Grammatics
Encyclopedia
Grammatics were a British alternative rock
band from Leeds
, England, predominantly influenced by British bands of the 1990s such as Blur
, Pulp
, and Suede
.The band also quotes the following musical influences: Cursive
, My Bloody Valentine, Nirvana
, Radiohead
, Elliott Smith
, Queens Of The Stone Age
, David Bowie
, Arcade Fire, Idlewild
, Björk
, Kate Bush
.
Formed in 2006, the band is composed of Owen Brinley (vocals/guitar), Lindsay Wilson (cello), James Field (drums) and Rory O'Hara (bass). Affiliated with the independent label Dance to the Radio, the band released a few singles prior to making its full-length debut album
, released March 24, 2009.
, called Grammar. This is where the name of the band comes from. However,the band made their live debut at Fibbers in York on October 1, 2006, under the name "Rose Parade" (named after the song from Elliott Smith
’s Either/Or
album).
It is during the Grammar nights that Owen and Dom met bass player Rory O'Hara. Later on, Rebeca Dumican joined the band as cellist. A five track promo EP was made and the band was one of the 10 bands selected to play the Unsigned Stage at The Carling Weekend - 2007 Leeds Festival
. Whiskas, from the band Forward Russia and founder of the Dance To The Radio
label
, was one of the competition judges. Grammatics caught the label's attention and were soon signed to UK
independent label Dance To The Radio.
Grammatics’ first commercial release was a four-track Japan
-only EP
entitled Verity and Reverie. This was followed by a limited-edition 7" vinyl single featuring an early version of the track "Shadow Committee", released on Dance to the Radio in October 2007. The band performed twice on consecutive days at that year’s Leeds Festival
. Singles D.I.L.E.M.M.A/Polar Swelling (a limited-edition double A-side 10" vinyl single), New Franchise (offered as a free download), and The Vague Archive were released as the band undertook several headlining tours of small UK venues.
Following a string of sold-out limited-edition vinyl releases, Grammatics’ self-titled debut album
was released in March 2009. The album was recorded during June–November 2008 in Bridlington, East Yorkshire with young producer James Kenosha (also drummer with Duels
).
Line up changes have now been completed and the band were thought to be recording their second album. It has since been announced that the group are to split, playing final dates in August 2010.
They supported the band Bloc Party
on their British
tour in October 2009.
The band announced in July 2010 that after a final tour and EP they would disband due to financial reasons, as well as members living in different cities.
and Björk
. This angelic choral tone is traded for the untrained scream of his hard rock past during Grammatics' aggressive turns of pace.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band from Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, England, predominantly influenced by British bands of the 1990s such as Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
, Pulp
Pulp (band)
Pulp are an English alternative rock band formed in Sheffield in 1978. Their lineup consists of Jarvis Cocker , Russell Senior , Candida Doyle , Mark Webber , Steve Mackey and Nick Banks ....
, and Suede
Suede (band)
Suede are an English alternative rock band from London, formed in 1989. The group's most prominent early line-up featured singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Bernard Butler, bass player Mat Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert. By 1992, Suede were hailed as "The Best New Band in Britain", and attracted...
.The band also quotes the following musical influences: Cursive
Cursive (band)
Cursive is an American indie rock band from Omaha, Nebraska, on Saddle Creek Records.-History:The band was formed in 1995 by Tim Kasher, Matt Maginn, Steve Pedersen , and drummer Clint Schnase. In 1997, they released Such Blinding Stars for Starving Eyes. After a couple years of touring, the band...
, My Bloody Valentine, Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
, Queens Of The Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Arcade Fire, Idlewild
Idlewild (band)
Idlewild are a Scottish rock band, formed in Edinburgh, in 1995, comprising Roddy Woomble , Rod Jones , Colin Newton , Allan Stewart and Gareth Russell...
, Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
.
Formed in 2006, the band is composed of Owen Brinley (vocals/guitar), Lindsay Wilson (cello), James Field (drums) and Rory O'Hara (bass). Affiliated with the independent label Dance to the Radio, the band released a few singles prior to making its full-length debut album
Grammatics (album)
Grammatics is the debut full-length studio album by UK indie rock band Grammatics, released in the United Kingdom on March 24, 2009.The album's last track, "Swan Song," is approximately 6 minutes, and after a few minutes of silence, a 1½ minute hidden track enters.-Track listing:# "Shadow...
