* If you have wandered along the southern side of Cowley Road lately, you can’t have failed to have noticed that one of our favourite venues The Bullingdon is in the midst of a major re-fit.

We had our first taste of the new-look backroom on Friday when the club —which may, or may not, still be officially known as the Art Bar — played host to Oxford rising stars Balloon Ascents, who were there to launch their EP. And first impressions are favourable. Perhaps the best thing to note is that nothing much has changed. Which is how it should be. The place looks great though, and the staff are a delight. All eyes are now on the front pub, which appears to be undergoing a more dramatic refurb.

That Balloon Ascents EP is out now. Featuring Cutout, Aberation, Out on the Ocean and The Only One. It’s a triumph of indie-pop from the fresh-faced five-piece. The capacity crowd at Frinday’s launch reflected the appeal of the Oxford band — with a broad cross-section of music lovers of all ages, including a few respected artists, such as a beaming Oli Steadman of Stornoway, who worked on the EP.

You can listen to Balloon Ascents by following the links at at oxfordmail.co.uk

* There is more excitement from Henley Festival, following the announcement of Laura Mvula for the Friday night spectacular.

The Mercury nominated-artist joins the bill for the festival’s Gershwin spectacular Who Got Rhythm? on July 10.

She joins a bill which already features Gregory Porter, the classical trumpeter Alison Balsom and Chinese pianist Ji Liu, the same night, and Lionel Ritchie, who headlines on the Thursday. The festival runs from July 8-12.

Further announcements are expected over the next few weeks. Just 6,000 tickets are available for each evening and they are on sale now from henley-festival.co.uk, priced from £35.