Hands On Approach
Encyclopedia
Hands on Approach are a Portuguese
Pop rock
band based on Setúbal
, Portugal
. Band members are: João Luís (bass), Rui David (vocals/acoustic guitar) and Sérgio Mendes
(lead guitars).
) when a DJ
from a national radio station heard him. He enjoyed the songs and invited Rui to play them live on his late night program. After that, and for the next 3 years, the band did the usual circuit of live performances, music festivals and making demos
. In 1999 Universal/PolyGram signed up the band.
The band’s debut album, called Blown, was released in March, 1999 and sold just below platinum. The first single to be taken from the album was My Wonder Moon and it remained in first place of the Portuguese airplay charts for almost two months. In 2004 this song was still on the top 20 airplay. The second single, Silent Speech, which had a considerable airplay as well, was the opening track of the album. The band was 1999's revelation in the Portuguese music scene and toured intensively, playing 90 concerts in the first 8 months after the release of the album. A Brazilian edition of Blown was released, with an extra CD recorded live.
November 2000 saw the release of their second album, Moving Spirits, which gathered substantial airplay (first single was The Endless Road) and took the band to the road for another series of well recognized performances around the country. This time, another musician joined them, (well established composer/keyboard player, Hugo Novo). Both records were recorded and produced by Darren Allison
, who has also worked with Skunk Anansie
, Spiritualized
and The Divine Comedy
.
After 4 years of recording and touring, the band felt prepared for bigger challenges. That led them to leave Universal for an independent label, Metrosonic Records. With the company's full support and commitment to the band's goal of becoming an international act, Hands on Approach started working, in October 2002, on their third album which took them 5 months of hiding on the luxurious surroundings of São Pedro do Sul
, where the label's own studio is situated.
The album Groovin' on Monster's eye-balls was released in September 2005 and the first single to come out was A chance, a song that conquered the hearts of many new fans by appearing on the soundtrack of an audience-leader TV show series called Morangos com Açucar
. After the release of the album, the band was confident that they had done a good job, but the massive hit that turned their second single, If you give up the most played song of the year in Portuguese radio, was beyond their dreams. The song is a powerful ballad sang in duet with singer Treana Morris. The song remained in the top 20 for an amazing 6 months and as confirmed Hands on Approach as an established and one of the most prolific acts in the Portuguese music scene. Last year the band was on the road for 3 months and finished recording an acoustic DVD that marks their 10th anniversary.
Moving Spirits, (2000)
Groovin' on Monsters eye-balls, (2005)
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
Pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band based on Setúbal
Setúbal
Setúbal is the main city in Setúbal Municipality in Portugal with a total area of 172.0 km² and a total population of 118,696 inhabitants in the municipality. The city proper has 89,303 inhabitants....
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. Band members are: João Luís (bass), Rui David (vocals/acoustic guitar) and Sérgio Mendes
Sergio Mendes
Sérgio Santos Mendes is a Brazilian musician. He has released over thirty-five albums, and plays bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk....
(lead guitars).
Career
In early 1996 the band's vocalist, Rui David, was playing acoustic guitar and singing on a beach in the Algarve (south of PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
) when a DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
from a national radio station heard him. He enjoyed the songs and invited Rui to play them live on his late night program. After that, and for the next 3 years, the band did the usual circuit of live performances, music festivals and making demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
. In 1999 Universal/PolyGram signed up the band.
The band’s debut album, called Blown, was released in March, 1999 and sold just below platinum. The first single to be taken from the album was My Wonder Moon and it remained in first place of the Portuguese airplay charts for almost two months. In 2004 this song was still on the top 20 airplay. The second single, Silent Speech, which had a considerable airplay as well, was the opening track of the album. The band was 1999's revelation in the Portuguese music scene and toured intensively, playing 90 concerts in the first 8 months after the release of the album. A Brazilian edition of Blown was released, with an extra CD recorded live.
November 2000 saw the release of their second album, Moving Spirits, which gathered substantial airplay (first single was The Endless Road) and took the band to the road for another series of well recognized performances around the country. This time, another musician joined them, (well established composer/keyboard player, Hugo Novo). Both records were recorded and produced by Darren Allison
Darren Allison
Darren Allison , is a British record producer, musician, and recording engineer, best known for his work on the epic soundscapes of such artists as The Divine Comedy, Spiritualized, and ,more recently, Efterklang.-Selected Discography:...
, who has also worked with Skunk Anansie
Skunk Anansie
Skunk Anansie is an English rock band whose members include Skin , Cass , Ace and Mark Richardson .Skunk Anansie formed in March 1994, disbanded in 2001 and reformed in 2009...
, Spiritualized
Spiritualized
Spiritualized are an English space rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire by Jason Pierce after the demise of his previous outfit, space-rockers Spacemen 3...
and The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and his death in 1321. It is widely considered the preeminent work of Italian literature, and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature...
.
After 4 years of recording and touring, the band felt prepared for bigger challenges. That led them to leave Universal for an independent label, Metrosonic Records. With the company's full support and commitment to the band's goal of becoming an international act, Hands on Approach started working, in October 2002, on their third album which took them 5 months of hiding on the luxurious surroundings of São Pedro do Sul
São Pedro do Sul
São Pedro do Sul is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 349.0 km² and a total population of 19,215 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 19 parishes and is located in the district Viseu....
, where the label's own studio is situated.
The album Groovin' on Monster's eye-balls was released in September 2005 and the first single to come out was A chance, a song that conquered the hearts of many new fans by appearing on the soundtrack of an audience-leader TV show series called Morangos com Açucar
Morangos com Açúcar
Morangos com Açúcar is a Portuguese Teen drama. It is broadcasted daily on the Portuguese TV station TVI since 2003. In Portugal, it is currently on its eight season....
. After the release of the album, the band was confident that they had done a good job, but the massive hit that turned their second single, If you give up the most played song of the year in Portuguese radio, was beyond their dreams. The song is a powerful ballad sang in duet with singer Treana Morris. The song remained in the top 20 for an amazing 6 months and as confirmed Hands on Approach as an established and one of the most prolific acts in the Portuguese music scene. Last year the band was on the road for 3 months and finished recording an acoustic DVD that marks their 10th anniversary.
Studio albums
Blown, (1999)Moving Spirits, (2000)
Groovin' on Monsters eye-balls, (2005)