releases, but as it was limited edition the first time around, we want to give more people a chance to hear the song. For the fans who have been with us from the start - who we thank very much for sticking with us - we are offering three brand new b-sides - one of which we have started playing live, and two of which have never been played live before. The titles are: This New Craze Blackout Hiding Place We will see you guys shortly.....June 13th isnt that long away now.....we are all excited to finally release the album. david x xxx

The release date for the Dirty Words Album has been brought forward by one week to the 13th June plus the new video for 'All Mapped Out' is on the video section of the Media page

Thanks to everyone who brought our single...we made it into the top 30! We are about to embark on lots of touring, and so we hope to see you at some of the shows. the departure x

Check out the latest flurry of reviews and interviews on the press page...

Exclusive Carling Live 24 show! The Departure have been announced as part of the incredible line-up for this year's Carling Live 24 event taking place in London on Saturday 30th April and we've teamed up with Carling to offer The Departure fans the chance win tickets for this exclusive show at the Barfly. The Departure will be kicking off the marathon round of live music across the UK, this year taking place in London and Manchester - two of the capitals of the UK's music scene - with a special appearance at the Barfly at 9am on Saturday 30th April along with excellent Leeds band Duels in support. (doors 7am, The Departure on stage 9am). Carlinglive.com has 50 pairs of tickets up for grabs via this page: The first 50 people to enter the competition before Sunday 17th April will win a pair of tickets to The Departure gig. Check out the full event listings and ticket details for Carling Live 24 here.

More tour dates have been added for the end of April - mid May supporting Hot Hot Heat, click here for more details.

The new Departure single - 'Lump In My Throat' is out today!... Available on 2 Track CD, Enhanced CD and Ltd 7" yellow vinyl, formats feature brand new B-sides, live versions, the new video and Behind the Scenes band footage (part 1), also available to buy here Behind the Scenes (part 2) is available to view on this site on the video section of the media page.

New tour dates have been added to the tour dates page, more dates will be announced soon. Also there's a new competition to win an iPod, just click on the 'Win sticker' on this page < < < < and fill in the form, answering the all important question of course....good luck.

Hi guys, we have just got back from supporting Feeder at Manchester Apollo. It was a strange show, but I think we all enjoyed it....!! We are now travelling to Manchester to play another show with Feeder, and then we are recording some TV appearances next week, and then playing Brixton Academy on Saturday....should be a good week!! Last week we went into the studio to record three new songs....which will feature as B-sides on the next single. We are very happy with how they turned out. See you all on our headline tour next week.... the departure x

30 second clips of the 'Lump In My Throat' tracks are now available for your listening pleasure on the Media page...

Ten days without a news update....sorry!!! Hope everyone is cool. The Camden Crawl was a good night...the Dublin Castle was packed and we really enjoyed ourselves, so thanks to everyone who was there! We have some good news....we are appearing on Top of the Pops Saturday morning show (11am) on April 2nd, and then we are performing on Popworld on Sunday 3rd April (9.25am)...so make sure you check those performances out..... More to be announed shortly.... the departure xxx

Just to say... The single formats are as follows: 2-track CD 1. Lump In My Throat 2. Under The Stairs Maxi CD 1. Lump In My Throat 2. Lump In My Throat (James Ford remix) 3. Be My Enemy (Lamacq Live session) 4. Lump in My Throat (video) Plus behind-the-scenes footage Ltd edition 7" yellow vinyl (includes poster) 1. Lump In My Throat 2. The City Blurs Your Eyes So 2 new tracks, a live session track and a remix are the B-sides. Under the Stairs is the unreleased original studio version and not the live version which you might have already downloaded. The behind-the-scenes footage on the Maxi CD is stuff which we filmed on the road over the past year. We'll be adding more of this type of footage to the site soon. There's also a photo gallery on the Maxi CD too from the gigs we did at The Garage and with Gang Of Four. xxx

The video for 'Lump In My Throat' is now on the media page under promo video and the lyrics are up too, (scroll down to the bottom) and there's little Fly article on the press page

