The Field Mice
Encyclopedia
The Field Mice were an indie pop
band on the indie
label Sarah Records
. Initially a duo from South London
suburb of Mitcham
comprising Robert Wratten and Michael Hiscock, their first EP
, Emma's House, was released in November 1988, and reached number 20 in the UK Independent Chart. But it was with their second single "Sensitive" that they first received significant critical attention, giving them a top-20 indie hit and with a subsequent placing in John Peel
's 1989 Festive 50
. Debut mini-album Snowball reached number 3 on the indie albums chart. The original duo were joined by Harvey Williams
(of Another Sunny Day) on guitar and in 1990 the band expanded to include Annemari Davies on guitar and keyboards and Mark Dobson on drums, the first fruits of this new line-up being the Skywriting mini-LP
.
Over a three year career the band were often dogged with the reputation of having a post-C86
indiepop or generic Sarah Records
sound despite producing tracks with numerous styles and influences. Early singles and even their sleeves harked back to early Factory Records
bands such as New Order
and The Wake
, with many tracks often featuring sequencers and samples. Many of the group's recordings, notably "Triangle" and their epic seven-minute swan song
, "Missing the Moon", displayed a strong influence from the popular dance music of the time. Most of the group's records were produced by Ian Catt
, who later went on to develop the pop dance sound of "Missing The Moon" further with Saint Etienne
(whose second single was a cover version
of the Field Mice's "Kiss & Make Up").
The band split up in 1991 after a fractious tour to promote the For Keeps album, during which lead singer/guitarist Robert Wratten announced he was leaving.
Later, Field Mice members Wratten, Annemari Davies (Wratten's ex-girlfriend), and Mark Dobson briefly formed Yesterday Sky before becoming the more synth-oriented outfit Northern Picture Library
, and then Wratten went on to form Trembling Blue Stars
in 1995.
A double-album compilation of the now long-deleted Field Mice releases, Where'd You Learn To Kiss That Way? was released in 1999 and sold more copies than any Field Mice record ever sold at the time. Their entire back catalogue was reissued on CD for the first time by LTM Recordings in 2005.
Expanded versions of Snowball, Skywriting, and For Keeps were issued on LTM in 2005.
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
band on the indie
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
label Sarah Records
Sarah Records
Sarah Records was a UK independent record label active between 1987 and 1995, best known for its recordings of indie pop.The label was formed in Bristol in 1987 by Clare Wadd and Matt Haynes, and grew out of the fanzine scene at the time, Haynes having previously edited Are You Scared To Get...
. Initially a duo from South London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
suburb of Mitcham
Mitcham
Mitcham is a district in the south west area of London, in the London Borough of Merton. A suburban area, Mitcham is located on the border of Inner London and Outer London. It is both residentially and financially developed, well served by Transport for London, and home to Mitcham Town Centre,...
comprising Robert Wratten and Michael Hiscock, their first 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...
, Emma's House, was released in November 1988, and reached number 20 in the UK Independent Chart. But it was with their second single "Sensitive" that they first received significant critical attention, giving them a top-20 indie hit and with a subsequent placing in John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
's 1989 Festive 50
Festive Fifty
The Festive Fifty was originally an annual list of the year's fifty best songs compiled at the end of the year and voted for by listeners to John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show...
. Debut mini-album Snowball reached number 3 on the indie albums chart. The original duo were joined by Harvey Williams
Harvey Williams (musician)
Harvey Williams is a singer, songwriter and guitarist based in London , who was active in several Sarah Records bands in the 1990s. He recorded as Another Sunny Day, and also played instruments in The Field Mice, The Hit Parade and Blueboy...
(of Another Sunny Day) on guitar and in 1990 the band expanded to include Annemari Davies on guitar and keyboards and Mark Dobson on drums, the first fruits of this new line-up being the Skywriting mini-LP
Mini-LP
A Mini-LP or Mini-album is a short album, usually retailing at a lower price than an album that would be considered "full-length".-History:...
.
