Delays
Encyclopedia
Delays are an English
indie
band formed in Southampton
, consisting of brothers Greg and Aaron Gilbert, Colin Fox and Rowly. The band's sound combines guitar and synths and features Greg Gilbert's distinctive falsetto lead vocals. They have released four critically acclaimed album
s to date, the first three of which made the Top 30 in the UK Albums Chart
.
and The La's
. The original line-up consisted of Greg Gilbert, drummer Rowly, bassist Colin Fox and guitarist Dan Hall, who left before Greg's brother Aaron Gilbert was invited to join.
Under the name Idoru, they were signed to Blanco y Negro
and released one EP with the label, Safety in Numbers EP, in November 2001.
They changed to their present name before signing to Rough Trade Records
, and released their debut single "Nearer Than Heaven
" in 2003. The band's debut album Faded Seaside Glamour
was released in April 2004, and immediately broke into the Top 20 in the UK Albums Chart. On the back of support slots with bands such as Franz Ferdinand
and the Manic Street Preachers
, as well as their own worldwide tours, most of the band's singles have reached the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart
since their second single "Hey Girl
" in July 2003.
Their second album, You See Colours
, was released in March 2006, and saw a breakthrough when their songs began being used as backing music on the BBC Television
football highlights show Match of the Day
, and also commercially; "Long Time Coming
" featured in national advertisement campaigns both in the UK
and the US
. The band played most of the major British festivals
in the summer of 2006. In May of that year, Delays parted company with Rough Trade by mutual consent and signed to Fiction / Polydor in December. The music video for "Valentine
" received regular play on MTV
, and also gave them their first appearance on the Top of the Pops
programme on the BBC.
Their debut release on Fiction, Everything's the Rush
was released in May 2008, and was recorded over a twenty day period in Spain
. The first single to be released from the album was "Hooray
". This was preceded by an EP, Love Made Visible
, released in November 2007. "Keep It Simple" was the next single released from Everything's the Rush. The video for the single starred Ewen Macintosh, who played Keith in The Office
.
In July 2008, Delays won the Writers' Choice award at The Mag Awards, presented by The Mag
. Also in July 2008 Delay's song, "Are You Ready", was selected as the theme music
for the online game Football Superstars.
In October 2008, Delays released Lost Tunes
, an EP of assorted cover version
s, for digital download sale.
In March 2010, it was announced on the Delays official website that Star Tiger, Star Ariel would be released on Lookout Mountain Records in June that year, with the opening single, "Unsung", released on the 14 June. Unfortunately, no chart success was to follow.
In the film Blackball
the protagonist, Cliff Starkey, takes his girlfriend to see Delays; their song "Nearer Than Heaven
" is then played when Cliff and his girlfriend are walking on the beach.
As Delays:
* Not chart eligible due to being bundled into a collector's box.
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...
indie
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band formed in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, consisting of brothers Greg and Aaron Gilbert, Colin Fox and Rowly. The band's sound combines guitar and synths and features Greg Gilbert's distinctive falsetto lead vocals. They have released four critically acclaimed album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s to date, the first three of which made the Top 30 in 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...
.
History
The band were originally formed under the name Corky, citing amongst their influences British bands, Manic Street PreachersManic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
and The La's
The La's
The La's were an English rock band from Liverpool, originally active from the mid-1980s to early 1990s. Fronted by singer, songwriter and guitarist Lee Mavers, the group is most famous for their hit single "There She Goes". The band was formed by Mike Badger in 1984 and Mavers joined soon after...
. The original line-up consisted of Greg Gilbert, drummer Rowly, bassist Colin Fox and guitarist Dan Hall, who left before Greg's brother Aaron Gilbert was invited to join.
Under the name Idoru, they were signed to Blanco y Negro
Blanco y Negro Records
Blanco y Negro Records, a subsidiary of WEA Records Ltd., was established in 1983 by Geoff Travis of Rough Trade Records.Blanco y Negro was home to such artists as Bananarama, Everything But the Girl, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Dream Academy, Dinosaur Jr., Bernthøler, A House, Catatonia, The...
and released one EP with the label, Safety in Numbers EP, in November 2001.
