The Horrors
Encyclopedia
The Horrors are an English
band from Southend on Sea, formed in 2005. Their debut Strange House
, was released in 2007 and reached number thirty-seven on the UK Albums Chart
, their second album Primary Colours
was released in 2009 and peaked at number 25 in the UK. In July 2011 The Horrors' third album Skying
was released, and reached number five in the UK album chart.
and DJing caused the members to meet: during trips to London
and on the Southend circuit, Rhys Webb met Faris Badwan
and Tom Cowan through their mutual interest in '60s Garage Rock
, New Wave
and Post Punk bands such as The Birthday Party
and Bauhaus
.
In 2005 the three formed a band with Joshua Hayward
and Joe Spurgeon. The band was centered around Junkclub, an underground club founded by Webb and Oliver Abbott.
Their first rehearsal consisted of two covers: The Sonics
' "The Witch" and Screaming Lord Sutch
's "Jack the Ripper" (heavily influenced by previous cover versions by The Fuzztones
, One-Way Streets and The Gruesomes
) - the latter would eventually find itself as track one on the band's debut album. The Horrors made their first live performance at The Spread Eagle on Kingsland Road in London on 16 August 2005. They played with one other band, London's new wave punk pop band LR Rockets.
The Horrors drew the attention of critics and the public with their debut single "Sheena Is a Parasite
." Their second release, "Death at the Chapel
," a high-profile show
at London
's 100 Club
in July 2006, and an appearance on the cover of the NME
in August, greatly increased their profile. As a result of this exposure, the band played the NME Awards Indie Rock Tour in early 2007 along with Mumm-Ra, The View
and The Automatic
which helped garner further notoriety.
in March 2007, The Horrors played a world tour to promote it. A slot as a support act for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
in the USA in the summer was cancelled due to lack of funds, and the band instead headlined a US tour in June. They made a number of festival appearances throughout 2007, including appearances at the Glastonbury Festival
, the Carling Weekend (on the Radio 1
/NME
stage), various Scandinavia
n festivals, the Summer Sonic Festival
in Japan
, and Splendour in the Grass
in Australia
; their setlists throughout the summer contained a cover of "No Love Lost" by Joy Division
. The Horrors also appeared in the third series of The Mighty Boosh
in December as the fictional band The Black Tubes, and supported the Arctic Monkeys
on their sell-out arena tour of the UK, at which they received a mixed reception. The band played an NME Awards
show in 2008 with Crystal Castles
, Ulterior and These New Puritans
, and supported The Sonics
on 23 March, their last London show until their appearance at Bethnal Green's Rich Mix on 23 May of the following year. On January 18, Counting in Fives, a documentary of the band's 2007 tour of the USA, was unveiled at the Sundance Film Festival
.
, Geoff Barrow
of Portishead, and music video director Chris Cunningham
. Recording took place in Bath during the summer of 2008. The band were forced to pull out of their planned appearance at the Underage Festival due to recording schedule conflicts. The band signed to XL Recordings
after they left Loog Records
in 2007. The only release from the band between the "She Is the New Thing
" single in June 2007 and the new material in 2009 was a cover of Suicide
's "Shadazz", released by Blast First Petite
as part of their tribute to Alan Vega
in October 2008. A few weeks before the new album's release, a number of songs from the album were leaked. The album's first single, "Sea Within a Sea
", was released as a digital download
-only single on 17 March 2009. A music video for the song, directed by Douglas Hart
(former bassist for The Jesus and Mary Chain
), was also posted on the band's website on the same day. The second album Primary Colours
was officially released on 4 May 2009 to critical acclaim and reached #25 on the UK Albums Chart
. The single "Who Can Say
" was released on 7" vinyl one week later. Primary Colours was nominated for the 2009 Mercury Prize
. NME later awarded the album first place in the 50 Best Albums of 2009.
After headlining London's Offset Festival
and touring Primary Colours, The Horrors said that they would like to build their own studio, so they can record at obscure hours.
