Seb Rochford
Encyclopedia
He comes from Aberdeen and has a large family of 2 brothers and 7 sisters. His father, Gerard Rochford, is an accomplished poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
in the north east of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Band associations
Rochford plays drums in bands such as:- Polar BearPolar Bear (British band)Polar Bear is a British experimental jazz band led by drummer Seb Rochford with Pete Wareham on tenor and baritone saxophone, Mark Lockheart on tenor saxophone, Tom Herbert on double bass and Leafcutter John on mandolin and electronics....
- Acoustic LadylandAcoustic LadylandAcoustic Ladyland are a London based jazz/punk band consisting of Pete Wareham on vocals, tenor and baritone saxophone, Seb Rochford on drums, Chris Sharkey on Guitar and Ruth Goller on bass guitar....
, - OrioleJonny PhillipsJonny Phillips is a prolific British guitarist and composer. He played the violin and studied theory from the age of five however he swapped to guitar at fifteen to study Jazz, Brazilian and African music...
, - Menlo Park,
- Ingrid Laubrock Quintet
- Bojan Zulfikarpasic's Tetraband
He leads Polar Bear
Polar Bear (jazz)
Polar Bear is a British experimental jazz band led by drummer Seb Rochford with Pete Wareham on tenor and baritone saxophone, Mark Lockheart on tenor saxophone, Tom Herbert on double bass and Leafcutter John on mandolin and electronics....
, both part of the F-IRE Collective
F-IRE Collective
F-IRE Collective is a creative music community founded by Barak Schmool in London, United Kingdom. Additionally, the Collective also has a record label....
.
Seb Rochford has also worked extensively with Joanna MacGregor
Joanna MacGregor
Joanna MacGregor is a classical, jazz and contemporary pianist.-Biography:MacGregor grew up in North London, and was educated at home by her Seventh-day Adventist parents until she attended South Hampstead High School at the age of 11. Her mother is a piano teacher who studied at the Royal...
and Andy Sheppard
Andy Sheppard
Andy Sheppard is a British jazz saxophonist and composer. He has been awarded several prizes at the British Jazz Awards, and has worked with some notable figures in contemporary jazz, including Gil Evans, Carla Bley, George Russell and Steve Swallow.-Biography:Sheppard was born in Warminster,...
and leads the band Fulborn Teversham and has an improvising duo with Leafcutter John
Leafcutter John
Leafcutter John is the recording name of John Burton, a UK-based musician and artist. He makes frequent use of Max/MSP in his compositions. Much of Burton's style is based in computer music and use of samples of everyday sounds. However, he also has roots as a folk musician, and this influence...
. He also has a solo project called Room of Katinas.
He has also drummed for Pete Doherty
Pete Doherty
Peter Doherty is an English musician, writer, actor, poet and artist. He is best known musically for being co-frontman of The Libertines, which he reformed with Carl Barât in 2010. His other musical project is indie band Babyshambles...
, with his band Babyshambles
Babyshambles
Babyshambles are an English indie rock band established in London. The band was formed by Pete Doherty during a hiatus from his former band The Libertines, but Babyshambles has since become his main project . Babyshambles has released two albums, three EPs and a number of singles...
, in the early days of the band, and has continued to make guest appearances with them. He drums on the first Babyshambles release, a limited edition single "Babyshambles
Babyshambles (song)
"Babyshambles" is the first single for Pete Doherty's post-Libertines band of the same name. It was released in April 2004 on High Society Records. The single was limited to 2,000 copies of the CD and 1,000 copies of the 7" vinyl and both can now be found changing hands for more than £100 on...
", released on the High Society label.
In 2008, he drummed on the David Byrne
David Byrne
David Byrne may refer to:*David Byrne , musician and former Talking Heads frontman**David Byrne , his eponymous album*David Byrne , Irish footballer*David Byrne , English footballer...
and Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
album Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Everything That Happens Will Happen Today is the second album made in collaboration between David Byrne and Brian Eno, released on August 18, 2008, by Todo Mundo. The album explores themes of humanity versus technology and optimism in spite of bleak circumstance through the blending of electronic...
.
Recently, Seb has been working with Corrine Bailey Rae and Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
.
Seb drums on 5 songs on Carl Barat's solo album released on 4 October 2010.
In 2011 he drummed on Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
and Rick Holland's album Drums Between The Bells
Drums Between the Bells
Drums Between the Bells is a collaboration album by Brian Eno and poet Rick Holland. It was released on 4 July 2011 on Warp Records in CD, double CD 'hardback', double vinyl and download editions...
.
Seb produced and co-wrote a four-track EP with UK Hip-Hop MC Mikill Pane, "The Guinness & Blackcurrant EP", which was released independently on 24th October 2011.
He recently played live with Brett Anderson on Later Live... With Jools Holland. November 1st 2011.
Polar Bear
There have been four releases by Polar BearPolar Bear (jazz)
Polar Bear is a British experimental jazz band led by drummer Seb Rochford with Pete Wareham on tenor and baritone saxophone, Mark Lockheart on tenor saxophone, Tom Herbert on double bass and Leafcutter John on mandolin and electronics....
—Dim Lit, Held On The Tips Of Fingers, Polar Bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
(self titled) and Peepers. Held On The Tips Of Fingers was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2005. He also received a Mercury nomination in 2007 for the self-titled debut album by Basquiat Strings With Seb Rochford. Polar Bear's fourth album, "Peepers
Peepers
Peepers is a fictional character in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared as a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, a group of mutants in Captain America Annual #4. He was created by Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
", was released in March 2010 to widespread critical acclaim.
Influences
Seb's range of influences include Napalm DeathNapalm Death
Napalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...
, Venetian Snares, 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...
, Prince and contemporary electronica as well as a large dose of jazz. His appearance (notably his large hair) and phenomenal technique and imagination have made him one of the most in-demand drummers of modern times in the London Jazz scene.