Yesterday we finished mastering our debut album. It is now entirely complete, features 11 tracks, and is called 'DIRTY WORDS'. It is going to be released in June! Thankyou to everyone who is waiting patiently to get their hands on a copy. See you guys at the Camden Crawl next week. Oh, and tickets are selling pretty fast for the ULU gig, so I suggest everyone who would like to go buy a ticket soon! We hope you are all voting for the video - see the links below and on the forum. See you all very soon. Lots more exciting news to follow. The Departure xx

Hi everyone, The video for Lump In My Throat has been added to MTV2, The Amp and Q music channels. It will also recieve a 'first play' on The Box this evening and will be available to watch on the website from next week. PLEASE VOTE for 'Lump In My Throat' on the MTV2 NME chart and on XFM Plus some photos taken in Japan have been added to the Gallery AND GET VOTING! THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU......

Thanks to Zane Lowe, Jo Whiley and all the DJ's who have been playing our record last week. The two shows we did were amazing, especially Birmingham - so thankyou to everyone who was there! We saw the video today for Lump in My Throat - it is almost finished, and should be ready for your viewing pleasure next week. Just to let you know we are doing a short tour in April around the single release....it would be great to see everyone. The tickets are on sale from this friday. See Tour Dates page for more info. thats all for now. Make sure you all text and email Radio 1 telling them how much you love 'Lump in my Throat' and it will encourage them to play it more! thankyou david x PS: You can now buy the new Lump In My Throat ringtone and realtone here

Thankyou to Steve Lamacq for playing Lump in My Throat last night on his show.....we love you Steve... we are all looking forward to playing in Birmingham on Thursday, we will see you there. xxxxxx There is also a 45 sec clip of Lump In My Throat on the audio section on the Audio/Video page

Hello people.... 'Lump in My Throat' is our next single and is going to be released on April 4th. The single will feature 2 new b-sides and a cool remix of Lump in My Throat.... We have just shot the video in Japan, and it is going to be pretty special I think.... We will be posting lots of footage from Japan onto the site shortly. I have just returned, and am very jetlagged....goodnight... david xx PS: The site has a new download section you can access from the Audio/Video page with wallpapers and banners of the band

check out the diary page for the first entries from JAPAN!...

Good Morning ladies and gentlemen, how is everybody? We are going to Japan tomorow....so we will be leaving this winter-stricken land for a few days....but when we return we will be playing lots of shows to promote the next single...and to air tracks from our forthcoming album. The Gang of Four show at Shepherds Bush was a heaving, a celebrity peppered event, and was very exciting. Gang of Four did not fail to impress either....each night they never failed to blow us away. The next video is going to be shot in Japan, but not in the obvious neon kind of way....more details on this shortly. speak soon the departure x

The Gang of Four tour is going really well, and we hope that everyone who has seen us on these dates has been converted! We are not playing at the Birmingham show with them as we are playing a special gig with Idlewild and Athlete, that unfortunately isn't open to the public! We are looking forward to playing our own show - Birmingham Academy 2 - on February 17th.....its going to be special....so we'll see you there..... Friday at Shepherds Bush Empire with Gang of Four is sold out now, so we are excited about playing in front of a packed house..... speak soon The Departure xx PS: there's a new entry on the diary page

Hey departure fans, we have just arrived back from supporting the Manic Street Preachers in Cardiff and Glasgow, thankyou to everyone who made us feel welcome at these shows....we enjoyed ourselves. Our next single is being released in March (we promise!). Sorry for the delay, we have been mixing the album and making sure it sounds right! Looking forward to seeing you at some of our shows in January and February.... speak soon. The Departure x

We are in the Feb issue of Q magazine in their 'Brit Pack' feature...check it out on the press page

Photos taken while recording at the Real World Studios in November last year have been added to the Gallery page.....

