Bat for Lashes
Encyclopedia
Natasha Khan also known by her stage name
Bat for Lashes, is an English musician. She sings and plays the piano
, bass
, guitar
, harpsichord
and the autoharp
.
Khan's debut album, Fur and Gold
, released in 2006, peaked at number forty-eight on the UK Album Chart and was shortlisted for the 2007 Mercury Prize
. In 2008, Khan received two BRIT Award nominations for Best Breakthrough Artist and Best Female Solo Artist.
Khan’s second album, Two Suns
, released in 2009, reached number five on the UK Album Chart and number seventeen on the Irish Album Chart. It produced her first UK top forty single, "Daniel
", and was shortlisted for the 2009 Mercury Prize. Khan was nominated Best Female Solo Artist at 2010 BRIT Awards.
i father, Rehmat Khan
(a former professional squash
player from Peshawar
) and to an English
mother. Her father decided to relocate the family to the commuter town of Rickmansworth
in Hertfordshire to help with his coaching of future squash world open winner Jahangir Khan
, Natasha's cousin.
As a child Khan, along with her sister Suraya and brother Tariq, attended her uncle’s squash matches. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph
, Khan reflected that seeing her uncle helped inspire her. "The roar of the crowd is intense; it is ceremonial, ritualistic, I feel like the banner got passed to me but I carried it on in a creative way. It is a similar thing, the need to thrive on heightened communal experience."
With her father’s abandonment of the family Khan turned to the piano. Deciding to play improvised pieces instead of attending lessons, Khan herself felt the piano became an outlet for her emotions. “You need to find a channel to express things, to get them out", she said.
During her teens Khan was also a victim of racism
. Speaking about her time in after-school clubs she claimed “the kids there totally ripped me to shreds.” This rejection led Khan to rebel, making the decision to “bunk off
” school and stay at home listening to music. “My mum would take me to the train station and I pretended to get the train; she'd drive to work and I would go home and play a tape of Nirvana
all day”.
With the completion of her GCSEs and A-Levels she decided to embark on a road trip through America with her boyfriend at the time, using the money earned from her part time job at a local card-making factory.
After spending three months touring through the US and Mexico Khan returned to Britain and settled down in Brighton
to study a degree in music and visual arts at the University of Brighton
. While at university her experimental work was influenced by artists such as Steve Reich
and Susan Hiller
, and she produced multi-media work centred on sound installations, animations and performance.
Khan's debut single, "The Wizard", was released digitally through Drowned in Sound
records and on seven-inch vinyl through Khan's own imprint, She Bear Records. She then signed to the record label Echo, alongside Feeder
and former Moloko
singer Róisín Murphy
, and released her debut album, Fur and Gold
, in September 2006. In 2007, Bat for Lashes parted company with Echo and signed to Parlophone Records, which re-released Fur and Gold with the addition of bonus material. A limited vinyl version was released by Los Angeles indie label Manimal Vinyl
in May 2007. Fur and Gold reached number forty-eight on the UK Albums Chart
and has since been certified Silver by the BPI
for sales exceeding 60,000 copies. In 2007, Khan appeared at the Glastonbury Festival
and toured the United States.
Critics likened Khan's music to the work of Siouxsie Sioux
, Björk
, Kate Bush
, Cat Power
, PJ Harvey
, Annie Lennox
, Tori Amos
and Fiona Apple
. Both her albums were described by MTV Iggy as "at once haunting and way danceable." Fur and Gold was one of the albums nominated for the 2007 Mercury Prize
, losing out to Klaxons
' Myths of the Near Future
despite being a favourite of British media to win the award. Also in 2007, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) awarded her with the ASCAP Vanguard Award and chose her to perform at ASCAP's "ASCAP Presents..." showcase at South by Southwest
in Austin, Texas. In 2008, Khan was nominated for British Breakthrough Act and British Female Solo Artist at the BRIT Awards
.
Radiohead
's 2008 tour featured several shows with Bat for Lashes as their opening act. Her version of the The Cure
's "A Forest
" appeared on a charity album called Perfect as Cats
on Manimal Vinyl in late 2008.
