Razorlight
Encyclopedia
Razorlight are a UK
based indie rock
band formed in 2002. They are primarily known in the UK, having topped the charts with the 2006 single "America
" and its parent self-titled album
, their second. The band consists of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Johnny Borrell
, drummer David 'Skully' Sullivan Kaplan
, bass player Freddie Stitz and lead guitarist Gus Robertson.
's new outfit spent six months rehearsing in a decaying factory space in east London. After his earlier incarnation as a solo acoustic singer/songwriter supporting bands like The Libertines
, Johnny Borrell fashioned Razorlight as an intense electric rock band with hooky songs and took the band out on the road. On 17 September 2002 they played their first show with all four founder member, Johnny Borrell (vocals, guitar) Carl Dalemo (bass), Christian Smith-Pancorvo (drums) and Bjorn Agren (guitar), at Dingwalls
, supporting The Von Bondies. Ex NME journalist Roger Morton, who had been managing the band from the beginning, began looking to get the band into a recording studio and a session was booked by A&R man Justin Cross at Liam Watson
's Toe Rag Studios
to record early versions of tracks "Rip It Up
", "Rock 'n' Roll Lies" and "In the City". Collaborating alongside Watson and Cross on production was John Fortis. Off the back of these tracks they began getting serious A&R heat due to the songs' success on radio stations such as John Kennedy Show on XFM
.
Following a singing race the band finally settled with Mercury Records
and then were steered by A&R Richard O'Donovan. The band started to become very popular on the London music scene.
, Q magazine and Billboard, although they were also accused of lack of imagination and unoriginality for allegedly borrowing ideas from other influential bands such as The Strokes
. Following the successful release of their debut album, drummer Christian Smith-Pancorvo left the group and was replaced by Andy Burrows
. Up All Night was re-issued in April 2005, including the previously unreleased single "Somewhere Else", which peaked at Number 2.
In July 2005, the band performed at Hyde Park, London
as part of the Live 8
series of concerts. However, the band came under fire for being the only band that did not donate their extra revenue to charity. The band subsequently claimed that due to their "fledgling status", they were unable to make such a commitment.
Razorlight contributed the song "Kirby's House" to the War Child
charity album Help!: A Day in the Life. The song, which was originally over 4 minutes long, was later cut down almost in half and re-mastered, appearing as the eighth track on the band's second album, Razorlight
.
In the midst of their first American headlining tour in support of Up All Night, Razorlight created a stir in Denver, Colorado, when they stormed off the stage five songs into their set during a show at the Larimer Lounge. After stumbling around stage, frontman Borrell shouted into the microphone "I'm going to kill myself now," and ran off the stage. Though the band's official statement was that he was suffering from stagefright, fans in attendance attest to his odd behavior and many claimed he was high on cocaine.
A later laryngitis infection led to the cancellation of the subsequent Los Angeles date of the tour.
which started at the Live 8
gig, Razorlight debuted some of new songs from their forthcoming second album live on 30 March 2006, in one of a chain of Teenage Cancer Trust
concerts, organised by Roger Daltrey
. Later that year, on 2 July, they played to a sellout Hyde Park Calling, where they were preceded by The Zutons
, and opened for The Who. The band went on to play on the beach opposite Brighton's
West Pier on 12 July in a free concert as part of a Vodafone
TBA event broadcast on Channel 4
.
Razorlight released their second album Razorlight
on 17 July 2006, in the United Kingdom and it debuted at #1 in the UK Albums Chart
a week later. It received mixed reviews, Q magazine giving it a rare 5/5 rating, whilst Pitchfork Media gave it 2.8/10. Razorlight
is the album by which many of the original Razorlight fans lost interest in the band, and some accused them of 'selling-out' by diluting their raw, edgy rock sound to cater for a new, radio-friendly mainstream audience. The lead single from the album, "In the Morning" was released as a single on 3 July 2006, which peaked at #3 in the UK Singles Chart
. To date, it is their third biggest single after "Somewhere Else", which peaked at #2, and "America", which peaked at #1. It also reached #2 on iTunes
. In 2007, Razorlight were nominated for two BRIT Awards
– one for 'Best British Band' and the other for 'Best Song', "America
". They were also nominated for two NME
Brit Awards for 'Best Band' and 'Best Album'.