, and had been in the studio for some months. A track from the album, "Endless Blue", was first unveiled at Latitude Festival
in July 2010, and later performed at Poland's Off Festival
and Belgium's Lokerse Feesten in August 2010. In February 2011, after rumours that the album had been delayed, Badwan announced via the official forum that the album would be released in July. The first single, titled "Still Life
", premiered on 24 May on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1
show. The full album was made available for streaming from the band's website on 4 July, and officially released on 11 July, 2011.
The band were announced to be headlining the Festival Republic Stage at the Reading and Leeds festivals
in August 2011,, where during their performance, were joined onstage by The Vaccines
due to Tom Cowan being older brother to The Vaccines Guitarist Freddie Cowan. Tom Cowan had joined The Vaccines on stage earlier on the same day. They had also been chosen to perform at the ATP I'll Be Your Mirror
festival curated by ATP & Portishead in September 2011 in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
Temporary band members
Faris Badwan was involved in a project, Lumina, teaming up with ex-Ipso Facto
member, Cherish Kaya to record a cover of the Black Lips
song "I'll Be With You". This recording appeared as a B-side on the Black Lips single "Drugs".
More recently, Badwan formed Cat's Eyes with multi-instrumentalist, composer and soprano vocalist Rachel Zeffira
. In early 2011 Cat's Eyes released an EP, Broken Glass, and a full-length, self-titled album.
Members of The Horrors have also played with The Diddlers (a Bo Diddley
cover band), Cramped (a Cramps
cover band) and Happy Bunny.
They have also remixed "Bloody Mary" for Lady GaGa's upcoming album "Born This Way - The Remix."
Notes
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...
band from Southend on Sea, formed in 2005. Their debut Strange House
Strange House
Strange House is the debut album by The Horrors. It entered the UK album charts at #37. The band announced the title via a MySpace bulletin on 11 January 2007. It was released on 5 March 2007 on Loog Records. Several alternative titles for the album were considered, including Through Wax Seals and...
, was released in 2007 and reached number thirty-seven on 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...
, their second album Primary Colours
Primary Colours (album)
Primary Colours is the second studio album by British post-punk revival band The Horrors. It was released in the US on 21 April 2009, and in the UK on 4 May 2009 by XL Recordings. The album charted on the UK Albums Chart at #25. According to aggregating website Metacritic, the record was met with...
was released in 2009 and peaked at number 25 in the UK. In July 2011 The Horrors' third album Skying
Skying
Skying is the third studio album by British band The Horrors. The album was released on 11 July 2011 in the UK and on 9 August 2011 in the US on XL recordings. Recorded by the band in their self-built London studio, it is the first record the band has produced themselves...
was released, and reached number five in the UK album chart.
Origins (2005 - 2006)
The Horrors originated in the early 2000s when their interests in obscure vinylGramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
and DJing caused the members to meet: during trips to 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...
and on the Southend circuit, Rhys Webb met Faris Badwan
Faris Badwan
Faris Badwan is a British musician, best known for being the lead vocalist for the English Alternative Rock band The Horrors, and more recently one half of his side project Cat's Eyes with Rachel Zeffira.-Early life:...
and Tom Cowan through their mutual interest in '60s Garage Rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
, New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and Post Punk bands such as The Birthday Party
The Birthday Party (band)
The Birthday Party were an Australian rock band, active from 1973 to 1983.Despite being championed by John Peel, The Birthday Party found little commercial success during their career...
and Bauhaus
Bauhaus (band)
Bauhaus was an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978. The group consisted of Peter Murphy , Daniel Ash , Kevin Haskins and David J . The band was originally Bauhaus 1919 before they dropped the numerical portion within a year of formation...
.
In 2005 the three formed a band with Joshua Hayward
Joshua Hayward
Joshua Hayward is a British musician, known for playing guitar in The Horrors. Hayward was born on December 15th, 1984....
and Joe Spurgeon. The band was centered around Junkclub, an underground club founded by Webb and Oliver Abbott.