, was released in April 2009 and produced by Natasha Khan and David Kosten. In preparation for the album, Khan journeyed to the Joshua Tree Desert
in California
to gain inspiration, before returning to New York and London to write and record the finished material for release.
A concept album, Two Suns focuses on Khan’s desert-born alter ego
Pearl, whose personality she adopted while staying in New York to gain a better understanding of the character. She revealed to the BBC
's Newsbeat, "I really just did it as an experiment of dressing up myself with quite garish extreme feminine make-up. I wanted to photograph myself in that situation and just see what it made me feel.” Khan believed that living in Brooklyn
when bands such as TV on the Radio
, MGMT
and Gang Gang Dance
were emerging on the music scene had an influence on the album's musical style. In an interview with MTV
she said, “I experienced that whole thing coming out, in terms of beats and like going out dancing and checking out all this new music it was really inspiring.” During the album’s production, she also collaborated with Brooklyn artist Yeasayer
for the bass and beat programming.
Two Suns debuted at number five on the UK Albums Chart
, and has been certified Gold by the BPI
for sales of 100,000 copies. The first single from the album, "Daniel
", became Khan's first hit, peaking at number thirty-six on the UK Singles Chart
; it later won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song and was nominated for the MTV Video Music Award for Breakthrough Video of the Year. The following singles were "Pearl's Dream
" and a double A-side of "Sleep Alone
" and "Moon and Moon", the latter of which was featured in a high profile advertising campaign for children's charity Barnardo's
in late 2009.
Critical response to the album was generally favourable, generating a score of 77 on the review aggregator Metacritic
. In their review for Two Suns NME
awarded it 8 out of 10 describing the album as “epic in scope and ambition and requires a similarly epic patience to unravel its charms.” Rolling Stone
also rated it favourably stating, “Khan proves she's a powerhouse under her billowy sleeves. She could be the next Kate Bush
." However some critics such as Popmatters found problems, reviewing the album they claimed, “While the weaker songs are definitely not throwaways, they miss the mark in more than one way.” Blender
magazine also felt the album was average, awarding it 3 out 5 stars, claiming "The contrast between Pearl and Natasha isn’t always crisply drawn". As with Fur and Gold, Khan was nominated for the Mercury Prize for Two Suns. In 2010, she won Best Alternative Act at the UK Asian Music Awards
and received a second BRIT Award nomination for British Female Solo Artist.
As part of the 2009 summer festival season, Khan played at Glastonbury
, Somerset House
and the iTunes Festival
. In September 2009, a special edition of Two Suns was released in the United Kingdom ahead of Khan's October tour. The special edition, which includes a cover version of Kings of Leon
's single "Use Somebody
", was released simultaneously in the United States. Later in 2009, the cover artwork for Two Suns was nominated for Best Art Vinyl.
(visiting: Argentina
, Brazil
, Colombia
and Mexico
), after a one-off gig at The De La Warr Pavilion
. In mid 2010, "Let's Get Lost", a collaboration with Beck
, was released on the soundtrack
to the film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. After working on the track, Khan expressed interest in working with Beck on her third album, stating "He's got creative ideas."
To celebrate Record Store Day
in 2010, Bat for Lashes released an exclusive, limited to 1000 copies edition double A-side 7-inch single. The first track was a re-worked version of "Howl" (the original B-Side to the "Trophy" 7-single) that was recorded live at De La Warr Pavilion, and the second was a live version of "Wild Is the Wind
" that was recorded at Grove Music Studios. Also in 2010, Bat for Lashes contributed the song "Sleep Alone" to the Enough Project
and Downtown Records
' Raise Hope for Congo compilation. Proceeds from the compilation fund efforts to make the protection and empowerment of Congo's women
a priority, as well as inspire individuals around the world to raise their voice for peace in Congo
.
In 2011, Khan recorded a cover version of Depeche Mode
's song "Strangelove
" for Gucci
's advertising campaign for new fragrance Gulity For Him. The song was released as a free download from Gucci's channel on YouTube and various blogs. Khan was chosen by Gucci's creative director Frida Giannini
. In June 2011, Khan performed two shows at the Sydney Opera House
as part of the Vivid LIVE Arts Festival. These were her only live performances in 2011.
