Stourbridge Unsigned rockers Giant and the Georges release fourth single

They're "absolutely over the moon" - and this group of Brierley Hill and Stourbridge lads have every right to be.

Brierley Hill and Stourbridge rockers Giant and the Georges

Giant and the Georges (GATG) are basking in the glory of picking up the award for Best Indie Band at Friday's inaugural Black Country Music Awards in Wolverhampton, and all the increased exposure that comes with it.

It comes on the back of their "surprise award" from M.A.S. Records in Kidderminster for songwriting earlier this year, and they've got their fourth single out today as well.

"Massive thanks to everyone for all of their support," they tweeted after their BCMA2019 win, and when we speak to guitarist and vocalist Ben George those are still the sentiments in their minds.

"We were shocked and ecstatic to win the 'Best Indie Band' award as we were up against some very tough and well-respected competition," he said.

"We take pride in our work ethic and creativity, but we understand that we wouldn't have achieved anything near what we have without all the support from everyone. Too many people to thank, but they all know who they are!

"We'd like to think people nominated us for our tunes and live performances."

Ben, aged 29, is one half of the Georges their name references. His 25-year-old younger brother Sam provides the other half of the guitar strumming and also adds his voice to the mix.

There's also their six-foot-two bassist and vocalist Luke Best, 24, who is the Giant in their name. Kristian 'K Man' Hohn, 23, bangs the drums at the back of the stage.

"We switch up who sings lead vocals and plays the solos, and Sam and Luke swap instruments for a few songs," Ben adds of their eclectic and clearly talented line-up.

Back to the Black Country Music Awards, and it is an experience they enjoyed and hope will not be their last.

"It was an amazing night," Ben adds. "There was a real sense of camaraderie and the organisers did a sterling job. It was great to see so many faces we know from the circuit, as well as old friends we grew up with.

"Our friends at Ye Olde Foundry [in Dudley] won the award for Best Venue under 300 capacity, [Kidderminster-turned-Black Country band] WEAK13 scored Best Music Video and [Amblecote boozer] The Maverick won Best Open Mic.

"The latter was especially important to us as our mate John Langford has been there from the start and helped us with getting some of our first gigs as Giant and the Georges."

Camaraderie is something that pops up in these Unsigned columns almost every week. Bands who meet each other on the gigging circuit club together to help and support one another, whether it's through sharing social media posts about new releases or backing each other up at many of the region's various top quality live venues.

And GATG will be hoping to count on that support network again from today as they release their fourth single - Blind Love - to the world. They've been backed previously by BBC Introducing, and are hoping for similar exposure via the region's airwaves.

Available via the usual digital outlets such as Spotify, it follows up previous tracks Dopamine, Just Another Day and In The Sunshine.

Speaking of the single, Ben adds: "Blind Love is one of our favourite songs to perform. Its dark lyricism paints an image of the seedy underbelly of society. It fuses a reggae rhythm with harmonic minor patterns, screaming lead and tight vocal harmonies."

It was recorded by Craig Davis at RML studios in Wolverhampton, nestled inside the Newhampton Arts Centre on Dunkley Street, strengthening the Black Country theme to this track further.

And to top it off, they will also launch it in the region at acclaimed hometown venue Katie Fitzgerald's tonight. Support will be provided by Kidderminster rockers The Space, as well as Kingswinford's Martha Darcy.

The event runs from 7pm to 11pm and tickets are available from WeGotTickets for £3.30, including a booking fee.

And for those that might not have seen the four-piece in action before, what does a Giant and the Georges show entail?

"People who have never seen us before can expect driving rhythms, intricate picking, infectious vocal hooks and intriguing variety from one song to the next," Ben continues.

"Everyone comes away from our shows with their own ideas of what we sound like, but all can agree that you'll take the time to really listen to and appreciate the music or else get carried away by it."

With those promises ringing in our ears, then surely the band have some real hints of big things to come to whet the appetites of fans old and new alike?

Unfortunately, Ben is a little bit more guarded than that and shrouds the immediate future in secrecy, adding: "We have many irons in the fire at the moment, but that would be telling!"

But there's plenty to enjoy in the meantime. As well as tonight's gig at Katie Fitzgerald's there's a support slot for former Unsigned column star Sam Lambeth to look forward to at Birmingham's The Victoria on July 12. They will also be supporting The Clinks alongside Ed Strong and Aaron Armstrong at the Second City's Actress & Bishop on August 16.

"You can check out our previous releases on Spotify, and feel free to share," Ben suggests. "Better still, come see one of our live shows."

Let's hope the future is one Giant success for this group of likely lads.

Giant and the Georges can be found on Twitter @GiantGeorges and Facebook @GiantandtheGeorges. Tickets to tonight's launch show at Katie Fitzgerald's can be bought from WeGotTickets, while more information on the band can be found at their website www.giantandthegeorges.co.uk/