LA PORTA NUOVA Rumblefish 4,000,000 Telephones

Welcome to the website of Summerhouse Records, home to some of the most exquisite and memorable British (and European) indiepop since the late 1980s – a whole wealth of great sounds, and still growing today.

Summerhouse Records

Summerhouse Records was formed in 1986 in Stockton-on-Tees, north east England, initially to release records by local bands Friends and Whirlpool Guest House and the avant-garde funk band 4,000,000 Telephones. The label grew to sign Rumblefish, Quinn The Eskimo, Showstar, Skinner and Southbeach before contracting again to focus on label founder William Jones’ band Friends. Several albums have been licensed to overseas labels, particularly in Japan, and the label has recently signed Italian/English band La Porta Nuova.

La Porta Nuova

La Porta Nuova

NEW ARTIST

La Porta Nuova is an Italian/English band, formed in June 2021 by William Jones, the former singer and songwriter of Friends, and based in Turin. The band are: William Jones (voice, guitar), Ivano Gruarin (guitar), Francesco Vecchia (bass) and Alex Bonacci (drums).

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Friends

FEATURED ARTIST

Friends formed in 1986 in Stockton-on-Tees, north east England. Singer, guitarist and songwriter William Jones was the constant factor in the band, which released 12 albums and seven singles before finishing in 2021.

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La Porta Nuova - Elisa

Elisa

The Zen House

The Zen House

Single Friends

Single Friends

Spangleland

Spangleland

Late Night Early Morning

Late Night Early Morning

Beautiful You

Beautiful You

NEWS

La Porta Nuova second single

August 2023

The second single by La Porta Nuova was released in August 2023. The Italian/English band, formed by former Friends singer, guitarist and songwriter William Jones, recorded the first songs at Imagina Studios in Turin, where they were produced and mixed by Alessandro Ciola. The title track, Glorious Day, features the magnificent London Community Gospel Choir, who bring the song to a momentous climax with several minutes of unaccompanied singing. Where Did It Go? features a string quartet, and all four songs display the band’s range of instrumentation and voices in songs ranging from pure pop to raw rock. Glorious Day is available from all downloads and streaming sites.

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NEWS

La Porta Nuova first single

May 2022

The first single by new band La Porta Nuova was released at the end of May. The Italian/English band, formed by former Friends singer, guitarist and songwriter William Jones, recorded the four songs at Imagina Studios in Turin early in 2022, and the title track includes a mix of English and Italian lyrics. The other three songs showcase different aspects of the band’s style, and the single, available digitally only, will be the first in a series of four-track singles. It’s available from all downloads and streaming outlets.

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NEWS

Friends call it a day

May 2021

Friends, the band that started the Summerhouse label, along with Whirlpool Guest House and 4,000,000 Telephones, have decided to call it a day. Founder member William Jones said: “The challenges of keeping it going when part of the band is in Italy and part in the UK, proved too much, and we weren’t making any progress in developing new songs. Of course you can do a lot on the internet, but for me it’s not as good as working together as a band, three or four people in the same room, and developing songs organically.”

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