Their first rehearsal consisted of two covers: The Sonics
The Sonics
The Sonics are an American garage rock band from Tacoma, Washington, originating from the early and mid-1960s. Among The Sonics' contemporaries were The Kingsmen, The Wailers, The Dynamics, The Regents, and Paul Revere & the Raiders...
' "The Witch" and Screaming Lord Sutch
Screaming Lord Sutch
David Edward Sutch , also known as "Screaming Lord Sutch, 3rd Earl of Harrow", or simply "Screaming Lord Sutch", was a musician from the United Kingdom...
's "Jack the Ripper" (heavily influenced by previous cover versions by The Fuzztones
The Fuzztones
The Fuzztones are a garage rock revival band formed in 1980. Founded by singer-guitarist Rudi Protrudi The Fuzztones are a garage rock revival band formed in 1980. Founded by singer-guitarist Rudi Protrudi The Fuzztones are a garage rock revival band formed in 1980. Founded by singer-guitarist Rudi...
, One-Way Streets and The Gruesomes
The Gruesomes
The Gruesomes are a Canadian Garage Punk band formed in 1985 from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-History:Bobby Beaton , Gerry Alvarez , John Davis and his brother Eric Davis were all between the ages of 16 and 19 and had absolutely no previous musical experience...
) - the latter would eventually find itself as track one on the band's debut album. The Horrors made their first live performance at The Spread Eagle on Kingsland Road in London on 16 August 2005. They played with one other band, London's new wave punk pop band LR Rockets.
The Horrors drew the attention of critics and the public with their debut single "Sheena Is a Parasite
Sheena Is a Parasite
"Sheena is a Parasite" was the debut single by the UK band The Horrors, released in April, 2006. It did not chart as it contained both stickers and inserts, therefore breaking chart rules....
." Their second release, "Death at the Chapel
Death at the Chapel
"Death at the Chapel" was the second single by the UK garage rock band The Horrors. According to Faris Badwan the song is about a 60's girl group dying a gruesome death, altering their belief in true love.The B-side is a cover of a song by The Syndicats....
," a high-profile show
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...
at 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...
's 100 Club
100 Club
The 100 Club is a music venue in London situated at 100 Oxford Street, W1, originally called The Feldman Swing Club.The 100 Club attained legendary status in modern British music, having played host to live music since 24 October 1942....
in July 2006, and an appearance on the cover of the 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...
in August, greatly increased their profile. As a result of this exposure, the band played the NME Awards Indie Rock Tour in early 2007 along with Mumm-Ra, The View
The View (band)
The View are a Scottish indie rock band. They incorporate various styles such as punk, pop, alternative rock, pop punk, powerpop, folk, and acoustic in their music....
and The Automatic
The Automatic
The Automatic , are a Welsh rock band. The band is composed of Robin Hawkins on vocals, bass and synthesizers, James Frost on guitar, synthesizers, backing vocals and occasional bass, Iwan Griffiths on drums and Paul Mullen on vocals, guitar and synthesizer - since 2007...
which helped garner further notoriety.
Strange House (2007-2008)
Having released their debut album Strange HouseStrange House
Strange House is the debut album by The Horrors. It entered the UK album charts at #37. The band announced the title via a MySpace bulletin on 11 January 2007. It was released on 5 March 2007 on Loog Records. Several alternative titles for the album were considered, including Through Wax Seals and...
in March 2007, The Horrors played a world tour to promote it. A slot as a support act for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, now based in Los Angeles. BRMC is known for their garage rock, blues, folk revival, neo-psychedelia sound. They are influenced by bands such as: The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Verve, The Rolling Stones, Oasis, T...
in the USA in the summer was cancelled due to lack of funds, and the band instead headlined a US tour in June. They made a number of festival appearances throughout 2007, including appearances at the Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
, the Carling Weekend (on the Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
/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...
stage), various Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n festivals, the Summer Sonic Festival
Summer Sonic Festival
The Summer Sonic Festival is an annual two or three-days rock festival held at the same time in Osaka and Chiba. The majority of the bands playing in Osaka the first day go to Chiba the following day and vice versa....