Hi All, "Under the Stairs" (live at ICA) is now available to download by itself or as part of Queen's of Noize compilation 'Best of 2005.' Just click on the link on the left. <- <- <- If you do not have iTunes on your computer the link will take you to the iTunes download page where you can install it. And don't forget our gig on Friday (7th Jan) - Queens of Noize night at Barfly, The Monarch, Camden. See you there...

Happy New Year....we wish all our fans the best for 2005.... Ok, so now christmas is done...we are going to Wales for a week, starting tomorrow, to record two more tracks and then the album will be completed!! Although the dates arent on our tour dates page yet, we are supporting Gang of Four on their January tour....which is going to be fantastic... Hope to see some of you at the Queens of Noise show on Friday.....our next single will be announced shortly also, and their will be exclusive b-sides across all formats for you to enjoy. speak soon The Departure xx

The Departure wish you all a Happy Christmas.....thankyou for coming to our shows and buying our singles this year. We are looking forward to 2005.....its going to be very exciting. let us know what you got for Christmas on the forum...we shall see who has the most interesting gift! Hope to see you at the Gang of Four shows in January.... the departure xx

There's some new dates on the tour dates page and a great review from musicOHM.com about the London Garage gig on the press page

Barcelona last night with The Tears was incredible.... - latest diary entry

Check out the latest pictures from the XFM gig at Hammersmith Apollo on the Gallery page and David's having mood swings....

To enter our competition to WIN limited edition framed and signed Departure artwork Just click on the 'WIN!' button, fill in the form and answer the question....Good Luck!! <- <- <- <- <- <- <- <- ..and by the way we now have a 'Lyrics' page

Hi departure fans.....our next single is coming out in February....in case you were wondering....there are options as to what it may be.....and we'll keep you posted.....sorry to anyone who is waiting to get their hands on the album...but it will be worth the wait we promise!! Ben, the bass player, has been working on the design for the album cover...and its looking very cool! we apologise for our lack of communication lately.....we will try and post more diary entries over the next few weeks....when the record is made we will have more time to do stuff like that!! speak soon david

Check out the new diary entries....

As the Departure are in Real World studios at the moment recording their debut album, they are keeping a diary telling the day to day happenings which has been added to site. Plus theres some cool photos from the ICA gig on the 18th October on the gallery page.

The Departure are playing with Kasabian, Embrace and The Zutons at the XFM Winter Wonderland gig at Hammersmith Apollo on 5th December to raise money for homeless chairty Shelter.

The Departure have been nominated win T4's 'Ones To Watch' award. To vote for them to win text the word VOTE followed by the the letter B to 83188 (texts cost 25p per vote plus standard network rate). All texts must be received by midnight on the 14th November. The two finalists will be announced on T4 on Saturday 20th Nov and the final winner will be announced on Sunday 21st Nov. Thanks for your votes!

You can get the official Departure ringtones downloaded to your mobile by clicking on the 'realtones' button on the audio/video page

Hello guys. Thankyou to everyone who brought our 2nd single, Be My Enemy, last week. We sold a lot more copies than All Mapped Out.......so thankyou again. We will be posting video clips of our tour antics onto the site shortly.....!! John Peel R.I.P The voice of a generation of music lovers has left us, he will be sadly missed...... the departure xxx

Just to let you know, we have some more tour dates in December if you'd like to check out the tour dates page

Hi Thankyou to Jo Whiley for making Be My Enemy her pet sound this week.... Also we are performing live on T4 today so be sure to check us out! Thankyou for the great response we have been getting on tour.... Be My Enemy is out tommorrow.... thankyou The Departure xxx

How many reviews???!!! A selection of some online reviews of our tour and forthcoming single are on the press page if you'd like to read some of them plus an interview with Sam and Ben by Amnesiac - an online music mag

We are pleased to announce another London date - 14th December at the Garage -please see tour dates page for more info. The tour is going really well. Thankyou to everyone who is coming to the shows. The first two dates have been sold out.... David xxx

Big apologies from the departure - we are playing Birmingham Academy3 on October 10th as part of our tour. We failed to announce this date on our tour dates page.... i think its possibly becauase it wasnt confirmed until after the rest of the tour was booked.....hope to see some of you at this show anyway. Sorry again for the late announcement. thankyou the departure xxxxxx