Razorlight supported Queen + Paul Rodgers
on 15 July, in front of 60,000 people. This gig had been rescheduled following the July 2005 London bombings. In December of the same year, they supported Oasis
, at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium
. They also supported The Rolling Stones
at their gigs in Cologne and Paris. During the Christmas season the band played an intimate show at the Railway Inn in Winchester. They were supported by up and coming London band Captain Phoenix
, who are fronted by drummer Andy Burrows' younger brother Ben. The band played their biggest tour to date in October–November 2006 and also supported Richard Ashcroft
in his homecoming gig at the Lancashire County Cricket Club on 17 June. They headlined Reading on 24 August, and Leeds on 25 August 2007. They also played the Main Stage on 19 May in Preston for Radio 1's Big Weekend
alongside bands such as Kasabian and the Kaiser Chiefs
. On 7 July 2007, Razorlight performed at both the UK leg
of Live Earth
at Wembley Stadium
, London, and T in the Park
in Balado
, Scotland. In November 2006 the band had to be hospitalised after traces of radioactive poisoning was detected on their plane. Their British Airways
return flight from Moscow was a scheduled route used by Russian ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko
.
The same month they supported the Mando Diao "Ode to Ochrasy Tour" in Germany.
2008, but cancelled due to Borrell reporting vocal problems. The band still made a donation to the charity.
After many months of producing new material, some of which was written on the Isle of Tiree in the Inner Hebrides
, Razorlight released their third studio album, Slipway Fires
, on 3 November 2008 with the lead single, "Wire To Wire
", being released on 20 October 2008. The second single taken from Slipway Fires
was "Hostage of Love
"; however, having received little critical or commercial attention, it failed to enter the charts. As a result, a planned release of 'Burberry Blue Eyes', as the album's third single, was dropped.
had quit the band to 'pursue other musical ventures'. Johnny Borrell
was adamant that the band would continue, although he would miss the drummer. Eleven days after Burrows quit the band, it was revealed that he had signed to Universal Records – the same record label as his ex-band under the name I Am Arrows
; and later joined American indie band We Are Scientists
as well. New Yorker David 'Skully' Sullivan Kaplan
took over the drums, initially it was reported he would be in the band as a touring member until the end of 2009, although since then he has become an official member. With a top 5 album and single in Germany, the band toured America
, Australia and Europe before returning to the UK for shows in May at The O2
and Manchester Evening News Arena
followed by UK festivals.
In a recent interview with Teletext
, Borrell announced that the band was working with Steve Lillywhite
and Dave McCracken
on a new record and that they were eager to get the new songs out "soon".
It was revealed on 26 January 2011 that following unproductive recording sessions in late 2010, Dalemo and Ågren were no longer in the band, leaving Borrell as the only original member of the band. They have been replaced by Freddie Stitz and Gus Robertson. Borrell previewed the line-up as a new band during a solo UK and Europe tour throughout September and October 2010 before announcing it as the new Razorlight line-up in January 2011. A press photo of the new unannounced line-up was also posted to the band's We Are Razorlight website in December.
Razorlight recently announced a London festival exclusive with their new line-up. They played at Get Loaded In The Park 2011 on Clapham Common on Sunday 12 June. Following that, they headlined Guilfest on Saturday 16 July 2011 on the main stage. Razorlight will also be headlining at Shakedown in Brighton (Stanmer Park) in September.
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...
based indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band formed in 2002. They are primarily known in the UK, having topped the charts with the 2006 single "America
America (Razorlight song)
America is a song by English indie rock band Razorlight, and is the fourth track to their self-titled second album, Razorlight. It was written by the band's drummer Andy Burrows and was also released as the second single from that album in October 2006. It became the band's first #1 single in the...
" and its parent self-titled album
Razorlight (album)
Razorlight is the self-titled second album by English indie band Razorlight. The album was released on 17 July 2006 in the United Kingdom and debuted at #1 in the UK Albums Chart a week later ....
, their second. The band consists of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Johnny Borrell
Johnny Borrell
Johnny Borrell is an English guitarist and singer, currently the frontman of the band Razorlight.-Early life and career:...