Over a three year career the band were often dogged with the reputation of having a post-C86
C86 (music)
C86 is a cassette compilation released by the British music magazine NME in 1986, featuring new bands licensed from independent labels of the time. As a phrase, C86 quickly evolved into shorthand for a guitar-based musical genre characterised by "jangly" guitars and fey melodies, although other...
indiepop or generic Sarah Records
Sarah Records
Sarah Records was a UK independent record label active between 1987 and 1995, best known for its recordings of indie pop.The label was formed in Bristol in 1987 by Clare Wadd and Matt Haynes, and grew out of the fanzine scene at the time, Haynes having previously edited Are You Scared To Get...
sound despite producing tracks with numerous styles and influences. Early singles and even their sleeves harked back to early Factory Records
Factory Records
Factory Records was a Manchester based British independent record label, started in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus, which featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, Northside and James and...
bands such as New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
and The Wake
The Wake (band)
The Wake were a British post punk and later indie pop band, founded in Glasgow in 1981 by Gerard "Caesar" McInulty , Steven Allen and Joe Donnelly, who was later replaced by Bobby Gillespie...
, with many tracks often featuring sequencers and samples. Many of the group's recordings, notably "Triangle" and their epic seven-minute swan song
Swan song
"Swan song" is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement. The phrase refers to an ancient belief that the Mute Swan is completely silent during its lifetime until the moment just before death, when it sings one beautiful song...
, "Missing the Moon", displayed a strong influence from the popular dance music of the time. Most of the group's records were produced by Ian Catt
Ian Catt
Ian Catt is a British record producer and multi-instrumentalist associated with several popular indie groups, notably Saint Etienne of whom he has been a touring member. He has also collaborated with Saint Etienne's vocalist Sarah Cracknell on her solo album, Lipslide...
, who later went on to develop the pop dance sound of "Missing The Moon" further with Saint Etienne
Saint Etienne (band)
Saint Etienne are an English Pop group comprising Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs. They are named after the French football team AS Saint-Étienne.-History:Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs were childhood friends and former music journalists...
(whose second single was a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Field Mice's "Kiss & Make Up").
The band split up in 1991 after a fractious tour to promote the For Keeps album, during which lead singer/guitarist Robert Wratten announced he was leaving.
Later, Field Mice members Wratten, Annemari Davies (Wratten's ex-girlfriend), and Mark Dobson briefly formed Yesterday Sky before becoming the more synth-oriented outfit Northern Picture Library
Northern Picture Library
Northern Picture Library was a British dream pop group, formed in 1993 by Bobby Wratten and Annemari Davies, both former members of The Field Mice. They were soon joined by former Field Mice drummer Mark Dobson....
, and then Wratten went on to form Trembling Blue Stars
Trembling Blue Stars
Trembling Blue Stars is a London-based band that currently includes members Robert Wratten and Beth Arzy . Begun as a side project of Wratten's previous band Northern Picture Library, Trembling Blue Stars became Wratten's main band when Northern Picture Library broke up in 1995...
in 1995.
A double-album compilation of the now long-deleted Field Mice releases, Where'd You Learn To Kiss That Way? was released in 1999 and sold more copies than any Field Mice record ever sold at the time. Their entire back catalogue was reissued on CD for the first time by LTM Recordings in 2005.
Studio Albums
- SnowballSnowball (album)Snowball is the first album by The Field Mice. It was originally released as a 10" vinyl LP. It includes the song "Let's Kiss and Make Up", which became better known when covered by Saint Etienne the following year.-Track listing:...
(mini-album, Sarah 402, 1989) - SkywritingSkywriting (album)-Track listing:# "Triangle" – 8:55# "Canada" – 3:28# "Clearer" – 3:56# "It Isn't Forever" – 6:01# "Below the Stars" – 5:36# "Humblebee" – 6:32- 2005 bonus tracks :The following tracks appear on the 2005 reissue of the album from LTM recordings.# "Landmark"...
(mini-album, Sarah 601, 1990) - For KeepsFor Keeps (album)-Track listing:# "Five Moments" – 5:16# "Star of David" – 5:22# "Coach Station Reunion" – 3:10# "This Is Not Here" – 4:58# "Of the Perfect Kind" – 6:11# "Tilting at Windmills" – 4:38# "Think of These Things" – 4:17# "Willow" – 4:20...