Kahn has stated she is in the early stages of writing for her follow-up to "Two Suns" and plans to take her time.
, Debbie Harry
, and M.I.A.
have complimented Khan's work, Ringo Starr
said she was one of his favourite new artists, and Björk
was also spotted at one of her early gigs.
The Bat for Lashes live line-up contains an ever-revolving cast of musicians often changing on a per-tour basis. The latest line-up includes Ben Christophers
, Charlotte Hatherley
and Sarah Jones, who also plays drums with New Young Pony Club
. This line-up was announced in March 2009. In April 2009 she appeared on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. She performed an acoustic version of the single, "Daniel," and also covered "Use Somebody
" by Kings of Leon
. Her first appearance on US broadcast television was 1 May 2009 on The Late Show with David Letterman, performing the song "Daniel." In April 2009 she appeared on the BBC2 live music show Later... with Jools Holland performing two songs from Two Suns
: "Daniel
" and "Sleep Alone." On 11 August 2009 Bat for Lashes performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon performing the song "Sleep Alone." She also performed "Moon and Moon" during the Mercury Award's 2009 event.
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:...
Bat for Lashes, is an English musician. She sings and plays the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, 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...
, harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
and the autoharp
Autoharp
The autoharp is a musical string instrument having a series of chord bars attached to dampers, which, when depressed, mute all of the strings other than those that form the desired chord. Despite its name, the autoharp is not a harp at all, but a chorded zither. -History:There is debate over the...
.
Khan's debut album, Fur and Gold
Fur and Gold
Fur and Gold is the debut album by English solo artist Bat for Lashes, released in 2006. It was released to critical acclaim and was nominated for the 2007 Mercury Prize. In 2007, the album was re-released through Parlophone with the addition of a cover of the Bruce Springsteen song "I'm on Fire"...
, released in 2006, peaked at number forty-eight on the UK Album Chart and was shortlisted for the 2007 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...
. In 2008, Khan received two BRIT Award nominations for Best Breakthrough Artist and Best Female Solo Artist.
Khan’s second album, Two Suns
Two Suns
Two Suns is the Mercury Music Prize nominated second album by English-Pakistani solo artist Bat for Lashes , released on 6 April 2009...
, released in 2009, reached number five on the UK Album Chart and number seventeen on the Irish Album Chart. It produced her first UK top forty single, "Daniel
Daniel (Bat for Lashes song)
"Daniel" is the first single from Bat for Lashes' second album Two Suns. It is her best selling single to date, selling over 46,000 copies worldwide. The song was announced as the lead single from Two Suns in January 2009, then released as a digital download single on 1 March 2009, and as a 7"...
", and was shortlisted for the 2009 Mercury Prize. Khan was nominated Best Female Solo Artist at 2010 BRIT Awards.
Early life
Khan was born in London on 25 October 1979. Until the age of five she was raised in Wembley where her parents had met and married several years before. She was born to a PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i father, Rehmat Khan
Rehmat Khan
Rehmatullah "Rehmat" Khan is one of greatest living squash coaches and a former squash player from Pakistan. He coached his cousin Jahangir Khan, who is arguably the greatest squash player of all time, throughout his record-breaking career...
(a former professional squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
player from Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
) and to 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...
mother. Her father decided to relocate the family to the commuter town of Rickmansworth
Rickmansworth
Rickmansworth is a town in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire, England, 4¼ miles west of Watford.The town has a population of around 15,000 people and lies on the Grand Union Canal and the River Colne, at the northern end of the Colne Valley regional park.Rickmansworth is a small town in...
in Hertfordshire to help with his coaching of future squash world open winner Jahangir Khan
Jahangir Khan
Jahangir Khan, HI, is a former World No. 1 professional squash player from Pakistan, who is considered by many to be the greatest player in the history of the game. During his career he won the World Open six times and the British Open a record ten times...
, Natasha's cousin.
As a child Khan, along with her sister Suraya and brother Tariq, attended her uncle’s squash matches. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, Khan reflected that seeing her uncle helped inspire her. "The roar of the crowd is intense; it is ceremonial, ritualistic, I feel like the banner got passed to me but I carried it on in a creative way. It is a similar thing, the need to thrive on heightened communal experience."
