Scout Niblett
Encyclopedia
Emma Louise Niblett better known by the stage name
Scout Niblett, is an English
singer and songwriter
. Her music is frequently minimal in style, many of her songs consisting merely of vocals
accompanied by either drum
s or guitar
, which she mostly plays herself. She is known for her intimate live shows. She is currently living in the United States.
, England
and chose her stage name in honour of Jean Louise "Scout" Finch, the protagonist
in Harper Lee
's 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird
. She studied music and performance art at college in Nottingham.
She has an obsessive interest in astrology
— explaining the title of her 2005 LP Kidnapped by Neptune, she says, "Neptune is this planet that everyone has in their chart. But for me, where Neptune is right now and has been for the past two years has been affecting my chart in a huge way. Neptune is kind of the musicians’ planet, it rules music." She also is said to use astrology to predict the best place and time to record her music.
and Drag City
record companies in North America and through Too Pure
in the United Kingdom. Her first release was a split 7" single with Songs: Ohia
in 2001. Shortly after this she released her first LP Sweet Heart Fever, recorded at Chem Nineteen Recordings in Hamilton, Scotland by producer Andy Miller
with drummer Kristian Goddard. Her follow-up release was a one-sided 10" EP, I Conjure Series, recorded live, where Niblett plays all the instruments herself. For the next two albums, 2003's I Am and 2005's Kidnapped by Neptune, Niblett enlisted the help of Steve Albini
, as well as guitarist and bassist Chris Saligoe. The title track from Kidnapped by Neptune has been featured internationally on Stella McCartney
's perfume advertisements. She also features on Jason Molina's album Magnolia Electric Co. (2003). 2007 saw the release of Niblett's fourth long player This Fool Can Die Now again featuring a rhythm section of Kristian Goddard & Chris Saligoe as well as Bonnie "Prince" Billy
as guest vocalist on four of the albums duets. 2010 saw the release of The Calcination of Scout Niblett
Niblett cites among her influences a number of grunge
period bands, including Mudhoney, Sonic Youth
and Nirvana
, and in particular the guitar of Kurt Cobain
. In fact, she has covered the Nirvana song "Verse Chorus Verse" in concert. Her drumming technique, however, is inspired, she says, by a man who played at an open-mic night in Nottingham and would accompany himself on the drums while playing Beatles
covers. This drumming technique has been a particularly distinctive feature of Niblett's records with Steve Albini, whose method is to place the drums centrally in the mix. A good example of Niblett's minimalist approach to songwriting is "Your Beat Kicks Back Like Death", included on I Am and as the B-side to "I'll Be a Prince". It consists solely of a drumbeat with a cheerfully delivered repeating lyric, "We're all gonna die!", eventually concluding, "We don't know when, We don't know how." Niblett names the song as a favourite. Also of note is her downbeat cover of Althea & Donna
's 1978 reggae hit "Uptown Top Ranking", which Niblett released as a single after it became popular at live performances.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Scout Niblett, is an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
singer and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. Her music is frequently minimal in style, many of her songs consisting merely of vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
accompanied by either drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s or guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, which she mostly plays herself. She is known for her intimate live shows. She is currently living in the United States.
Biography
Niblett grew up in StaffordshireStaffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and chose her stage name in honour of Jean Louise "Scout" Finch, the protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
in Harper Lee
Harper Lee
Nelle Harper Lee is an American author known for her 1960 Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which deals with the issues of racism that were observed by the author as a child in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama...
's 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee published in 1960. It was instantly successful, winning the Pulitzer Prize, and has become a classic of modern American literature...
. She studied music and performance art at college in Nottingham.
She has an obsessive interest in astrology
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
— explaining the title of her 2005 LP Kidnapped by Neptune, she says, "Neptune is this planet that everyone has in their chart. But for me, where Neptune is right now and has been for the past two years has been affecting my chart in a huge way. Neptune is kind of the musicians’ planet, it rules music." She also is said to use astrology to predict the best place and time to record her music.