They changed to their present name before signing to Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...
, and released their debut single "Nearer Than Heaven
Nearer Than Heaven
"Nearer Than Heaven" is a song by Delays, twice released as a single by the group.-First single:"Nearer Than Heaven" was the first single released by Delays after signing to Geoff Travis's Rough Trade Records and changing their name from Idoru....
" in 2003. The band's debut album Faded Seaside Glamour
Faded Seaside Glamour
Faded Seaside Glamour is the debut album by the British band Delays, released on April 5, 2004. The album peaked at number 17 in the U.K. chart.-Track listing:All tracks by Greg Gilbert/Aaron Gilbert unless otherwise stated.# "Wanderlust" – 3:58...
was released in April 2004, and immediately broke into the Top 20 in the UK Albums Chart. On the back of support slots with bands such as Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
and the Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
, as well as their own worldwide tours, most of the band's singles have reached the Top 40 in 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 ...
since their second single "Hey Girl
Hey Girl (Delays song)
"Hey Girl" is a song by Delays, released as a single on 21 July 2003. It reached #40 in the UK Singles Chart and was the first release by the band to hit the Top Forty.-Track listing:All songs written by Greg Gilbert unless otherwise stated....
" in July 2003.
Their second album, You See Colours
You See Colours
You See Colours is the second album by British band Delays. It was produced and mixed by their long-time collaborator Graham Sutton and was released on March 6, 2006. The lead single was "Valentine", on which the band were assisted by Trevor Horn...
, was released in March 2006, and saw a breakthrough when their songs began being used as backing music on the BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
football highlights show Match of the Day
Match of the Day
Match of the Day is the BBC's main football television programme. Typically, it is shown on BBC One on Saturday evenings during the English football season, showing highlights of the day's matches in English football's top division, the Premier League...
, and also commercially; "Long Time Coming
Long Time Coming (song)
"Long Time Coming" is a song by Delays, released as a single on 19 January 2004. Charting at #16 in the UK Singles Chart the track is Delays' highest placed single to date and their only Top Twenty hit....
" featured in national advertisement campaigns both in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The band played most of the major British festivals
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
in the summer of 2006. In May of that year, Delays parted company with Rough Trade by mutual consent and signed to Fiction / Polydor in December. The music video for "Valentine
Valentine (Delays song)
"Valentine" is a song by Delays, released as the first single from their second album You See Colours in 2006.The music video received regular play on MTV and the single reached #23 in the UK charts...
" received regular play on 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....
, and also gave them their first appearance on the Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
programme on the BBC.
Their debut release on Fiction, Everything's the Rush
Everything's the Rush
Everything's the Rush is the third studio album by British indie band Delays. It was released on 5 May, 2008 in the United Kingdom.-Track listing:All tracks by G.Gilbert/A.Gilbert, except where noted.#"Girl's On Fire" - 4:26#"Hooray" - 3:30...
was released in May 2008, and was recorded over a twenty day period in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The first single to be released from the album was "Hooray
Hooray (Delays song)
Hooray is the first single to be released from Delays' third studio album, Everything's the Rush. It was released on 28 April 2008.-Music video:...
". This was preceded by an EP, Love Made Visible
Love Made Visible
Love Made Visible was the first release by British indie band Delays on Fiction Records. It was due to be released on 5 November 2007 however on Amazon it was released on the 12th.-Track listing:*CD1746674# "Love Made Visible"# "Panic Attacks"...
, released in November 2007. "Keep It Simple" was the next single released from Everything's the Rush. The video for the single starred Ewen Macintosh, who played Keith in The Office
The Office (UK TV series)
The Office is a British sitcom television series that was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 9 July 2001. Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the programme is about the day-to-day lives of office employees in the Slough branch of the fictitious...
.
In July 2008, Delays won the Writers' Choice award at The Mag Awards, presented by The Mag
The Mag (Music Magazine)
The Mag is an independent and alternative music magazine in the United Kingdom which has been published online since 2003. Contributions in the form of reviews and music articles were made by aspiring music-journalists, photographers and enthusiasts such as Pete Habert, Stuart Smith and Mark...