With her father’s abandonment of the family Khan turned to the piano. Deciding to play improvised pieces instead of attending lessons, Khan herself felt the piano became an outlet for her emotions. “You need to find a channel to express things, to get them out", she said.
During her teens Khan was also a victim of racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
. Speaking about her time in after-school clubs she claimed “the kids there totally ripped me to shreds.” This rejection led Khan to rebel, making the decision to “bunk off
Truancy
Truancy is any intentional unauthorized absence from compulsory schooling. The term typically describes absences caused by students of their own free will, and usually does not refer to legitimate "excused" absences, such as ones related to medical conditions...
” school and stay at home listening to music. “My mum would take me to the train station and I pretended to get the train; she'd drive to work and I would go home and play a tape of 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...
all day”.
With the completion of her GCSEs and A-Levels she decided to embark on a road trip through America with her boyfriend at the time, using the money earned from her part time job at a local card-making factory.
After spending three months touring through the US and Mexico Khan returned to Britain and settled down in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
to study a degree in music and visual arts at the University of Brighton
University of Brighton
The University of Brighton is an English university of the United Kingdom, with a community of over 23,000 students and 2,600 staff based on campuses in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings. It has one of the best teaching quality ratings in the UK and a strong research record, factors which...
. While at university her experimental work was influenced by artists such as Steve Reich
Steve Reich
Stephen Michael "Steve" Reich is an American composer who together with La Monte Young, Terry Riley, and Philip Glass is a pioneering composer of minimal music...
and Susan Hiller
Susan Hiller
Susan Hiller is an American-born artist who lives in London, UK. Her art practice encompasses installation, video, photography, performance and writing.-Early Life and Education:...
, and she produced multi-media work centred on sound installations, animations and performance.
2006–2008: Fur and Gold
Following graduation, Khan worked as a nursery school teacher, and it was during this period that she began writing the material for her first album. "Whenever I'm writing music it's a very visual place in my mind," she said. "It has a location full of characters and colours and landscapes, so those two things really complement each other, and they help the other one to blossom and support the other. They are like brother and sister."Khan's debut single, "The Wizard", was released digitally through Drowned in Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
records and on seven-inch vinyl through Khan's own imprint, She Bear Records. She then signed to the record label Echo, alongside Feeder
Feeder
-Technology:* Feeder , any of several devices used in apiculture to supplement or replace natural food sources* Feeder , another name for a riser, a reservoir built into a metal casting mold to prevent cavities due to shrinkage...
and former Moloko
Moloko
Moloko were an Anglo-Irish electronic/pop duo consisting of Róisín Murphy from Wicklow, Ireland and Mark Brydon, from Sunderland, England.- Origin of band name :...
singer Róisín Murphy
Róisín Murphy
Róisín Marie Murphy is an Irish singer-songwriter and record producer, known for her electronic style.Murphy first came to note as part of the electronic music duo Moloko. Her partner in the band was then-boyfriend Mark Brydon. After the two ended their romantic relationship, Murphy released her...
, and released her debut album, Fur and Gold
Fur and Gold
Fur and Gold is the debut album by English solo artist Bat for Lashes, released in 2006. It was released to critical acclaim and was nominated for the 2007 Mercury Prize. In 2007, the album was re-released through Parlophone with the addition of a cover of the Bruce Springsteen song "I'm on Fire"...
, in September 2006. In 2007, Bat for Lashes parted company with Echo and signed to Parlophone Records, which re-released Fur and Gold with the addition of bonus material. A limited vinyl version was released by Los Angeles indie label Manimal Vinyl
Manimal Vinyl
Manimal Vinyl is a Los Angeles based record label founded in 2006 by fashion stylist, Paul Beahan. They are known for releasing underground and experimental pop music. They were originally known as a folk label that makes annual tribute records for worldwide charities, having eventually switched to...
in May 2007. Fur and Gold reached number forty-eight 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...
and has since been certified Silver by the BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
for sales exceeding 60,000 copies. In 2007, Khan appeared 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...
and toured the United States.
