Blood Red Shoes

by MacKenzie Wilson
Brighton, England's Blood Red Shoes features Laura-Mary Carter (vocals/guitar) and Steven Ansell (drums/vocals), two enthusiastic punk-inspired brawlers who channel the clamor of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Duke Spirit, and Huggy Bear. Ansell, who performed with Cat on Form, and Carter, a former member of Lady Muck, came together in late 2004 upon the demise of their previous bands. With one song in tow, the angsty duo landed a gig and Blood Red Shoes was born; the name is reminiscent of Ginger Rogers, who allegedly had to redo a tap dance scene so many times that her white dancing shoes ended up covered in blood. By mid-2005, Blood Red Shoes readied the release of their debut 7" EP for the London indie imprint Jonson Family. With BBC Radio 1 and XFM championing songs such as the shouty "Victory for the Magpie" and "Don't Always Say Yes," the EP sold out in just weeks. Follow-up singles "ADHD" and "Stitch Me Back" arrived on Try Harder in early 2006. Select U.K. dates with Maxïmo Park, Panic! at the Disco, Metric, and the Rumble Strips followed in the fall.