Hi guys, hope everyone is well....we are starting our first headline tour in two days...the first two dates haven't been listed on the website because they are university shows. Anyhow, hope that some of you will catch us on tour...it is going to be a crazy three weeks... see ya the departure xx ( oh and it really is us that post news on here not someone at our label....just in case you wondered )

Hi guys....you can now view the new video for second single - Be My Enemy - on the audio/video page...see what you think... we are playing at One Big Sunday this weekend at about 1 pm, followed by an In The City show in Manchester in the evening - 2 shows in a day!! Thankyou to Zane Lowe who has made us his record of the week again...how very kind. See you all soon the departure

Thankyou to everyone who has purchased a ticket for the Metro show, it has now sold out! We look forward to seeing you guys on Wednesday. Also, Steve Lamacq is playing 'Be My Enemy' tonight on radio 1....the single is to be released on October 18th... See you soon the departure...x

Thankyou to everyone who came to see us at Reading and Leeds....it was an amazing weekend. We are in the studio at the moment making sweet music. See you at The Metro in London on September 8th.. the departure xxx

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen! We are pleased to announce that we are embarking on a national headline tour in September and October.....some of the dates have been confirmed..and more are to be confirmed shortly. We'll keep you posted about the exact dates on our tour page... Also our next single release will be 'Be My Enemy' out on 18th October 2004 See you all at Reading and Leeds festivals. The Departure x

Thankyou to everyone who has brought our single....we are number 30 in the singles chart this week. All Mapped Out has exceeded all expectations and we are all very happy!! ....there are lots of things going on at the moment and all will be revealed shortly...... from Sam, David, Andy, Lee and Ben xxx

Our debut single 'All Mapped Out' is released today - how exciting. There are also a number of vinyls for sale, although they are limited edition. Sam and David will be appearing on Gonzo on MTV2 this week, so watch out for that. Also we are playing the Metro bar 'Blow up' club on 8th September. thats all for now..... go buy the single! yours ...the departure.... xxxxx

Today we are going into the studio to record our album! Check NME this week for a live review of a show we played at the Soundhaus in Northampton. Hope some of you listened to our Radio One and XFM live sessions last week.... The single is out a week today....August 2nd speak soon the departure....xxx

The cover for the 'all mapped out' CD/limited edition 7" single can be viewed on the media page

'All Mapped Out' is single of the week on Zane Lowe's show on Radio 1.He is playing the song each night of the week that his show is broadcast. Thankyou Zane Hope to see some of you at T in the Park and Oxegen festivals this weekend. These will be the first festivals and they're going to be amazing!

Please vote for the 'All Mapped Out' video on MTV2europe.com by going to the following link - http://mtv2europe.com/mtv2europe.com/nmeChart.jhtml you can also view the video on the audio/video page on this site thankyou xx

The Departure 'All Mapped Out' video is being aired on MTV2 on Monday 5th July on the NME Chart Show 'Hot New Ones', slot at around 7:40pm - 7:48 exactly in fact!

Thankyou to Steve Lamacq, Jo Whiley and Zane Lowe for playing our first single 'All Mapped Out' on Radio One this week. Please keep your comments and requests coming in to Radio One about The Departure, and the aforementioned single, which is to be released through Parlophone on August 2nd. Also look out for the video to the single on MTV2 this week - it would be really cool if you could request for it to be played as this would gently persuade the fine people at MTV to play it more often!! thankyou xx

Hey guys,i know its very late notice but Steve Lamacq is playing our first single 'All Mapped Out' on Radio One tonight between 8:30 and 9:00pm. I hope everyone is going to listen to it! Also, we have added another date with The Killers at Colchester Arts Centre on July 6th. Glasgow King Tuts last night was really cool - small, intimate venues are so exciting...and hot! see you soon....xx

We are supporting The Stills at the Mean Fiddler in London next Tuesday - 22nd June. Please check the tour dates page for more information.

