Bella Union have just announced the signing of excellent Dutch collective Personal Trainer, one of the most hardworking, exciting, joyful and buzzed about bands on the scene right now. Every gig is like a warm shot of dopamine, a ‘Big Love Blanket’ or a sonic hug woven with warmth, skill and eclectic onstage energy.
Fresh with freewheeling spirit, the have been gathering a large tribe of devoted fans on their frequent tours making huge waves at festivals like SXSW, The Great Escape and Rockaway Beach. Personal Trainer will release their second album via Bella Union next year. To celebrate the signing, Personal Trainer have released a new Double A-side single, ‘The Feeling”/“Babyolifantjes’ ,two recordings of long-time live favourites. Epic nine-minute lead track ‘The Feeling’ comes accompanied by a video directed by Giacomo Speyart utilising documentary-style footage he shot on a trip to China and it’s such a crowd pleaser. Watch the video here:
Following their recent sold-out headline show at The Garage in London and support shows with BC Camplight, Personal Trainer have announced news of a busy live schedule for 2024 including UK headline shows in late January and early February as part of International Venue Week and a co-headline tour in April with their new labelmates Pom Poko which includes a performance at the Electric Ballroom in London on 25th April,
Led by Willem Smit, the group’s conductor and cheerleader, Dutch indie champions Personal Trainer self-released their debut LP Big Love Blanket towards the end of 2022. Featuring in many Best of the Year lists in the in their home country, the group also received praise in the UK from the likes of Marc Riley, who has had the band in for three sessions within the past twelve months, leading the charge on the radio alongside support from the likes of Jack Saunders, Steve Lamacq, Amy Lame and Deb Grant.
Recorded at Katzwijm Studio with Daan Duurland, ‘The Feeling’ and ‘Babyolifantjes’ (the Dutch word for Baby Elephants) are snapshots the skill and energy that Personal Trainer have on stage.
It’s a given that Personal Trainer will continue to seek out charmingly impulsive ways to court chaos within their big-hearted pop anthems: an exciting proposition for the band’s biggest show yet, capping off the year at TivoliVredenburg’s 2000-capacity Ronda venue on 21st December.
The signing to Bella Union marks a new and exciting chapter for Personal Trainer, who have been a tumultuous DIY-operation up until now. “It’s funny: when we talked to (label founder) Simon Raymonde, I found out during our first conversation that he was in Cocteau Twins, the very first band my dad (John Cees Smit of Dutch indie legends Scram C Baby) ever saw live”, Smit enthuses. “I thought that was a funny idea too. It’s a nice, exciting new stage for the band. It feels like a new sequence of trying new things. I hope people discover Personal Trainer who might otherwise would never have heard of us.”
Known for their rousing and electric live shows, this year Personal Trainer took to the stage at festivals such as SXSW in the USA, Eurosonic and Best Kept Secret in the Netherlands, End of the Road Festival , Great Escape and Wilderness in the UK and so many more. Having started the year with sold out UK & Netherland tours, the band recently played their biggest London show to date at The Garage. The band continue their busy live schedule in 2024.
Go and see them if you can. It’ll be one of the most dopamine filled gigs you can go to and we can’t wait to hear their second upcoming album with their new label, Bella Union.
See Personal Trainer Live:
DECEMBER
21 – Ronda – TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht (NL)
JANUARY
27 – Winterfestival @ Gebr. De Nobel, Leiden(NL)
29 – Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich (IVW tour with The Klittens & Real Farmer) (UK)
30 – The Horn, St Albans (IVW tour with The Klittens & Real Farmer (UK)
31 – Junction 2, Cambridge (IVW tour with The Klittens & Real Farmer) (UK)
FEBRUARY
01 – The Crescent, York (IVW tour with The Klittens & Real Farmer)(UK)
02 – Trades Club, Hebden Bridge (IVW tour with The Klittens & Real Farmer)(UK)
03-Sidney & Matilda, Sheffield (IVW tour with The Klittens & Real Farmer)
06 – Razzmatazz, Barcelona (Spain)
07 – Siroco, Madrid( Spain)
08 – 16 Toneladas, Valencia (Spain)
FEBRUARY
21 – MENT- (Slovenia)
23 – Le Point FMR, Paris w/ Pip Blom (France)
24 – L’aéronef, Lille w/ Pip Blom (France)
29 – Yuca, Cologne – w/ Pip Blom (Germany)
MARCH
01 March – Molotow (Skybar), Hamburg w/ Pip Blom (Germany)
02 March – Badehaus, Berlin w/ Pip Blom (Germany)
08 March – Grasnapolsky, Groningen (Netherlands)
APRIL
19 – The Sugarmill, Stoke – Co-headline w/ Pom Poko (UK)
20 – Canvas, Manchester – Co-headline w/ Pom Poko (UK)
21 – The Caves, Edinburgh Co-headline w/ Pom Poko
23 – The Wardrobe, Leeds Co-headline w/ Pom Poko
24 – The Beacon, Bristol Co-headline w/ Pom Poko
25 – Electric Ballroom, London Co-headline w/ Pom Poko
26 – Concorde 2, Brighton Co-headline w/ Pom Poko
HOME | Personal Trainer (personaltrainertheband.com)
(photo credit: Marieke Amplify)