, drummer David 'Skully' Sullivan Kaplan
David 'Skully' Sullivan Kaplan
David Sullivan Kaplan is an American drummer and member of the London based band Razorlight.He started his career in the Long Island-based The Reunion Show, which split in 2004. He briefly was a member of Action Action before later joining six-man dance-rock ensemble Men Women & Children. When...
, bass player Freddie Stitz and lead guitarist Gus Robertson.
Formation and early years (2002–2003)
At the beginning of their career Johnny BorrellJohnny Borrell
Johnny Borrell is an English guitarist and singer, currently the frontman of the band Razorlight.-Early life and career:...
's new outfit spent six months rehearsing in a decaying factory space in east London. After his earlier incarnation as a solo acoustic singer/songwriter supporting bands like The Libertines
The Libertines
The Libertines were an English rock band, formed in London in 1997 by frontmen Carl Barât and Pete Doherty . The band, centred on the song-writing partnership of Barat and Doherty, also included John Hassall and Gary Powell for most of its recording career...
, Johnny Borrell fashioned Razorlight as an intense electric rock band with hooky songs and took the band out on the road. On 17 September 2002 they played their first show with all four founder member, Johnny Borrell (vocals, guitar) Carl Dalemo (bass), Christian Smith-Pancorvo (drums) and Bjorn Agren (guitar), at Dingwalls
Dingwalls
Dingwalls is a venue adjacent to Camden Lock in London, England. It houses bars, cafes, clubs . The building itself is one of many industrial Victorian buildings that were put to new use in the 20th century. The original owner of the building, T.E...
, supporting The Von Bondies. Ex NME journalist Roger Morton, who had been managing the band from the beginning, began looking to get the band into a recording studio and a session was booked by A&R man Justin Cross at Liam Watson
Liam Watson
Liam Watson is a Grammy Award-winning British record producer and owner of Toe Rag Studios. Watson is perhaps best known for his work engineering and mixing the White Stripes' Elephant, receiving the 2004 Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album...
's Toe Rag Studios
Toe Rag Studios
Toe Rag Studios is an analogue recording studio located in Hackney, London, UK.-History:The studio was founded in 1991 by Liam Watson and Josh Collins in the Shoreditch area of London. In 1997, the business relocated to Hackney due to rising overheads...
to record early versions of tracks "Rip It Up
Rip It Up (Razorlight song)
"Rip It Up" is a song by English indie rock band Razorlight and is the sixth track on their 2004 debut album Up All Night. It was also released as their second single in November 2003 and peaked at #42 in the UK Singles Chart...
", "Rock 'n' Roll Lies" and "In the City". Collaborating alongside Watson and Cross on production was John Fortis. Off the back of these tracks they began getting serious A&R heat due to the songs' success on radio stations such as John Kennedy Show on XFM
Xfm
Xfm is a brand of two commercial radio stations focused on alternative music, primarily indie pop, and owned by Global Radio.-History:Xfm was created in London in 1992 by Sammy Jacob, who later co-founded NME Radio in 2008. Xfm subsequently expanded to a network of four stations; there are...
.
Following a singing race the band finally settled with Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
and then were steered by A&R Richard O'Donovan. The band started to become very popular on the London music scene.
Up All Night(2004–2005)
Razorlight debut album, Up All Night, was released on 28 June 2004, reaching number 3 in the UK album charts. The critical reception was generally good, receiving good reviews from NMENME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, Q magazine and Billboard, although they were also accused of lack of imagination and unoriginality for allegedly borrowing ideas from other influential bands such as The Strokes
The Strokes
The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....
. Following the successful release of their debut album, drummer Christian Smith-Pancorvo left the group and was replaced by Andy Burrows
Andy Burrows
Andrew William Burrows is a British musician. He first began his musical career as a percussionist in the Hampshire County Youth Band. He was the drummer the Razorlight from 2004 to 2009, and as guest drummer We Are Scientists from 2009 onwards.-Razorlight:He joined the band in May 2004...
. Up All Night was re-issued in April 2005, including the previously unreleased single "Somewhere Else", which peaked at Number 2.
In July 2005, the band performed at Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
as part of the Live 8
Live 8
Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6–8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...
series of concerts. However, the band came under fire for being the only band that did not donate their extra revenue to charity. The band subsequently claimed that due to their "fledgling status", they were unable to make such a commitment.