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass is an annual Australian music festival held in July at Woodford, Queensland, and previously held at Belongil Fields, outside Byron Bay...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
; their setlists throughout the summer contained a cover of "No Love Lost" by Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
. The Horrors also appeared in the third series of The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six episode radio series, it has since spawned a total of twenty television episodes for BBC Three and two live tours of the UK, as well as two live shows in the...
in December as the fictional band The Black Tubes, and supported the Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
on their sell-out arena tour of the UK, at which they received a mixed reception. The band played an NME Awards
NME Awards
The NME Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine, NME .The first awards show was held in 1953 as the NME Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding of the magazine....
show in 2008 with Crystal Castles
Crystal Castles (band)
Crystal Castles are an experimental electronic band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of producer Ethan Kath and lyricist and vocalist Alice Glass. Crystal Castles are known for their chaotic live shows and their lo-fi home productions. The duo released many limited EPs between 2006 and...
, Ulterior and These New Puritans
These New Puritans
These New Puritans are a British Art Rock band from the Southend-on-Sea area. The group consists of Jack Barnett , his twin brother George Barnett , Thomas Hein , and Sophie Sleigh-Johnson...
, and supported The Sonics
The Sonics
The Sonics are an American garage rock band from Tacoma, Washington, originating from the early and mid-1960s. Among The Sonics' contemporaries were The Kingsmen, The Wailers, The Dynamics, The Regents, and Paul Revere & the Raiders...
on 23 March, their last London show until their appearance at Bethnal Green's Rich Mix on 23 May of the following year. On January 18, Counting in Fives, a documentary of the band's 2007 tour of the USA, was unveiled at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
.
Primary Colours (2009 - 2010)
At the end of 2007, The Horrors announced the forthcoming recording of a new album. The album was produced by the band, Craig SilveyCraig Silvey (producer)
-Early Career:Craig Silvey began his career as an engineer at Skywalker Sound working and training under producer/inventor George Massenburg and working with contemporary classical act Kronos Quartet...
, Geoff Barrow
Geoff Barrow
Geoffrey Paul Barrow is the producer, disc jockey, and instrumentalist for Portishead.Portishead—formed in 1991—was named after the small town near Bristol where Barrow grew up...
of Portishead, and music video director Chris Cunningham
Chris Cunningham
Chris Cunningham is an English music video film director and video artist. He was born in Reading, Berkshire in 1970 and grew up in Lakenheath, Suffolk....
. Recording took place in Bath during the summer of 2008. The band were forced to pull out of their planned appearance at the Underage Festival due to recording schedule conflicts. The band signed to XL Recordings
XL Recordings
XL Recordings is a British independent record label owned by Richard Russell. It originated as a 1989 offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records.Though only releasing an average of six albums a year, XL Recordings has worked with The Prodigy, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire...
after they left Loog Records
Loog Records
Loog Records is a British independent record label. Loog was created by former NME editor James Oldham in 2003. It is named after former Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham...
in 2007. The only release from the band between the "She Is the New Thing
She is the New Thing
"She is the New Thing" is the fifth single by the UK garage rock band The Horrors, released in June 2007. The music video features animation and live action in conjunction. The single was available for only one week, although a free download is available on Last.fm. The song was used in the...
" single in June 2007 and the new material in 2009 was a cover of Suicide
Suicide (band)
Suicide is an American electronic protopunk musical duo, intermittently active since 1970 and composed of vocalist Alan Vega and Martin Rev on synthesizers and drum machines. They are an early synthesizer/vocal musical duo....
