ENTER SHIKARI
Enter Shikari formed in St. Albans, England in 2003 they are a post-hardcore band with a mix of trance. During 2003 and 2004, the band released three demo EPs that were available from their website and their considerable number of live gigs. Their extensive touring built a considerable fanbase and they were offered a spot on the Gibson/MySpace stage at 2006′s Download Festival. On November 4, 2006, they became only the second unsigned band to ever sell out London Astoria (the first being The Darkness). There followed a major record label frenzy to sign the band.
In late 2006, despite many huge offers from major labels, the band announced that they had decided to ‘go it alone’ on their own label, Ambush Reality, with assistance from their distributor Vital (PIAS).
The band’s debut album, Take to the Skies, was released on March 19, 2007 and on March 25 it reached number 4 in the UK Official Album Charts and went on to be certified Gold in the UK and sell 250,000 copies worldwide.
Enter Shikari have since licensed their releases to Tiny Evil Records n the USA, Which is an Interscope imprint and part of Universal. Ambush Reality have also signed a distribution deal with Warner Music in order to make the album Common Dreads and future releases, more accessible outside of the UK and also more widely advertised and promoted.
Second album Common Dreads was released through Ambush Reality on the 15th June 2009 and debuted at #16 on the UK top 40 album chart.