Critics likened Khan's music to the work of Siouxsie Sioux
Siouxsie Sioux
Siouxsie Sioux is an English singer-songwriter. She is best known as the lead singer of the critically acclaimed rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees and of its splinter group The Creatures . The Banshees produced eleven studio albums and a string of hit singles including "Hong Kong Garden",...
, 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...
, Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
, Cat Power
Cat Power
Charlyn Marie Marshall , also known as Chan Marshall or by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer/songwriter and occasional actress and model. Cat Power was originally the name of Marshall's first band, but has come to refer to her musical projects with various backing bands...
, PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
, Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...
, Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
and Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple McAfee Maggart is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Apple met international acclaim for her 1996 debut album, Tidal, which was a critical and commercial success...
. Both her albums were described by MTV Iggy as "at once haunting and way danceable." Fur and Gold was one of the albums nominated for the 2007 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...
, losing out to Klaxons
Klaxons
Klaxons are a British indie rock band, based in London. Following the release of numerous 7-inch singles on different independent record labels, as well as the success of previous singles "Magick" and "Golden Skans", the band released their debut album, Myths of the Near Future on 29 January 2007....
' Myths of the Near Future
Myths of the Near Future (album)
Klaxons' French label Because released "As Above, So Below" as a limited edition clear vinyl 12" in November 2007. The 12" features two versions of the track, a French language version and a remix by Justice....
despite being a favourite of British media to win the award. Also in 2007, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) awarded her with the ASCAP Vanguard Award and chose her to perform at ASCAP's "ASCAP Presents..." showcase at South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
in Austin, Texas. In 2008, Khan was nominated for British Breakthrough Act and British Female Solo Artist at the BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
.
Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
's 2008 tour featured several shows with Bat for Lashes as their opening act. Her version of the The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
's "A Forest
A Forest
"A Forest" is a single by the English rock band The Cure, released on March 28, 1980 as the only single from their second album Seventeen Seconds. It was their first chart single in the UK, reaching #31; the song was also a hit in the Netherlands, reaching #26. It was also their first single to be...
" appeared on a charity album called Perfect as Cats
Perfect As Cats
Perfect as Cats: A Tribute to the Cure is a charity record released by Los Angeles indie label, Manimal Vinyl on October 28, 2008.. , Segodnya . , Les Inrockuptibles It features covers of The Cure favourites by Dandy Warhols, Bat For Lashes, Kaki King, Devastations, ex-Godflesh frontman, Justin K...
on Manimal Vinyl in late 2008.
2009: Two Suns
Khan’s second album, Two SunsTwo Suns
Two Suns is the Mercury Music Prize nominated second album by English-Pakistani solo artist Bat for Lashes , released on 6 April 2009...
, was released in April 2009 and produced by Natasha Khan and David Kosten. In preparation for the album, Khan journeyed to the Joshua Tree Desert
Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park is located in southeastern California. Declared a U.S. National Park in 1994 when the U.S. Congress passed the California Desert Protection Act , it had previously been a U.S. National Monument since 1936. It is named for the Joshua tree forests native to the park...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to gain inspiration, before returning to New York and London to write and record the finished material for release.
A concept album, Two Suns focuses on Khan’s desert-born alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
Pearl, whose personality she adopted while staying in New York to gain a better understanding of the character. She revealed to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Newsbeat, "I really just did it as an experiment of dressing up myself with quite garish extreme feminine make-up. I wanted to photograph myself in that situation and just see what it made me feel.” Khan believed that living in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
when bands such as TV on the Radio
TV on the Radio
TV on the Radio is an American art rock band formed in 2001 in Brooklyn, New York, whose music spans numerous diverse genres, from post-punk to electro and free jazz to soul music....
, MGMT
MGMT
MGMT is an American alternative rock band founded by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. After the release of their first album, the members of their live band, Matthew Asti, James Richardson and Will Berman, joined the core band in the studio...
and Gang Gang Dance
Gang Gang Dance
Gang Gang Dance is an American experimental music band based in Manhattan, New York City. The band is known for its distinctive sound which features synthesized electronics and percussion, plus the varied vocal styles of singer Lizzi Bougatsos...
were emerging on the music scene had an influence on the album's musical style. In an interview with MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
she said, “I experienced that whole thing coming out, in terms of beats and like going out dancing and checking out all this new music it was really inspiring.” During the album’s production, she also collaborated with Brooklyn artist Yeasayer
Yeasayer
-History:The band's three core members, Chris Keating, Ira Wolf Tuton, and Anand Wilder, first came to attention after appearing at the SXSW festival in early 2007. Their first single consisted of a double A-side of the tracks "Sunrise" and "2080"...
for the bass and beat programming.