's "Shadazz", released by Blast First Petite
Blast First
Blast First is a sub label of one-time independent record label, Mute Records, founded in approximately 1985. It was named after a phrase taken from the first number of the radical Vorticist journal Blast, published by Wyndham Lewis in 1914...
as part of their tribute to Alan Vega
Alan Vega
Alan Vega For several years other sources stated that he was born in 1948 – see 'Myth' section is an American vocalist, primarily known for his work with electronic protopunk duo, Suicide...
in October 2008. A few weeks before the new album's release, a number of songs from the album were leaked. The album's first single, "Sea Within a Sea
Sea Within a Sea
"Sea Within a Sea" is the first single from UK band The Horrors' second album Primary Colours. First released online on March 17, 2009 after a week-long countdown on the band's website, the song is notable for its nearly eight-minute length and for not featuring any definable chorus or refrain...
", was released as a digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
-only single on 17 March 2009. A music video for the song, directed by Douglas Hart
Douglas Hart
Douglas Hart is a British musician and music video director.-Biography:Hart was the first bassist and founding member of the Scottish band The Jesus and Mary Chain, and played with the group from 1984 to 1991...
(former bassist for The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride, Glasgow in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid...
), was also posted on the band's website on the same day. The second album Primary Colours
Primary Colours (album)
Primary Colours is the second studio album by British post-punk revival band The Horrors. It was released in the US on 21 April 2009, and in the UK on 4 May 2009 by XL Recordings. The album charted on the UK Albums Chart at #25. According to aggregating website Metacritic, the record was met with...
was officially released on 4 May 2009 to critical acclaim and reached #25 on 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...
. The single "Who Can Say
Who Can Say
"Who Can Say" is the second single released from The Horrors' second album Primary Colours. The single followed the album's release on 7" vinyl on May 11, 2009. The song's lyrics feature a spoken excerpt from the Jay and the Americans 1962 single "She Cried"....
" was released on 7" vinyl one week later. Primary Colours was nominated for the 2009 Mercury Prize
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
. NME later awarded the album first place in the 50 Best Albums of 2009.
After headlining London's Offset Festival
Offset Festival
Offset Festival was formed in 2008 as a reaction against overpriced festivals with less than creative lineups. The event is held at Hainault Forest Country Park, just outside London, accessible via the Central Line.-2008:...
and touring Primary Colours, The Horrors said that they would like to build their own studio, so they can record at obscure hours.
Skying (2011 - Present)
In April 2010, singer Faris Badwan announced on their official forum that the band had already started working on their third album, to be called SkyingSkying
Skying is the third studio album by British band The Horrors. The album was released on 11 July 2011 in the UK and on 9 August 2011 in the US on XL recordings. Recorded by the band in their self-built London studio, it is the first record the band has produced themselves...
, and had been in the studio for some months. A track from the album, "Endless Blue", was first unveiled at Latitude Festival
Latitude Festival
The Latitude Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk, England. It was first held in July 2006....
in July 2010, and later performed at Poland's Off Festival
Off Festival
OFF Festival is alternative music festival held annually since 2006, sponsored by mBank and Lech, and promoted by one of Poland's national radio stations, Program 3 Polskiego Radia. Until 2009 it was held at Słupna Park in Mysłowice, Poland in August and lasts four days...
and Belgium's Lokerse Feesten in August 2010. In February 2011, after rumours that the album had been delayed, Badwan announced via the official forum that the album would be released in July. The first single, titled "Still Life
Still Life (The Horrors song)
"Still Life" is the first single released from The Horrors third album Skying. It was only released as a promotional two track CD-single in the UK. The song's first airing was in May during Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show....
", premiered on 24 May on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
show. The full album was made available for streaming from the band's website on 4 July, and officially released on 11 July, 2011.