(Sarah 607, 1991)
Expanded versions of Snowball, Skywriting, and For Keeps were issued on LTM in 2005.
Compilations
- CoastalCoastal (Field Mice album)-Track listing:# "September's Not So Far Away" – 6:13# "So Said Kay" – 5:05# "The Last Letter" – 2:44# "Sensitive" – 5:05# "This Love Is Not Wrong" – 3:21# "If You Need Someone" – 3:44# "Anyone Else Isn't You" - 4:12# "Couldn't Feel Safer" – 3:46...
(compilation, Sarah 606, 1991) - Where'd You Learn to Kiss That Way?Where'd You Learn to Kiss That Way?-Track listing:Disc 1# "Five Moments" – 5:16# "If You Need Someone" – 3:43# "Sensitive" – 5:02# "Couldn't Feel Safer" – 3:44# "Below the Stars" – 5:32# "Coach Station Reunion" – 3:07# "Everything About You" – 2:23# "It Isn't Forever" – 5:59...
(compilation, Shinkansen Recordings, 1998)
Singles
- "Emma's HouseEmma's House"Emma's House" is the debut single by The Field Mice. It was released as a 7" vinyl record on Sarah Records in November 1988. It reached number 20 on the UK Independent Chart in December that year....
" (7", Sarah 012, 1988) - "SensitiveSensitive (single)"Sensitive" is the second single by The Field Mice. It was released as a 7" vinyl record on Sarah Records in February 1989, and included a fold-out poster depicting a leaf. Sensitive, on which the band's sound verged on shoegazing, has been described as "an anthemic statement of purpose...a...
" (7", Sarah 018, 1989) - The Autumn Store Part OneThe Autumn Store Part One"The Autumn Store Part 1" is an EP by The Field Mice. It was released as a 7" vinyl record.-Tracklisting:7" Single #"If You Need Someone" - 3:46#"The World to Me" - 3:41...
(7", Sarah 024, 1989) - The Autumn Store Part TwoThe Autumn Store Part Two"The Autumn Store Part 2" is an EP by The Field Mice. It was released as a 7" vinyl record.-Tracklisting:7" Single #"Song Six" - 5:01#"Anyone Else Isn't You" - 4:12#"Bleak" - 5:07...
(7", Sarah 025, 1989) - "I Can See Myself Alone ForeverI Can See Myself Alone Forever"I Can See Myself Alone Forever" is a single by The Field Mice. It was released as a 7" vinyl record.-Tracklisting:7" Single #"I Can See Myself Alone Forever" - 5:21#"Everything About You" - 2:21...
" (7", CAFF 2, 1990) - "So Said KaySo Said Kay"So Said Kay" is an EP by The Field Mice. It was released as a 10" vinyl record.-Tracklisting:10" EP #"Holland Street" - 2:52#"Quicksilver" - 2:40# "Indian Ocean" - 5:04# "Landmark" - 5:08# "So Said Kay" - 5:11...
" (10", Sarah 038, 1990) - "September's Not So Far AwaySeptember's Not So Far Away"September's Not So Far Away" is a single by The Field Mice. It was released as a 7" vinyl record.-Tracklisting:7" Single #"September's Not So Far Away" - 4:10#"Between Hello and Goodbye" - 2:29...
" (7", Sarah 044, 1991) - "Missing the MoonMissing the Moon"Missing the Moon" is a single by The Field Mice. It was released as a 12" vinyl record. It was the group's final proper single release and marks the culmination of their experiments with electronica, being a heavily synthesised dance pop single...
" (12", Sarah 057, 1991) - "Burning WorldBurning World"Burning World" is a single by The Field Mice. It was released as a 7" vinyl record.It is a cover of a song by the band Loop. The song was recorded live in Paris while on the band's final tour....
" (7", BULL 4-0)
External links
- Field Mice biography - Alastair Fitchett, LTM reissue sleevenotes
- Field Mice biography - Matt Haynes co-owner of Sarah Records - Page capture taken on 16 November 2007, courtesy of Internet Archive