The Days (band)

The Days were a British pop band, formed in 2005, originating from Ivybridge, Devon, UK.

History

Formed in 2005, the band's lineup was brothers Luke (vocals, piano) & Dan Simpkins (bass guitar), and Harry Meads (drums). After the members went to university in London and built up a fan base, and were joined in 2007 by guitarist Tim Ayers. All the members had attended the same school. After gaining interest from several record companies they were signed by Atlantic Records.

In November 2007, they released an EP, Evil Girls. This was followed by singles "No Ties" and "Never Give Up". "No Ties" peaked at number 91 on the UK Singles Chart.

They toured as a support act for Paolo Nutini, The Fray, Supergrass, Elliott Minor, and Scouting for Girls, and headlined their own UK tour in 2009.

They recorded an album in 2008 at Grouse Lodge with producers John Cornfield and Youth, but it was not released.

On November 16, 2009, they announced that Ayers had left the band but that they would continue as a three-piece band.

The Days (film)

The Days (Chinese: 冬春的日子; pinyin: Dōng chūn de rìzǐ) is filmmaker Wang Xiaoshuai's 1993 directorial debut. Filmed entirely in black-and-white, The Days follows the life of Dong (played by actor and artist Liu Xiaodong), and Chun (Yu Hong), married artists who have recently graduated from the Beijing Art Institute. Living meagerly in the hope of making enough money off their works, it soon becomes obvious to everyone but themselves that the marriage has begun to die.

Wang's first film on his own after graduating from the Beijing Film Academy in 1989, The Days was shot on a meager budget of less than $10,000 (U.S.), with filming on the weekends with Wang's friends playing the lead roles.

Made outside of the state film system, The Days was blacklisted upon its release by the Chinese Film Bureau. On the international front, however, the film was seen in a different light. Riding the high that Chinese cinema was enjoying abroad at the time (notably by older directors such as Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige), Wang Xiaoshuai's small independent film was an early indication that a new movement was beginning to supplant the old one.