The band were announced to be headlining the Festival Republic Stage at the Reading and Leeds festivals
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
in August 2011,, where during their performance, were joined onstage by The Vaccines
The Vaccines
The Vaccines are an English indie rock band who formed in West London in 2010. The band's debut album, What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?, was released through Columbia Records on 14 March 2011 and reached number 4 in the UK Album Chart. They are currently the biggest selling new band of 2011....
due to Tom Cowan being older brother to The Vaccines Guitarist Freddie Cowan. Tom Cowan had joined The Vaccines on stage earlier on the same day. They had also been chosen to perform at the ATP I'll Be Your Mirror
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
festival curated by ATP & Portishead in September 2011 in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
Band members
- Faris Badwan - vocalsSingingSinging 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...
; formerly known as Faris Rotter. - Joshua Hayward - guitarGuitarThe 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...
; formerly Joshua Von Grimm or Joshua Third. - Tom Cowan - synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
(on Primary Colours), bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(on Strange House); formerly known as Tomethy Furse. - Rhys Webb - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(on Primary Colours), organs (on Strange House); formerly known as Spider Webb. - Joe Spurgeon - drums; formerly known as Coffin Joe.
Temporary band members
- Freddie Cowan (Tom Cowan's brother and guitarist with The VaccinesThe VaccinesThe Vaccines are an English indie rock band who formed in West London in 2010. The band's debut album, What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?, was released through Columbia Records on 14 March 2011 and reached number 4 in the UK Album Chart. They are currently the biggest selling new band of 2011....
) - guitar; replacing Joshua Hayward for several gigs when he was taking his exams.
Side projects
Rhys Webb and Tom Cowan have a side project, Spider and The Flies, who are influenced by BBC Radiophonics Workshop electronica, and have released an EP called Something Clockwork This Way Comes (2009).Faris Badwan was involved in a project, Lumina, teaming up with ex-Ipso Facto
Ipso Facto (band)
Ipso Facto were a goth-inflected, melodramatic psychedelic rock band. Founded in 2007 by Rosalie Cunningham , Victoria Smith , Cherish Kaya and Samantha Valentine . They were based in London but individually originated from different parts of the UK, including Southend, Newcastle and Bedford...
member, Cherish Kaya to record a cover of the Black Lips
Black Lips
Black Lips are a "Flower Punk" band from Atlanta, Georgia.-History:The band formed in 1999 in Dunwoody, Georgia after guitarist Cole Alexander and bassist Jared Swilley left the Renegades, and guitarist Ben Eberbaugh left the Reruns. Alexander and Swilley were known for their crude antics both...
song "I'll Be With You". This recording appeared as a B-side on the Black Lips single "Drugs".
More recently, Badwan formed Cat's Eyes with multi-instrumentalist, composer and soprano vocalist Rachel Zeffira
Rachel Zeffira
Rachel Zeffira is an Italian-Canadian soprano, composer, and multi-instrumentalist currently based in London, England. She is also one half of the duo Cat's Eyes, the other being Faris Badwan of the noise rock band, The Horrors.- References :...
. In early 2011 Cat's Eyes released an EP, Broken Glass, and a full-length, self-titled album.
Members of The Horrors have also played with The Diddlers (a Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
cover band), Cramped (a Cramps
The Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band, formed in 1976 and active until 2009. The band split after the death of lead singer Lux Interior. Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist Poison Ivy the only permanent members...
cover band) and Happy Bunny.
They have also remixed "Bloody Mary" for Lady GaGa's upcoming album "Born This Way - The Remix."