Music
Niblett has released five LPs, through the Secretly CanadianSecretly Canadian
Secretly Canadian is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana. It was started in 1996 by Chris and Ben Swanson, Eric Weddle, and Jonathan Cargill. Their first release was a re-issue of an album by June Panic...
and Drag City
Drag City (record label)
Drag City is a Chicago-based independent record label. It was established with a Royal Trux release in 1990 in Chicago, Illinois by Dan Koretzky and Dan Osborn.Drag City specializes in experimental indie rock acts...
record companies in North America and through Too Pure
Too Pure
Too Pure is a London-based independent record label that was formed in 1990 by Richard Roberts and Paul Cox.-History:Too Pure started off as a small experimental label and had built their reputation by releasing primarily alternative/independent music which they felt was being ignored by the major...
in the United Kingdom. Her first release was a split 7" single with Songs: Ohia
Songs: Ohia
Jason Molina is an American singer-songwriter, originally from Lorain, Ohio. He first came to prominence performing and recording as Songs: Ohia, both in solo projects and with a rotating cast of musicians...
in 2001. Shortly after this she released her first LP Sweet Heart Fever, recorded at Chem Nineteen Recordings in Hamilton, Scotland by producer Andy Miller
Andy Miller (record producer)
Andy Miller is a record producer based in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Miller is noted for his production on influential albums by Mogwai, Life Without Buildings, Arab Strap, The Delgados, Scout Niblett, Songs: Ohia, Sons And Daughters, De Rosa and Desert Hearts.He is freelance, but has mainly...
with drummer Kristian Goddard. Her follow-up release was a one-sided 10" EP, I Conjure Series, recorded live, where Niblett plays all the instruments herself. For the next two albums, 2003's I Am and 2005's Kidnapped by Neptune, Niblett enlisted the help of Steve Albini
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...
, as well as guitarist and bassist Chris Saligoe. The title track from Kidnapped by Neptune has been featured internationally on Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney
Stella Nina McCartney is an English fashion designer. She is the daughter of former Beatles member Sir Paul McCartney and the late photographer and animal rights activist, Linda McCartney.-Early life:...
's perfume advertisements. She also features on Jason Molina's album Magnolia Electric Co. (2003). 2007 saw the release of Niblett's fourth long player This Fool Can Die Now again featuring a rhythm section of Kristian Goddard & Chris Saligoe as well as Bonnie "Prince" Billy
Will Oldham
Will Oldham , better known by the stage name Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded under variations of the Palace name, including the Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, and Palace Music...
as guest vocalist on four of the albums duets. 2010 saw the release of The Calcination of Scout Niblett
Niblett cites among her influences a number of grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
period bands, including Mudhoney, Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
and 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...
, and in particular the guitar of Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
. In fact, she has covered the Nirvana song "Verse Chorus Verse" in concert. Her drumming technique, however, is inspired, she says, by a man who played at an open-mic night in Nottingham and would accompany himself on the drums while playing Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
covers. This drumming technique has been a particularly distinctive feature of Niblett's records with Steve Albini, whose method is to place the drums centrally in the mix. A good example of Niblett's minimalist approach to songwriting is "Your Beat Kicks Back Like Death", included on I Am and as the B-side to "I'll Be a Prince". It consists solely of a drumbeat with a cheerfully delivered repeating lyric, "We're all gonna die!", eventually concluding, "We don't know when, We don't know how." Niblett names the song as a favourite. Also of note is her downbeat cover of Althea & Donna
Althea & Donna
Althea & Donna were a Jamaican reggae singing duo, best known for their 1977 single "Uptown Top Ranking" which was a number one hit in the United Kingdom in 1978.-Career:...
's 1978 reggae hit "Uptown Top Ranking", which Niblett released as a single after it became popular at live performances.
Albums
- Sweet Heart Fever (Secretly Canadian, 2001)
- I Am (Secretly Canadian, 2003)
- Kidnapped by Neptune (Too Pure, 2005)
- This Fool Can Die Now (Too Pure, 2007)
- The Calcination of Scout Niblett (Drag City, 2010)
Singles and EPs
- "Miss My Lion" / "Lioness" (split 7" with Songs: OhiaSongs: OhiaJason Molina is an American singer-songwriter, originally from Lorain, Ohio. He first came to prominence performing and recording as Songs: Ohia, both in solo projects and with a rotating cast of musicians...
, 2001) - "Shining Burning" / "Whoever You Are Now" (2002)
- I Conjure EP (Secretly Canadian, 2002)
- "Drummer Boy" / "Blossom" (2003)
- "I'll Be a Prince" / "Your Beat Kicks Back Like Death" (2003)
- Uptown Top Ranking EP (2004)
- "Kidnapped by Neptune" / "I Am a Prince" (2005)
- "Just Do It" / "Dinosaur Egg" (2007)
- Kiss EP (with Bonnie "Prince" Billy, 2007)
- "It's Time" / "My Beloved" (Drag City, 2009)
External links
- Scout Niblett's official site
- Scout Niblett on MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Scout Niblett at Epitonic.com