The Blueskins
Encyclopedia
The Blueskins are a four-piece band
based in Gawthorpe, near Wakefield
, West Yorkshire
.
men to Gawthorpe and a signing to Domino Records. Three singles
, an EP
and an album
followed, and the band embarked on a tour of Europe
and the United States
, recording
in Mississippi
with record producer
, Dennis Herring
.
In 2005 a change of direction saw Smith and Townsend leave the band and, later that year, the remaining two founder members brought in the Russian former tennis professional
Andrei Nosov on guitar
and Welsh
student Tom Bailey on five-string bass guitar
to replace them. The new members brought with them a range of new influences including native Siberia
n music and dance
-inspired indie.
The band spent much of 2006 writing new material and showcasing it to fans across the country. In the summer their 2003 single "Change My Mind" was featured on a television advertisement
for Lynx shower gel
. It generated considerable interest in the single, leading it to be re-released. Despite the interest from fans, the band's record label
did not push the single and it received limited airplay. Finding themselves unable to market the band, and choosing to concentrate on their more commercial signings, Domino Records parted company with The Blueskins, leaving them on the lookout for a new label.
The band spent the latter months of 2006 touring their new songs and writing new material. At the end of the year they played a small gig
in their local pub in Gawthorpe, inviting friends to take to the stage and perform with them. After writing new tunes and touring the UK for two years with the new line-up, they decided to disband in April 2008.
Following the split, Ryan Spendlove, The singer and frontman of The Blueskins decided to go solo and formed his own style of acoustic Blues/Folk. In January 2011 he signed a record deal with Candyrat Records in the United States where he recorded his first solo album in 3 days titled "Fable" which was released on 5 April 2011.
Leeds Music Scene
BBC Liverpool
The Junction, York
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
based in Gawthorpe, near Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
.
Career
The band was formed after Spendlove and Brown met at music college in 1999. After college they continued to play together and drafted in school friends Smith and Townsend. In 2003 considerable interest in the band resulted in an influx of A&RA&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
men to Gawthorpe and a signing to Domino Records. Three singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, an 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...
and an album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
followed, and the band embarked on a tour of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
with record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, Dennis Herring
Dennis Herring
Dennis Herring is an American record producer, engineer, mixer, and musician. Herring has produced for The Hives, Elvis Costello, Counting Crows, Modest Mouse, Camper Van Beethoven, and Jars of Clay. Herring owns a 24-track recording studio, Sweet Tea Studios, which is located in Oxford, Mississippi...
.
In 2005 a change of direction saw Smith and Townsend leave the band and, later that year, the remaining two founder members brought in the Russian former tennis professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
Andrei Nosov on 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...
and Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
student Tom Bailey on five-string bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
to replace them. The new members brought with them a range of new influences including native Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
n music and dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
-inspired indie.
The band spent much of 2006 writing new material and showcasing it to fans across the country. In the summer their 2003 single "Change My Mind" was featured on a television advertisement
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
for Lynx shower gel
Shower gel
Shower gel or shower cream is the general term for a substance similar to liquid soap, which is used for cleaning yourself during a shower. Most commercial shower gels do not contain any saponified oil however, instead being products of petroleum...
. It generated considerable interest in the single, leading it to be re-released. Despite the interest from fans, the band's record 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,...
did not push the single and it received limited airplay. Finding themselves unable to market the band, and choosing to concentrate on their more commercial signings, Domino Records parted company with The Blueskins, leaving them on the lookout for a new label.
The band spent the latter months of 2006 touring their new songs and writing new material. At the end of the year they played a small gig
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
in their local pub in Gawthorpe, inviting friends to take to the stage and perform with them. After writing new tunes and touring the UK for two years with the new line-up, they decided to disband in April 2008.
Following the split, Ryan Spendlove, The singer and frontman of The Blueskins decided to go solo and formed his own style of acoustic Blues/Folk. In January 2011 he signed a record deal with Candyrat Records in the United States where he recorded his first solo album in 3 days titled "Fable" which was released on 5 April 2011.
Band members
- Ryan Spendlove – lead vocals, guitar
- Andrei Nosov – guitar, backing vocals
- Tom Bailey – bass, backing vocals
- Paul Brown – percussion
- Matthew Smith - bass
- Ritchie Townsend - guitar
Singles
- "User Friendly" (2003)
- "Change My Mind" / "I Wanna Know" (2004) - UKUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
#56 - "Stupid Ones" (2004) - UK #61
- "Change My Mind" (re-release) (2006)
Notable quotations
Yorkshire Evening PostYorkshire Evening Post
The Yorkshire Evening Post is a daily evening publication published by Yorkshire Post Newspapers Ltd in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
- "Its a crime that the blueskins are not one of the most talked about bands in the country"
- "A mass of hair... took nothing away from a show positively oozing confidence"
- "...they are the best band in the country"
Leeds Music Scene
- "the authorative and skunk-soaked vocals rasp and soar, howling out the words as if the future of the Blues depended on it"
- "If you closed your eyes for just a second it could be Jim Morrison presiding over Brian Wilson, Bo Diddley and Keith Moon. But it's not, just four lads from Wakefield. How amazing is that?"
BBC Liverpool
- "They have the sort of cosmo pop sound that makes The Datsuns and The Hives sound like a lost Hyena who has just eaten a dodgy zebra"
The Junction, York
- "Every single song in the set is an absolute classic"
- "The Blueskins are an incredible band and will do a lot of great work"