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK 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... |
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| Strange House Strange House Strange House is the debut album by The Horrors. It entered the UK album charts at #37. The band announced the title via a MySpace bulletin on 11 January 2007. It was released on 5 March 2007 on Loog Records. Several alternative titles for the album were considered, including Through Wax Seals and... |
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37 |
| Primary Colours Primary Colours (album) Primary Colours is the second studio album by British post-punk revival band The Horrors. It was released in the US on 21 April 2009, and in the UK on 4 May 2009 by XL Recordings. The album charted on the UK Albums Chart at #25. According to aggregating website Metacritic, the record was met with... |
XL Recordings XL Recordings is a British independent record label owned by Richard Russell. It originated as a 1989 offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records.Though only releasing an average of six albums a year, XL Recordings has worked with The Prodigy, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire... |
25 |
| Skying Skying Skying is the third studio album by British band The Horrors. The album was released on 11 July 2011 in the UK and on 9 August 2011 in the US on XL recordings. Recorded by the band in their self-built London studio, it is the first record the band has produced themselves... |
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5 |
EPs
| Date of Release | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 24 October 2006 | The Horrors EP The Horrors EP The Horrors EP was released in October, 2006. At first it was only released in America but was eventually released in the UK... |
Stolen Transmission Stolen Transmission Stolen Transmission was an American independent record label founded in 2005 by Sarah Lewitinn and Rob Stevenson. They have released albums from well-known artists such as Innerpartysystem, Monty Are I, and Schoolyard Heroes.-History:... |
| 6 October 2008 | "Shadazz" (also featuring Suicide Suicide (band) Suicide is an American electronic protopunk musical duo, intermittently active since 1970 and composed of vocalist Alan Vega and Martin Rev on synthesizers and drum machines. They are an early synthesizer/vocal musical duo.... and Nic Void) |
Blast First Petite Blast First Blast First is a sub label of one-time independent record label, Mute Records, founded in approximately 1985. It was named after a phrase taken from the first number of the radical Vorticist journal Blast, published by Wyndham Lewis in 1914... |
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Record label |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK 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 ... |
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| "Sheena Is a Parasite Sheena Is a Parasite "Sheena is a Parasite" was the debut single by the UK band The Horrors, released in April, 2006. It did not chart as it contained both stickers and inserts, therefore breaking chart rules.... " |
2006 | — | L O O G |
Strange House |
| "Death at the Chapel Death at the Chapel "Death at the Chapel" was the second single by the UK garage rock band The Horrors. According to Faris Badwan the song is about a 60's girl group dying a gruesome death, altering their belief in true love.The B-side is a cover of a song by The Syndicats.... " |
— | |||
| "Count in Fives Count in Fives "Count in Fives" was the third single by the UK band The Horrors, released in October, 2006. The song is about Faris Badwan's childhood obsession with arranging things in groups of 5. The B-side "A Knife in their Eye" words written by Badwan set to music by The Monks. Like other singles by the band... " |
— | |||
| "Gloves Gloves (song) "Gloves" was the fourth single by the UK band The Horrors, released in February, 2007. The song charted at #34 in the UK charts, the first single by the band not to include a sticker and thus, eligible for the chart. The song is about Faris Rotter's obsessive collection of lost gloves... " |
2007 | 34 | ||
| "She Is the New Thing She is the New Thing "She is the New Thing" is the fifth single by the UK garage rock band The Horrors, released in June 2007. The music video features animation and live action in conjunction. The single was available for only one week, although a free download is available on Last.fm. The song was used in the... " |
89 | |||
| "Sea Within a Sea Sea Within a Sea "Sea Within a Sea" is the first single from UK band The Horrors' second album Primary Colours. First released online on March 17, 2009 after a week-long countdown on the band's website, the song is notable for its nearly eight-minute length and for not featuring any definable chorus or refrain... " |
2009 | — | X L |
Primary Colours |
| "Who Can Say Who Can Say "Who Can Say" is the second single released from The Horrors' second album Primary Colours. The single followed the album's release on 7" vinyl on May 11, 2009. The song's lyrics feature a spoken excerpt from the Jay and the Americans 1962 single "She Cried".... " |
— | |||
| "Mirror's Image Mirror's Image -Music video:The music video for "Mirror's Image" is directed by Nicky "Weirdcore" Smith. The beginning shows the bassist Rhys Webb playing in front and on a green screen that has flowers and butterflies in motion... " |
— | |||
| "Whole New Way Whole New Way "Whole New Way" is a non-album single by English rock group The Horrors. The single mix was released as a 7" vinyl and digital single on 4 October 2009, along with "Primary Colours", from the album of the same name... " |
— | |||
| "Still Life Still Life (The Horrors song) "Still Life" is the first single released from The Horrors third album Skying. It was only released as a promotional two track CD-single in the UK. The song's first airing was in May during Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show.... " |
2011 | 63 | Skying | |
| "I Can See Through You I Can See Through You "I Can See Through You" is the second single released from The Horrors third album Skying. It was only released as a promotional two track CD-single in the UK.... " |
— | |||
Notes
- All of the singles released by The Horrors prior to "GlovesGloves (song)"Gloves" was the fourth single by the UK band The Horrors, released in February, 2007. The song charted at #34 in the UK charts, the first single by the band not to include a sticker and thus, eligible for the chart. The song is about Faris Rotter's obsessive collection of lost gloves...