Two Suns debuted at number five 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...
, and has been certified Gold by the BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
for sales of 100,000 copies. The first single from the album, "Daniel
Daniel (Bat for Lashes song)
"Daniel" is the first single from Bat for Lashes' second album Two Suns. It is her best selling single to date, selling over 46,000 copies worldwide. The song was announced as the lead single from Two Suns in January 2009, then released as a digital download single on 1 March 2009, and as a 7"...
", became Khan's first hit, peaking at number thirty-six on the UK Singles Chart
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 ...
; it later won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song and was nominated for the MTV Video Music Award for Breakthrough Video of the Year. The following singles were "Pearl's Dream
Pearl's Dream
"Pearl's Dream" is the second single from Bat for Lashes' second album Two Suns. "Pearl's Dream" was announced as the second single when the song was made available for MySpace users to remix in May 2009, then the full single was released in the UK in June 2009, as a download and 7"...
" and a double A-side of "Sleep Alone
Sleep Alone
"Sleep Alone" is the third single from Bat for Lashes' second album Two Suns, released on 6 September 2009 as a download-only double A-side single with "Moon and Moon". The song was announced to be the third single on Bat for Lashes' official website...
" and "Moon and Moon", the latter of which was featured in a high profile advertising campaign for children's charity Barnardo's
Barnardo's
Barnardo's is a British charity founded by Thomas John Barnardo in 1866, to care for vulnerable children and young people. As of 2010, it spends over £190 million each year on more than 400 local services aimed at helping these same groups...
in late 2009.
Critical response to the album was generally favourable, generating a score of 77 on the review aggregator Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. In their review for Two Suns 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...
awarded it 8 out of 10 describing the album as “epic in scope and ambition and requires a similarly epic patience to unravel its charms.” Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
also rated it favourably stating, “Khan proves she's a powerhouse under her billowy sleeves. She could be the next Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
." However some critics such as Popmatters found problems, reviewing the album they claimed, “While the weaker songs are definitely not throwaways, they miss the mark in more than one way.” Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
magazine also felt the album was average, awarding it 3 out 5 stars, claiming "The contrast between Pearl and Natasha isn’t always crisply drawn". As with Fur and Gold, Khan was nominated for the Mercury Prize for Two Suns. In 2010, she won Best Alternative Act at the UK Asian Music Awards
UK Asian Music Awards
The UK Asian Music Awards, also known by the abbreviation UK AMA, is an award show that is held annually in the United Kingdom since 2002. It is presented by B4U Music since 2008...
and received a second BRIT Award nomination for British Female Solo Artist.
As part of the 2009 summer festival season, Khan played at Glastonbury
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...
, Somerset House
Somerset House
Somerset House is a large building situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, England, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The central block of the Neoclassical building, the outstanding project of the architect Sir William Chambers, dates from 1776–96. It...
and the iTunes Festival
ITunes Festival
The iTunes Festival is an annual music festival and concert series which is held in London at The Roundhouse art centre and sponsored by Apple Inc. It was first held in 2007...
. In September 2009, a special edition of Two Suns was released in the United Kingdom ahead of Khan's October tour. The special edition, which includes a cover version of Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...
's single "Use Somebody
Use Somebody
"Use Somebody" is a song by the American alternative rock group Kings of Leon. It was the second single from the band's fourth studio album Only by the Night , released on December 8, 2008....
", was released simultaneously in the United States. Later in 2009, the cover artwork for Two Suns was nominated for Best Art Vinyl.
2010–present: Third Album
During early 2010, Khan toured South America supporting ColdplayColdplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
(visiting: Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
), after a one-off gig at The De La Warr Pavilion
The De La Warr Pavilion
The De La Warr Pavilion is an International Style building constructed in 1935 and designed by the architects Erich Mendelsohn and Serge Chermayeff; considered by some to be in an Art Deco style. Some claim it to be the first major Modernist public building in Britain, although in fact it was...