Razorlight contributed the song "Kirby's House" to the War Child
War Child (charity)
War Child is a non-governmental organisation founded in the UK 1993, which focuses on providing assistance to children in areas of conflict and post-conflict. They use their film and entertainment background to raise money for aid agencies operating in former Yugoslavia...
charity album Help!: A Day in the Life. The song, which was originally over 4 minutes long, was later cut down almost in half and re-mastered, appearing as the eighth track on the band's second album, Razorlight
Razorlight (album)
Razorlight is the self-titled second album by English indie band Razorlight. The album was released on 17 July 2006 in the United Kingdom and debuted at #1 in the UK Albums Chart a week later ....
.
In the midst of their first American headlining tour in support of Up All Night, Razorlight created a stir in Denver, Colorado, when they stormed off the stage five songs into their set during a show at the Larimer Lounge. After stumbling around stage, frontman Borrell shouted into the microphone "I'm going to kill myself now," and ran off the stage. Though the band's official statement was that he was suffering from stagefright, fans in attendance attest to his odd behavior and many claimed he was high on cocaine.
A later laryngitis infection led to the cancellation of the subsequent Los Angeles date of the tour.
Razorlight (2006–2007)
Continuing their association with The WhoThe Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
which started at the Live 8
Live 8
Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6–8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...
gig, Razorlight debuted some of new songs from their forthcoming second album live on 30 March 2006, in one of a chain of Teenage Cancer Trust
Teenage Cancer Trust
Teenage Cancer Trust is a charity that focuses on the needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer, leukaemia, Hodgkin’s and related diseases by providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. The units are dedicated areas for teenage patients, who are involved in their concept and creation...
concerts, organised by Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
. Later that year, on 2 July, they played to a sellout Hyde Park Calling, where they were preceded by The Zutons
The Zutons
The Zutons are an English indie rock band from Liverpool. They were formed in 2001 but did not release their first album, Who Killed...... The Zutons?, until May 2004. They achieved their biggest hits with "Why Won't You Give Me Your Love?" and "Valerie", both taken from their second studio album...
, and opened for The Who. The band went on to play on the beach opposite Brighton's
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
West Pier on 12 July in a free concert as part of a Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
TBA event broadcast on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
.
Razorlight released their second album Razorlight
Razorlight (album)
Razorlight is the self-titled second album by English indie band Razorlight. The album was released on 17 July 2006 in the United Kingdom and debuted at #1 in the UK Albums Chart a week later ....
on 17 July 2006, in the United Kingdom and it debuted at #1 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
a week later. It received mixed reviews, Q magazine giving it a rare 5/5 rating, whilst Pitchfork Media gave it 2.8/10. Razorlight
Razorlight (album)
Razorlight is the self-titled second album by English indie band Razorlight. The album was released on 17 July 2006 in the United Kingdom and debuted at #1 in the UK Albums Chart a week later ....
is the album by which many of the original Razorlight fans lost interest in the band, and some accused them of 'selling-out' by diluting their raw, edgy rock sound to cater for a new, radio-friendly mainstream audience. The lead single from the album, "In the Morning" was released as a single on 3 July 2006, which peaked at #3 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. To date, it is their third biggest single after "Somewhere Else", which peaked at #2, and "America", which peaked at #1. It also reached #2 on iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
. In 2007, Razorlight were nominated for two BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
– one for 'Best British Band' and the other for 'Best Song', "America
America (Razorlight song)
America is a song by English indie rock band Razorlight, and is the fourth track to their self-titled second album, Razorlight. It was written by the band's drummer Andy Burrows and was also released as the second single from that album in October 2006. It became the band's first #1 single in the...
". They were also nominated for two NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
Brit Awards for 'Best Band' and 'Best Album'.
Razorlight supported Queen + Paul Rodgers
Queen + Paul Rodgers
Queen + Paul Rodgers was a supergroup collaboration between Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen and Paul Rodgers...
on 15 July, in front of 60,000 people. This gig had been rescheduled following the July 2005 London bombings. In December of the same year, they supported Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
, at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
. They also supported The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
at their gigs in Cologne and Paris. During the Christmas season the band played an intimate show at the Railway Inn in Winchester. They were supported by up and coming London band Captain Phoenix
Captain Phoenix
Captain Phoenix was a UK indie pop rock band, from London, originally from Winchester, Hampshire. The band consists of singer and bassist Ben Burrows, lead guitarist Luke Keyte, guitarist Nick Hill, and drummer Ross Curnow.- History :...