, released March 24, 2009.
History
The band was formed in early 2006 by Owen Brinley and Dominic Ord. Owen Brinley was the former singer of the now defunct band Colour of Fire under the name of Owen Richards. Owen and Dominic ran a popular monthly club night in YorkYork
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, called Grammar. This is where the name of the band comes from. However,the band made their live debut at Fibbers in York on October 1, 2006, under the name "Rose Parade" (named after the song from Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
’s Either/Or
Either/Or (album)
Either/Or is the name of the third album recorded by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. The album was released on Kill Rock Stars on February 25, 1997 on compact disc and vinyl LP....
album).
It is during the Grammar nights that Owen and Dom met bass player Rory O'Hara. Later on, Rebeca Dumican joined the band as cellist. A five track promo EP was made and the band was one of the 10 bands selected to play the Unsigned Stage at The Carling Weekend - 2007 Leeds Festival
Leeds Festival
Leeds Festival may refer to:*Reading and Leeds Festivals , a rock music festival in Leeds , West Yorkshire, England*Leeds Festival , European classical music festival in Leeds...
. Whiskas, from the band Forward Russia and founder of the Dance To The Radio
Dance to the radio
Dance To The Radio is an independent record label co-founded by Whiskas of Les Flames and ¡Forward, Russia! in 2004.It was named after the refrain of the Joy Division song "Transmission"...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, was one of the competition judges. Grammatics caught the label's attention and were soon signed to UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
independent label Dance To The Radio.
Grammatics’ first commercial release was a four-track Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
-only EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
entitled Verity and Reverie. This was followed by a limited-edition 7" vinyl single featuring an early version of the track "Shadow Committee", released on Dance to the Radio in October 2007. The band performed twice on consecutive days at that year’s Leeds Festival
Leeds Festival
Leeds Festival may refer to:*Reading and Leeds Festivals , a rock music festival in Leeds , West Yorkshire, England*Leeds Festival , European classical music festival in Leeds...
. Singles D.I.L.E.M.M.A/Polar Swelling (a limited-edition double A-side 10" vinyl single), New Franchise (offered as a free download), and The Vague Archive were released as the band undertook several headlining tours of small UK venues.
Following a string of sold-out limited-edition vinyl releases, Grammatics’ self-titled debut album
Grammatics (album)
Grammatics is the debut full-length studio album by UK indie rock band Grammatics, released in the United Kingdom on March 24, 2009.The album's last track, "Swan Song," is approximately 6 minutes, and after a few minutes of silence, a 1½ minute hidden track enters.-Track listing:# "Shadow...
was released in March 2009. The album was recorded during June–November 2008 in Bridlington, East Yorkshire with young producer James Kenosha (also drummer with Duels
Duels (band)
Duels are an English indie band from Leeds formed in 2005. They have been described by The Guardian as "one of Britains most ambitious groups"...
).
Line up changes have now been completed and the band were thought to be recording their second album. It has since been announced that the group are to split, playing final dates in August 2010.
They supported the band Bloc Party
Bloc Party
Bloc Party are a British Indie rock band, composed of Kele Okereke , Russell Lissack , Gordon Moakes , and Matt Tong...
on their British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
tour in October 2009.
The band announced in July 2010 that after a final tour and EP they would disband due to financial reasons, as well as members living in different cities.
Musical style
Grammatics’ music is based around Brinley’s complex songwriting style. The sound veers between driving cello-led bombast and a more introverted, plaintive side. Brinley falsetto vocal affectation, influenced by the vocal acrobatics of female singers such as Kate BushKate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
and Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
. This angelic choral tone is traded for the untrained scream of his hard rock past during Grammatics' aggressive turns of pace.
Albums
- GrammaticsGrammatics (album)Grammatics is the debut full-length studio album by UK indie rock band Grammatics, released in the United Kingdom on March 24, 2009.The album's last track, "Swan Song," is approximately 6 minutes, and after a few minutes of silence, a 1½ minute hidden track enters.-Track listing:# "Shadow...
- CD / Limited Double Gatefold 180 gram 12" Vinyl / Digital Download (2009)