. Also in July 2008 Delay's song, "Are You Ready", was selected as the theme music
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
for the online game Football Superstars.
In October 2008, Delays released Lost Tunes
Lost Tunes
Lost Tunes is an EP from British indie band Delays, released in October 2008 via MP3 download store Losttunes.com. It features their treatment of numbers recorded by Nico, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The House of Love, and The Go-Go's, as well as an alternate effort at their own "Keep It...
, an EP of assorted cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s, for digital download sale.
In March 2010, it was announced on the Delays official website that Star Tiger, Star Ariel would be released on Lookout Mountain Records in June that year, with the opening single, "Unsung", released on the 14 June. Unfortunately, no chart success was to follow.
In the film Blackball
Blackball (film)
Blackball is a 2003 British comedy sports film, borrowed from the Australian film, Crackerjack about Cliff Starkey , a fictional rebellious young bowls player. His dream is to play for his country, but always preferred to play by his own rules, much to the disapproval of the local bowls club...
the protagonist, Cliff Starkey, takes his girlfriend to see Delays; their song "Nearer Than Heaven
Nearer Than Heaven
"Nearer Than Heaven" is a song by Delays, twice released as a single by the group.-First single:"Nearer Than Heaven" was the first single released by Delays after signing to Geoff Travis's Rough Trade Records and changing their name from Idoru....
" is then played when Cliff and his girlfriend are walking on the beach.
Band members
- Greg Gilbert: lead vocals, guitar
- Aaron Gilbert: keyboards, vocals
- Colin Fox: bass guitar, vocals
- Rowly: drums and percussion
Studio albums
- Faded Seaside GlamourFaded Seaside GlamourFaded Seaside Glamour is the debut album by the British band Delays, released on April 5, 2004. The album peaked at number 17 in the U.K. chart.-Track listing:All tracks by Greg Gilbert/Aaron Gilbert unless otherwise stated.# "Wanderlust" – 3:58...
(April 2004) – UK #17 - You See ColoursYou See ColoursYou See Colours is the second album by British band Delays. It was produced and mixed by their long-time collaborator Graham Sutton and was released on March 6, 2006. The lead single was "Valentine", on which the band were assisted by Trevor Horn...
(March 2006) – UK #24 - Everything's the RushEverything's the RushEverything's the Rush is the third studio album by British indie band Delays. It was released on 5 May, 2008 in the United Kingdom.-Track listing:All tracks by G.Gilbert/A.Gilbert, except where noted.#"Girl's On Fire" - 4:26#"Hooray" - 3:30...
(May 2008) - UK #26 - Star Tiger, Star Ariel (June 2010) - UK #107
EPs
As Idoru:- Safety in Numbers EP (November 24, 2001) - UK: #182, Limited edition, 1500 copies released.
As Delays:
- Love Made Visible EPLove Made VisibleLove Made Visible was the first release by British indie band Delays on Fiction Records. It was due to be released on 5 November 2007 however on Amazon it was released on the 12th.-Track listing:*CD1746674# "Love Made Visible"# "Panic Attacks"...
(November 5, 2007) - Lost TunesLost TunesLost Tunes is an EP from British indie band Delays, released in October 2008 via MP3 download store Losttunes.com. It features their treatment of numbers recorded by Nico, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The House of Love, and The Go-Go's, as well as an alternate effort at their own "Keep It...
