Pumarosa

{{Short description|Electronic rock band based in North London, England}}

{{Infobox musical artist | website = {{URL|https://www.pumarosamusic.com|pumarosamusic.com}} | name = Pumarosa | origin = London, England | genre = {{hlist|Alternative/Indie Rock|Indie Dance|Pop/Rock}} | years_active = 2014–present | label = Fiction | current_members = * Isabel Munoz-Newsome * Nicholas Owen * Tomoya Suzuki * Neville James | past_members = * Henry Brown }}

thumb | 220x124px | right | Pumarosa performing in London '''Pumarosa''' is an English electronic rock band formed in North London in 2014.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Freeman |first=John |date=2016-10-04 |title=Passion Fruit: An Interview With Pumarosa |url=https://thequietus.com/articles/21058-pumarosa-interview |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=2023-11-11 |website=The Quietus |language=en-us}}</ref><ref name=":1"> {{Cite web |last=Hannah |first=Andrew |date=2015-11-30 |title=Pumarosa: One To Watch for 2016 |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/features/interviews/pumarosa-interview-ones-to-watch-2016 |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=2023-11-11 |website=The Line of Best Fit |language=en}}</ref> They have described their sound as "industrial spiritual".<ref name=":0" />

In a ''Guardian'' review of a live performance in 2016, Pumarosa were called the "missing link between Joy Division and Pendulum".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sullivan |first=Caroline |date=2016-10-25 |title=Pumarosa review – short, sweet and deliciously bleak |url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/oct/25/pumarosa-review-village-underground |access-date=2023-11-11 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref>

== History == The band was initially started as a duo by Isabel Munoz-Newsome (vocals, guitar) and Nicholas Owen (drums),<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Iqbal |first=Nosheen |date=2018-04-10 |title=Pumarosa's Isabel Munoz-Newsome: 'I didn't get a smear test because I was embarrassed. Stupid' |url=http://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/apr/10/pumarosa-isabel-munoz-newsome-smear-test-embarrassed-cervical-cancer |access-date=2022-11-11 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref> who had first met in 2011 through mutual friends and become part of a psychedelic punk band called Lion Child; following the group's disbanding, Munoz-Newsome played solo until 2014, when she re-united with Owen to start Pumarosa — whose name stems from the word ''pomarosa'', a colloquial term for rose apple fruits.<ref name=":0" /> The band was later expanded to include Henry Brown (bass), Tomoya Suzuki (electronics) and Neville James (lead guitar).<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Munoz-Newsome, who had studied theatre design and helped create sets for plays in pub theatres and the Royal National Theatre before pursuing a musical career,<ref name=":2" /> also took care of the artwork and stage design for the band's projects and videography.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />

In 2015, Pumarosa signed a record deal with Chess Club Records before releasing their debut single, "Priestess",<ref name=":1" /> which was reportedly inspired by the dancing performances of Munoz-Newsome's sister, Fernanda, who also featured in the track's video-clip.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> The group then released two more singles, "Cecile" and "Honey" — the latter of which was inspired by the 2015 BBC documentary ''Bitter Lake'', by Adam Curtis.<ref name=":0" />

During the last months of 2016, the band were one of the support acts of Glass Animals for the North American and European dates of their promotional tour for the album ''How to Be a Human Being''.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Pumarosa Concert & Tour History |url=https://www.concertarchives.org/bands/pumarosa |access-date=2023-11-11 |work=Concert Archives}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-09-12 |title=Glass Animals announce massive Brixton Academy gig |url=https://diymag.com/news/glass-animals-brixton-academy-show |access-date=2023-11-12 |website=DIY |language=en}}</ref>

