British Sea Power

British Sea Power biography

British Sea Power are an indie rock band based in Brighton, England, although three of the band members originally come from Kendal in Cumbria. The wide-ranging nature of their material has led critics to liken their sound to a variety of groups, from The Cure and Joy Division to the Pixies and Arcade Fire. The band are famed for their live performances, the unusual lyrical content of their songs and the adventurous choice of locations for some of their shows. British Sea Power's members are Yan (Scott Wilkinson; vocals, guitar), Noble (Martin Noble; guitar), Hamilton (Neil Hamilton Wilkinson; bass guitar, vocals, guitar), Wood (Matthew Wood; drums), Phil Sumner (cornet, keyboards) and Abi Fry (viola).

History

Early years and The Decline of British Sea Power

British Sea Power's Yan and Hamilton are brothers and were school friends with Wood in Kendal. They were in a number of bands together while at school, but after finishing his exams Yan moved to study at the University of Reading, where he met guitarist Noble, who was originally from Bury, Greater Manchester. A few years later, Hamilton and Wood joined them and formed a band.

They played some gigs and produced a 4 track demo in Reading as British Air Powers, before relocating to Brighton in search of a more active music scene. "British Sea Power" was actually the name of one of these demo tracks, and was eventually reworked into "Carrion". In Brighton, BSP amassed a strong local following, due mainly to their own club night called "Club Sea Power". The club nights featured many different support acts, including the Copper Family, a 200-year-old Sussex folk troupe, and other forms of entertainment such as a 1940s fashion show, and were most frequently hosted at the Freebutt and the Lift clubs.

Their first single, "Fear of Drowning", was issued in limited numbers on their own Golden Chariot label. The artwork for the B side, "A Wooden Horse", borrows heavily from the dust cover of the 1950 book The Wooden Horse that details the escape of Allied POWs during World War II. Geoff Travis of Rough Trade Records, impressed by seeing the band live, signed them to his label in September 2001. Originally a four-piece, Eamon Hamilton was recruited to play keyboards and bass drum in autumn 2002.

The Decline of British Sea Power, the band's first album, was released in June 2003 to critical acclaim. A single from the album, "Carrion", became the band's first Top 40 single. The album only charted in the lower reaches of the UK Album Chart but turned out to be a word-of-mouth success, selling well over 60,000 copies in the following two years and allowing them to play sell-out UK tours to audiences of over 1,000 people.

Open Season

thumbThe follow-up, Open Season, was released in early April 2005, and also enjoyed wide critical praise. It showcased a more accessible, produced sound and charted at #13 in the UK Albums Chart. The lead single, "It Ended on an Oily Stage", charted at #18 in the UK Singles Chart a week earlier.

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