" have been chart ineligible because they have been packaged with inserts and stickers, breaking chart rules.
Music videos
Year Song Director Album 2006 "Sheena Is a Parasite Sheena Is a Parasite"Sheena is a Parasite" was the debut single by the UK band The Horrors, released in April, 2006. It did not chart as it contained both stickers and inserts, therefore breaking chart rules....
"Chris Cunningham Chris CunninghamChris Cunningham is an English music video film director and video artist. He was born in Reading, Berkshire in 1970 and grew up in Lakenheath, Suffolk....Strange House "Count in Fives Count in Fives"Count in Fives" was the third single by the UK band The Horrors, released in October, 2006. The song is about Faris Badwan's childhood obsession with arranging things in groups of 5. The B-side "A Knife in their Eye" words written by Badwan set to music by The Monks. Like other singles by the band...
"Daniel Wolfe "Count in Fives" Tim Mattia 2007 "Gloves Gloves (song)"Gloves" was the fourth single by the UK band The Horrors, released in February, 2007. The song charted at #34 in the UK charts, the first single by the band not to include a sticker and thus, eligible for the chart. The song is about Faris Rotter's obsessive collection of lost gloves...
"Daniel Wolfe "She Is the New Thing She is the New Thing"She is the New Thing" is the fifth single by the UK garage rock band The Horrors, released in June 2007. The music video features animation and live action in conjunction. The single was available for only one week, although a free download is available on Last.fm. The song was used in the...
"Corin Hardy 2009 "Sea Within a Sea Sea Within a Sea"Sea Within a Sea" is the first single from UK band The Horrors' second album Primary Colours. First released online on March 17, 2009 after a week-long countdown on the band's website, the song is notable for its nearly eight-minute length and for not featuring any definable chorus or refrain...
"Douglas Hart Douglas HartDouglas Hart is a British musician and music video director.-Biography:Hart was the first bassist and founding member of the Scottish band The Jesus and Mary Chain, and played with the group from 1984 to 1991...Primary Colours "Who Can Say Who Can Say"Who Can Say" is the second single released from The Horrors' second album Primary Colours. The single followed the album's release on 7" vinyl on May 11, 2009. The song's lyrics feature a spoken excerpt from the Jay and the Americans 1962 single "She Cried"....
""Mirror's Image Mirror's Image-Music video:The music video for "Mirror's Image" is directed by Nicky "Weirdcore" Smith. The beginning shows the bassist Rhys Webb playing in front and on a green screen that has flowers and butterflies in motion...
"Nicky Smith aka Weirdcore "Whole New Way Whole New Way"Whole New Way" is a non-album single by English rock group The Horrors. The single mix was released as a 7" vinyl and digital single on 4 October 2009, along with "Primary Colours", from the album of the same name...
"Dave Ma 2011 "Still Life Still Life (The Horrors song)"Still Life" is the first single released from The Horrors third album Skying. It was only released as a promotional two track CD-single in the UK. The song's first airing was in May during Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show....
"Ollie Murray Skying
External links