. In mid 2010, "Let's Get Lost", a collaboration with Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
, was released on the soundtrack
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (soundtrack)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is the soundtrack album to the film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. It is the third soundtrack in the film's chronology, and was released on June 8, 2010. The soundtrack was once again co-produced by Alexandra Patsavas, the music supervisor for the previous two films...
to the film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. After working on the track, Khan expressed interest in working with Beck on her third album, stating "He's got creative ideas."
To celebrate Record Store Day
Record Store Day
Record Store Day is an internationally celebrated day observed the third Saturday of April each year. Its purpose, as conceived by independent record store employee Chris Brown, is to celebrate the art of music...
in 2010, Bat for Lashes released an exclusive, limited to 1000 copies edition double A-side 7-inch single. The first track was a re-worked version of "Howl" (the original B-Side to the "Trophy" 7-single) that was recorded live at De La Warr Pavilion, and the second was a live version of "Wild Is the Wind
Wild Is the Wind (song)
"Wild Is the Wind" is a song written by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington. The track was originally recorded by Johnny Mathis for the 1957 film Wild Is the Wind...
" that was recorded at Grove Music Studios. Also in 2010, Bat for Lashes contributed the song "Sleep Alone" to the Enough Project
Enough Project
Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress , based in Washington, D.C., created to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Its Co-Founders are John Prendergast and Gayle Smith; its Executive Director is John C. Bradshaw, J.D....
and Downtown Records
Downtown Records
Downtown Records is a record label owned and operated by Downtown Music LLC. Music on the Downtown label is distributed by Universal Music's Fontana Distribution and, for certain releases, as a joint venture with Atlantic Records and also for select releases, by Alternative Distribution Alliance...
' Raise Hope for Congo compilation. Proceeds from the compilation fund efforts to make the protection and empowerment of Congo's women
Women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have not attained a position of full equality with men and may never get the chance. Although the Mobutu regime paid lip service to the important role of women in society, and although women enjoy some legal rights , custom and legal...
a priority, as well as inspire individuals around the world to raise their voice for peace in Congo
Politics of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Politics of the Democratic Republic of Congo take place in a framework of a republic in transition from a civil war to a semi-presidential democratic republic....
.
In 2011, Khan recorded a cover version of Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
's song "Strangelove
Strangelove (song)
"Strangelove" is Depeche Mode's eighteenth UK single, released on April 13, 1987, and the first single for the then upcoming album Music for the Masses...
" for Gucci
Gucci
The House of Gucci, better known simply as Gucci , is an Italian fashion and leather goods label, part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by French company PPR...
's advertising campaign for new fragrance Gulity For Him. The song was released as a free download from Gucci's channel on YouTube and various blogs. Khan was chosen by Gucci's creative director Frida Giannini
Frida Giannini
Frida Giannini is an Italian fashion designer and currently the Creative Director of the Italian fashion house Gucci.Giannini studied fashion design at Rome's Fashion Academy. In 1997, she worked for Fendi to design ready-to-wear. After three seasons, she was promoted to designer of leather goods...
. In June 2011, Khan performed two shows at the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
as part of the Vivid LIVE Arts Festival. These were her only live performances in 2011.
Kahn has stated she is in the early stages of writing for her follow-up to "Two Suns" and plans to take her time.
In the media
Thom YorkeThom Yorke
Thomas "Thom" Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the lead vocalist and principal songwriter for Radiohead. He mainly plays guitar and piano, but he has also played drums and bass guitar...
, Debbie Harry
Debbie Harry
Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers...
, and M.I.A.
M.I.A. (artist)
Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...
have complimented Khan's work, Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
said she was one of his favourite new artists, and 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...
was also spotted at one of her early gigs.
The Bat for Lashes live line-up contains an ever-revolving cast of musicians often changing on a per-tour basis. The latest line-up includes Ben Christophers
Ben Christophers
Ben Christophers is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Wolverhampton, in the West Midlands of England. To date he has released five albums: the first two on Virgin's V2 label, the third on Cooking Vinyl and the two most recent on his own label, Rocketeer.He collaborated with French...