, who are fronted by drummer Andy Burrows' younger brother Ben. The band played their biggest tour to date in October–November 2006 and also supported Richard Ashcroft
Richard Ashcroft
Richard Paul Ashcroft is an English singer-songwriter. He was the lead singer and occasional guitarist of alternative rock band The Verve from their formation in 1990 until their split in 1999, and continues as a lead vocalist working with guitars and keyboards...
in his homecoming gig at the Lancashire County Cricket Club on 17 June. They headlined Reading on 24 August, and Leeds on 25 August 2007. They also played the Main Stage on 19 May in Preston for Radio 1's Big Weekend
Big Weekend
BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend is a music festival run by BBC Radio 1. It is held once a year, in a different location within the United Kingdom each time...
alongside bands such as Kasabian and the Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 1996. They were named after the South African football club Kaizer Chiefs....
. On 7 July 2007, Razorlight performed at both the UK leg
Live Earth concert, London
The Live Earth concert in the United Kingdom was held at Wembley Stadium, London, England on 7 July 2007.-Running order:In order of appearance :...
of Live Earth
Live Earth
-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
, London, and T in the Park
T in the Park
T in the Park is a major British music festival that has been held annually since 1994. It is named after its main sponsor, the brewing company Tennents. It was originally held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire but since 1997 has been held at a disused airfield in Balado, Kinross-shire...
in Balado
Balado
Balado is a park and former airfield within the Perth and Kinross council area of Scotland. It is now the venue of the annual T in the Park music festival.Poultry sheds of Balado Poultry Farm now occupy the old concrete runways of the airfield...
, Scotland. In November 2006 the band had to be hospitalised after traces of radioactive poisoning was detected on their plane. Their British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
return flight from Moscow was a scheduled route used by Russian ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko
Alexander Litvinenko
Alexander Valterovich Litvinenko was an officer who served in the Soviet KGB and its Russian successor, the Federal Security Service ....
.
The same month they supported the Mando Diao "Ode to Ochrasy Tour" in Germany.
Slipway Fires (2008–2009)
Razorlight was intended to perform for BBC Children in NeedChildren in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
2008, but cancelled due to Borrell reporting vocal problems. The band still made a donation to the charity.
After many months of producing new material, some of which was written on the Isle of Tiree in the Inner Hebrides
Inner Hebrides
The Inner Hebrides is an archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, which enjoy a mild oceanic climate. There are 36 inhabited islands and a further 43 uninhabited Inner Hebrides with an area greater than...
, Razorlight released their third studio album, Slipway Fires
Slipway Fires
Slipway Fires is the third album by English rock band Razorlight. The album was released on 3 November 2008.The first single from the album, Wire to Wire, was released on 26 September 2008...
, on 3 November 2008 with the lead single, "Wire To Wire
Wire to Wire
"Wire to Wire" is a song by Anglo-Swedish rock band Razorlight, written by singer Johnny Borrell, from their third album Slipway Fires. It was officially released as the album's first single on 27 October 2008. It was released for downloads digitally, however, on 26 September.The song marked the...
", being released on 20 October 2008. The second single taken from Slipway Fires
Slipway Fires
Slipway Fires is the third album by English rock band Razorlight. The album was released on 3 November 2008.The first single from the album, Wire to Wire, was released on 26 September 2008...
was "Hostage of Love
Hostage of Love
Hostage of Love is the second single from Razorlight's third studio album, Slipway Fires. Released on January 12, 2009, it has not received much commercial success or notice. In terms of critical recpetion, there have been mixed reviews; particularly harsh comments appeared in The Times and The...
"; however, having received little critical or commercial attention, it failed to enter the charts. As a result, a planned release of 'Burberry Blue Eyes', as the album's third single, was dropped.