In May 2017, Pumarosa released their debut album, ''The Witch,'' under Fiction Records;<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Mackay |first=Emily |date=2017-05-21 |title=Pumarosa: The Witch review – a surprisingly magnetic debut |language=en-GB |work=The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/may/21/pumarosa-the-witch-review-magnetic-debut |access-date=2023-11-12 |issn=0029-7712}}</ref> the concept of the LP, which was produced by Dan Carey,<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=Goggins |first=Joe |date=2019-10-28 |title=Positive Destruction: Pumarosa |url=https://diymag.com/interview/positive-destruction-pumarosa-october-2019-interview |access-date=2023-11-12 |website=DIY}}</ref> was centered around Munoz-Newsome's reading of ''Caliban and the Witch'' by Silvia Federici, a book she described as "an incredible piece of work about the transition from feudalism to capitalism from the female perspective".<ref name=":2" /> The album received widespread critical acclaim following its release,<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":12" /> and peaked at #72 on the UK Albums Chart.<ref name="uk2">{{cite web |title=PUMAROSA |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/48663/pumarosa/ |accessdate=2023-11-11 |website=Official Charts Company |publisher=}}</ref> The same week of ''The Witch''<nowiki/>'s release, Munoz-Newsome was diagnosed with cervical cancer after having a smear test;<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":12" /> however, the band decided to fulfill all of their remaining planned events — including their first TV appearance, as they performed their single "Dragonfly" on the BBC Two programme ''Later... with Jools Holland'' —<ref name=":2" /><ref name="s50e07BBCMediaCentre2">{{Cite web |date=2017-05-26 |title=Later... LIVE with Jools Holland |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2017/21/later-live-with-jools-holland |access-date=2023-11-12 |website=BBC Two}}</ref> before the lead singer underwent a trachelectomy in June of the same year.<ref name=":2" /> In the following months, despite Munoz-Newsome still being in the early stages of recovery,<ref name=":12" /> the band opened for Interpol in the Mexico City gigs of their ''Turn On The Bright Lights Anniversary 15 Years Tour'',<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pumarosa, la banda telonera de INTERPOL en México |url=http://quarterrockpress.com/index.php/news/item/12072-pumarosa-la-banda-telonera-de-interpol-en-mexico |access-date=2023-11-12 |website=Quarter Rock Press |language=es-MX}}</ref> before serving as one of the support acts of Depeche Mode's European dates of their ''Global Spirit Tour''.<ref> {{Cite web |last=Carlsson |first=Johan |date=2017-09-19 |title=Support acts for Depeche Mode's winter tour of Europe announced |url=https://www.releasemagazine.net/support-acts-for-depeche-modes-winter-tour-of-europe-announced |access-date=2023-11-11 |website=Release Magazine}}</ref><ref name="BillboardScore">{{cite magazine |title=Current Boxscore |url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/current-boxscore |magazine=Billboard |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228041430/https://www.billboard.com/biz/current-boxscore |archive-date=28 December 2017 |access-date=28 December 2017}}</ref> Also in 2017, they were nominated for Best Breakthrough Act at the 2017 Q Awards.<ref>{{Cite web |last=White |first=Jack |date=6 September 2017 |title=Liam Gallagher, Stormzy and Lorde among the nominees for the 2017 Q Awards |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/liam-gallagher-stormzy-and-lorde-among-the-nominees-for-the-2017-q-awards__20372/ |access-date=18 November 2023 |website=Official Charts |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=6 September 2017 |title=Q Awards 2017: Full list of nominations |language=en-GB |work=The Belfast Telegraph |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/music/news/q-awards-2017-full-list-of-nominations/36107473.html |access-date=18 November 2023 |issn=0307-1235}}</ref>

In June 2018, Pumarosa took part in the Meltdown music festival at Southbank Centre, curated by Robert Smith.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-04-10 |title=Death Cab For Cutie, Frightened Rabbit and more added to Robert Smith's Meltdown |url=https://diymag.com/news/robert-smith-meltdown-festival-additions-death-cab-for-cutie-frightened-rabbit |access-date=2023-11-12 |website=DIY |language=en}}</ref> Bass player Henry Brown departed before the release of the band's second album,<ref name=":12" /> while Jamie MacMillan joined the group.<ref name=":5" />

In 2019, the band released their second album, ''Devastation'', via Fiction; Munoz-Newsome described its themes as "more personal and direct" than the ones explored on ''The Witch'',<ref name=":5" /> as several songs reflected her process of recovery from cancer, as well as changes to band members' relationships;<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":5"> {{Cite web |last=Crudgington |first=Kate |date=2020-02-25 |title=Why Pumarosa strive to tell a collective truth |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/features/interviews/pumarosa-strive-tell-collective-truth |access-date=2023-11-11 |website=The Line of Best Fit |language=en}}</ref> the album was produced by John Congleton, while bass patterns were provided by Justin Chancellor of Tool.<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":5" /> ''Devastation'' peaked at #91 on the UK Albums Chart.<ref name="uk2" />

==Discography==

===Studio albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:8em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:25em;"| Details ! colspan="1"| Peak chart positions |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| UK<br /><ref name="uk">{{cite web |title=PUMAROSA |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/48663/pumarosa/ |accessdate=2023-11-11 |website=Official Charts Company |publisher=}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" | ''The Witch'' | * Released: 19 May 2017 * Label: Fiction * Formats: CD, digital download, streaming, vinyl | 72 |- ! scope="row" | ''Devastation'' | * Released: 15 Nov 2019 * Label: Fiction * Formats: CD, digital download, streaming, vinyl | 91 |}

===Extended plays=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="1" style="width:8em;"| Title ! rowspan="1"| EP details |- ! scope="row"| ''Pumarosa'' | * Released: 28 October 2016 * Label: Fiction * Format: CD, streaming, vinyl |}

===Singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" colspan="1"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:8em;"| Album |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"|UK<br /><ref name="uk"/> |- ! scope="row"| "Priestess" | 2015 | 37 | rowspan="3" | ''Pumarosa'' |- ! scope="row"| "Cecile" | rowspan="2" | 2016 | 31 |- ! scope="row"| "Honey"  | 60 |- ! scope="row"| "Dragonfly"  | rowspan="4" | 2017 | — | rowspan="2" | ''The Witch'' |- ! scope="row"| "My Gruesome Loving Friend"  | — |- ! scope="row"| "La Guarida Del Leon"  | — | rowspan="2" {{n/a|Non-album singles}} |- ! scope="row"| "Sacerdotisa"  | — |- ! scope="row"| "Fall Apart"  | rowspan="5" | 2019 | — | rowspan="5" | ''Devastation'' |- ! scope="row"| "Heaven"  | — |- ! scope="row"| "I See You"  | — |- ! scope="row"| "Adam's Song"  | — |- ! scope="row"| "Into The Woods"  | — |}

===Featured appearances=== * Sasha – "Just Us" (2022) {{small|(with Pumarosa)}}

== References == {{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}} Category:Female-fronted musical groups Category:Indie rock groups from London Category:Rock music groups from London Category:Fiction Records artists Category:Musical groups established in 2014 Category:2014 establishments in England