, Charlotte Hatherley
Charlotte Hatherley
Charlotte Franklin Hatherley is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. She initially came to prominence as guitarist and backing vocalist for alternative rock band Ash. Since departing Ash in 2006, she has found success as a solo artist...
and Sarah Jones, who also plays drums with New Young Pony Club
New Young Pony Club
New Young Pony Club are an English electronic band from London, consisting of members from London, Hereford, Cambridge and Bromley. Their influences are prominently from post-punk and New Wave....
. This line-up was announced in March 2009. In April 2009 she appeared on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. She performed an acoustic version of the single, "Daniel," and also covered "Use Somebody
Use Somebody
"Use Somebody" is a song by the American alternative rock group Kings of Leon. It was the second single from the band's fourth studio album Only by the Night , released on December 8, 2008....
" by Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...
. Her first appearance on US broadcast television was 1 May 2009 on The Late Show with David Letterman, performing the song "Daniel." In April 2009 she appeared on the BBC2 live music show Later... with Jools Holland performing two songs from Two Suns
Two Suns
Two Suns is the Mercury Music Prize nominated second album by English-Pakistani solo artist Bat for Lashes , released on 6 April 2009...
: "Daniel
Daniel (Bat for Lashes song)
"Daniel" is the first single from Bat for Lashes' second album Two Suns. It is her best selling single to date, selling over 46,000 copies worldwide. The song was announced as the lead single from Two Suns in January 2009, then released as a digital download single on 1 March 2009, and as a 7"...
" and "Sleep Alone." On 11 August 2009 Bat for Lashes performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon performing the song "Sleep Alone." She also performed "Moon and Moon" during the Mercury Award's 2009 event.
Discography
- Fur and GoldFur and GoldFur and Gold is the debut album by English solo artist Bat for Lashes, released in 2006. It was released to critical acclaim and was nominated for the 2007 Mercury Prize. In 2007, the album was re-released through Parlophone with the addition of a cover of the Bruce Springsteen song "I'm on Fire"...
(2006) - Two SunsTwo SunsTwo Suns is the Mercury Music Prize nominated second album by English-Pakistani solo artist Bat for Lashes , released on 6 April 2009...
(2009)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 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... |
Fur and Gold Fur and Gold Fur and Gold is the debut album by English solo artist Bat for Lashes, released in 2006. It was released to critical acclaim and was nominated for the 2007 Mercury Prize. In 2007, the album was re-released through Parlophone with the addition of a cover of the Bruce Springsteen song "I'm on Fire"... |
|
| ASCAP Awards | Vanguard Award | ||
| 2008 | Brit Awards Brit Awards The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust... |
British Breakthrough Act | |
| British Female Solo Artist | |||
| 2009 | Mercury Prize | Two Suns Two Suns Two Suns is the Mercury Music Prize nominated second album by English-Pakistani solo artist Bat for Lashes , released on 6 April 2009... |
|
| MTV Video Music Awards MTV Video Music Awards An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos... |
Breakthrough Video (Daniel Daniel (Bat for Lashes song) "Daniel" is the first single from Bat for Lashes' second album Two Suns. It is her best selling single to date, selling over 46,000 copies worldwide. The song was announced as the lead single from Two Suns in January 2009, then released as a digital download single on 1 March 2009, and as a 7"... ) |
||
| Best Art Vinyl Best Art Vinyl Best Art Vinyl is an annual award that first began in 2005. It celebrates artists and designers of vinyl record cover art. The nomination process begins in November and the winners are announced in January, and are exhibited at venues across the United Kingdom and Europe, including the O2, Rough... of 2009 |
"Two Suns" | ||
| 2010 | Brit Awards | British Female Solo Artist | |
| UK Asian Music Awards UK Asian Music Awards The UK Asian Music Awards, also known by the abbreviation UK AMA, is an award show that is held annually in the United Kingdom since 2002. It is presented by B4U Music since 2008... |
Best Alternative Act | ||
| Ivor Novello Awards Ivor Novello Awards The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They are presented annually in London by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and were first introduced in 1955.Nicknamed The Ivors, the awards take place... |
Best Contemporary Song (Daniel) |