The recording session with Alan Moulder is going really well. we have finished two tracks - 'Lump In My Throat' and 'Enemy' - and are about to start recording 'Don't Come Any Closer'. One of these tracks will be our second single, we'll keep you posted. thankyou to Holly and Cara for starting a forum about us online. You can reach it by going to the links page. See you all at The Legion in East London this Saturday - June 19th.

On the 19th June The Departure will headline, with "Host" supporting, at Shuffle, Cut and Draw at the Legion in Old Street, EC1, this venue (holding between 300 and 400 people) has been highlighted as one of the best places in London to catch exciting nights and new talent (in Time Out). Hosted by the Eclectic Aristocracy, dj's at the famous Shuffle in Soho Shuffle, Cut and Draw takes the Shuffle format and expands it adding live music, projections, wall mounted art and silent films to the format of a club night.

If you are interested in becoming part of the fast expanding street team and obtain free entry to shows and other free stuff then click to join our street team...

Hi Guys, sunday night we played the first show of our tour with the Killers. It was sold out and by the time we played everyone had seemingly arrived. It was by far our best performance, and the audience were very cool with us...The Killers played an amazing show too, and we're really excited about the next couple of weeks on tour with them. We'll keep you updated throughout the tour with how many bottles of champagne we manage to drink and other such important information... it'll be more like cheap beer...but here's to hoping. anyway we're off to Bristol now, hope to see some of you people at the show tonight.... david x

We have a live session on Steve Lamacq's show on Radio 1 on Monday 19th July, sometime during the programme (8pm till 12am)!!

Upcoming event... 'the art of parties' Fri May 28th Soundhaus Northampton the departure performing live and playing a selection of their favourite records until 2am.

check this out our first review.... "The Departure are five fresh faced young men from Northampton (birthplace of the mighty Bauhaus). The gig I've just seen at the 333 club in London's fashionable Hoxton is thier first in the capital, and only thier seventh ever. It's a remarkably assured performance, tightly drilled, with great tunes and killer dynamics...And they look the part: asymmetric haircuts, cravats and jerky dance moves with one very talented guitarist and one very pretty one. Which never does any harm. There are a number of music-biz movers and shakers in the house tonight, which suggests I'm not sticking my neck out too far here. Cut out this page and come back to it in a year's time. If The Departure aren't famous by then, I'll eat it" Simon Price, Independent on Sunday ABC mag)

We played club 333 on Old Street last night...it was like being in somebody's basement - very intimate..... Thanks to everyone who came along. The metal bars between us and the audience were almost necessary!! Just to say that there are a couple of adverts in the music press at the moment stating that we are on tour in April. We are not playing this tour anymore. We will keep you posted when we know our live schedule.

thankyou to everyone who came to the Roadmender and Soundhaus shows, they were very cool. Our next show is on Friday 26th March at Soundhaus supporting Bloc Party. We will have some brand new 'the departure' t-shirts for sale. The first 5 people into the event will receive a free t-shirt....please email info@thedeparture.com or visit our contact pageif you want to order a t-shirt before they run out, they are being sold at a reasonable price, although I'm not quite sure what that is yet.

we are releasing our first single/ep in April (exact date tbc) through an independent label who will not be named just yet. The record will be limited edition and available in all good independent record stores for a limited time.To get your mitts on a copy you will have to be both sharp and discerning....more details will follow - once again thanks for everyone's support.

thanks to everyone who came to see us at Nottingham Rock City - it was a really cool night.

thanks to everyone who came to our first show last night, we enjoyed ourselves - and i got to spin my favourite records! thanks to the other bands who played also - Garage Rockers the Retro Spankees were cool as f**k, keep eyes peeled for them in the future, as were Led by Lies. We're now getting ready for our show at <Nottingham Rock City next thurs - 19th supporting The Vaults. Hope to see some of you there.

If you want to keep up to date with what is happening then enter your email address on the contact page. If you are interested in becoming part of the fast expanding street team and obtain free entry to shows and other free stuff, then say so in the comments box and we will be in contact.