Andy Burrows quits to set up I Am Arrows
On 5 March 2009, NME.com confirmed that Andy BurrowsAndy Burrows
Andrew William Burrows is a British musician. He first began his musical career as a percussionist in the Hampshire County Youth Band. He was the drummer the Razorlight from 2004 to 2009, and as guest drummer We Are Scientists from 2009 onwards.-Razorlight:He joined the band in May 2004...
had quit the band to 'pursue other musical ventures'. Johnny Borrell
Johnny Borrell
Johnny Borrell is an English guitarist and singer, currently the frontman of the band Razorlight.-Early life and career:...
was adamant that the band would continue, although he would miss the drummer. Eleven days after Burrows quit the band, it was revealed that he had signed to Universal Records – the same record label as his ex-band under the name I Am Arrows
I Am Arrows
I Am Arrows is an indie rock band founded by former Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows in June 2009. Eleven days after he left Razorlight, it was revealed that Burrows had signed to Universal Records – the same record label as his ex-band.- Live :...
; and later joined American indie band We Are Scientists
We Are Scientists
We Are Scientists is a New York-based indie rock band that formed in Berkeley, California in 2000. Originally formed of Keith Murray on drums, Chris Cain playing bass guitar and Scott Lamb providing vocals and guitar, before Michael Tapper became drummer and Keith became vocalist and guitarist...
as well. New Yorker David 'Skully' Sullivan Kaplan
David 'Skully' Sullivan Kaplan
David Sullivan Kaplan is an American drummer and member of the London based band Razorlight.He started his career in the Long Island-based The Reunion Show, which split in 2004. He briefly was a member of Action Action before later joining six-man dance-rock ensemble Men Women & Children. When...
took over the drums, initially it was reported he would be in the band as a touring member until the end of 2009, although since then he has become an official member. With a top 5 album and single in Germany, the band toured America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Australia and Europe before returning to the UK for shows in May at The O2
The O2 (London)
The O2, visually typeset in branding as The O2, is a large entertainment district on the Greenwich peninsula in South East London, England, including an indoor arena, a music club, a Cineworld cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas, bars and restaurants...
and Manchester Evening News Arena
Manchester Evening News Arena
The Manchester Evening News Arena is an indoor arena situated in Manchester, England. It is adjacent to Manchester Victoria station near Corporation Street...
followed by UK festivals.
Fourth album (2009–present)
At the end of their "Slipway Fires" tour Razorlight previewed a new song called "Dr. Boushitan" in several German cities.In a recent interview with Teletext
Teletext
Teletext is a television information retrieval service developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s. It offers a range of text-based information, typically including national, international and sporting news, weather and TV schedules...
, Borrell announced that the band was working with Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite is an English Grammy Award winning record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited for working on over 500 records and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including XTC, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Dave Matthews Band, U2, Peter Gabriel,...
and Dave McCracken
Dave McCracken
Dave McCracken is a British songwriter and music producer under the Roc Nation management. He is well known for his production on Ian Brown from The Stone Roses solo albums, Golden Greats, Music of the Spheres and Solarized...
on a new record and that they were eager to get the new songs out "soon".
It was revealed on 26 January 2011 that following unproductive recording sessions in late 2010, Dalemo and Ågren were no longer in the band, leaving Borrell as the only original member of the band. They have been replaced by Freddie Stitz and Gus Robertson. Borrell previewed the line-up as a new band during a solo UK and Europe tour throughout September and October 2010 before announcing it as the new Razorlight line-up in January 2011. A press photo of the new unannounced line-up was also posted to the band's We Are Razorlight website in December.
Razorlight recently announced a London festival exclusive with their new line-up. They played at Get Loaded In The Park 2011 on Clapham Common on Sunday 12 June. Following that, they headlined Guilfest on Saturday 16 July 2011 on the main stage. Razorlight will also be headlining at Shakedown in Brighton (Stanmer Park) in September.
Discography
- Up All NightUp All Night (Razorlight album)Up All Night is the debut album by English indie rock band Razorlight, first released in June 2004. The album reached #3 in the UK Albums Chart upon initial release...
(2004) - RazorlightRazorlight (album)Razorlight is the self-titled second album by English indie band Razorlight. The album was released on 17 July 2006 in the United Kingdom and debuted at #1 in the UK Albums Chart a week later ....
(2006) - Slipway FiresSlipway FiresSlipway Fires is the third album by English rock band Razorlight. The album was released on 3 November 2008.The first single from the album, Wire to Wire, was released on 26 September 2008...
(2008)