(EP) October 2008
Singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 ... |
|||
| 2003 | "Nearer Than Heaven Nearer Than Heaven "Nearer Than Heaven" is a song by Delays, twice released as a single by the group.-First single:"Nearer Than Heaven" was the first single released by Delays after signing to Geoff Travis's Rough Trade Records and changing their name from Idoru.... " |
- | Faded Seaside Glamour Faded Seaside Glamour Faded Seaside Glamour is the debut album by the British band Delays, released on April 5, 2004. The album peaked at number 17 in the U.K. chart.-Track listing:All tracks by Greg Gilbert/Aaron Gilbert unless otherwise stated.# "Wanderlust" – 3:58... |
| "Hey Girl Hey Girl (Delays song) "Hey Girl" is a song by Delays, released as a single on 21 July 2003. It reached #40 in the UK Singles Chart and was the first release by the band to hit the Top Forty.-Track listing:All songs written by Greg Gilbert unless otherwise stated.... " |
40 | ||
| "Ride It On Ride It On/Lions After Slumber "Ride It On"/"Lions After Slumber" is a 7"split single by Delays and The Veils, released in November 2003 to promote the album Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before... a compilation of interpretations by current Rough Trade bands of classic songs released by the label.- Track listing :*... " b/w The Veils The Veils The Veils are a London based Indie/Alternative rock band fronted by lead singer and songwriter Finn Andrews. They are known for their chaotic and highly cathartic live performances and Finn's often scarily possessed stage presence. Head of Rough Trade Records Geoff Travis has referred to Finn as "A... |
- | Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before... Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before... Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before... is a compilation of Rough Trade's artists covering classics from the label's back-catalogue. It was released to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the legendary indie label, in late 2003... |
|
| 2004 | "Long Time Coming Long Time Coming (song) "Long Time Coming" is a song by Delays, released as a single on 19 January 2004. Charting at #16 in the UK Singles Chart the track is Delays' highest placed single to date and their only Top Twenty hit.... " |
16 | Faded Seaside Glamour Faded Seaside Glamour Faded Seaside Glamour is the debut album by the British band Delays, released on April 5, 2004. The album peaked at number 17 in the U.K. chart.-Track listing:All tracks by Greg Gilbert/Aaron Gilbert unless otherwise stated.# "Wanderlust" – 3:58... |
| "Nearer Than Heaven Nearer Than Heaven "Nearer Than Heaven" is a song by Delays, twice released as a single by the group.-First single:"Nearer Than Heaven" was the first single released by Delays after signing to Geoff Travis's Rough Trade Records and changing their name from Idoru.... " (re-release) |
21 | ||
| "Lost in a Melody/Wanderlust Lost in a Melody "Lost in a Melody" is a song by Delays, released as a double a-side single in 2004 along with "Wanderlust". "Lost in a Melody" was the lead release of the two songs with the 7" single even omitting "Wanderlust" despite the track featuring on the cover artwork... " |
28 | non-album single | |
| 2006 | "Valentine Valentine (Delays song) "Valentine" is a song by Delays, released as the first single from their second album You See Colours in 2006.The music video received regular play on MTV and the single reached #23 in the UK charts... " |
23 | You See Colours You See Colours You See Colours is the second album by British band Delays. It was produced and mixed by their long-time collaborator Graham Sutton and was released on March 6, 2006. The lead single was "Valentine", on which the band were assisted by Trevor Horn... |
| "Hideaway Hideaway (Delays song) "Hideaway" is a song by Delays, released as the second and last single from their second album You See Colours.The single reached #35 in the UK charts when released in May 2006.- Track listing :... " |
35 | ||
| 2008 | "Hooray Hooray (Delays song) Hooray is the first single to be released from Delays' third studio album, Everything's the Rush. It was released on 28 April 2008.-Music video:... " |
* | Everything's the Rush Everything's the Rush Everything's the Rush is the third studio album by British indie band Delays. It was released on 5 May, 2008 in the United Kingdom.-Track listing:All tracks by G.Gilbert/A.Gilbert, except where noted.#"Girl's On Fire" - 4:26#"Hooray" - 3:30... |
| 2008 | "Keep It Simple" | * | |
| 2010 | "Unsung" | - | Star Tiger, Star Ariel |
Media
External links
- Delays Myspace site
- Delays Official Website
- Video interview with acoustic performance
- Delays interviews and reviews on Record Overplayed webzine
- Delays interviews and reviews on The Mag music magazine
- Delays interview with the Northampshire Evening Telegraph
- Delays Love Made Visible EP Review on dailymusicguide.com
- Everything's The Rush Review on DailyMusicGuide