Geneva (band)
Encyclopedia
Geneva were a British
indie
band
from Aberdeen
, Scotland
.
and guitarist Steven Dora. They recruited second guitarist Stuart Evans, bass player Keith Graham and finally drummer Craig Brown. Craig was later replaced by Douglas Caskie. Originally the band were called Sunfish.
One of their demos
found their way to Suede
’s record label
, Nude
, who signed the band in 1996. The band changed their name, originally to Garland, then later to Geneva, and released their debut single
"No One Speaks" the same year. The band garnered enough press to headline NME
s annual Bratbus tour of up and coming bands in early 1997. The band released second single "Into the Blue" to coincide with the tour.
scene many bands rejected the laddish ideals of bands like Oasis
and wrote darker, more intelligent songs. Montgomery’s high pitched vocals were often compared to Suede.
, Further, early in June 1997. The album mixed power pop
with darker brooding songs. It reached #20 in the UK Albums Chart
, and included amongst others the NME
voted "Single of the Year", "Tranquilizer", plus "Best Regrets", "No One Speaks" and "Into the Blue".
The second album, Weather Underground, was released in March 2000, after more than a year of wrangling with the band's record label. It was preceded by the single "Dollars in the Heavens" and followed by the single "If You Have To Go". The band split later that year.
and Leeds
electronica guru Overseer. Montgomery formed a band called Amityville with guitarist Stuart Peck and drummer David Bevis; they released the Pacific Radio Fire EP in 2004 to critical acclaim - a limited release, it quickly sold out. Amityville broke up in late 2005 and Montgomery formed a duo
with Keris Howard called St Famous. In March 2009 Montgomery announced on the band's Myspace page that Keris Howard has decided to leave and St Famous is a solo project now. Montgomery continues to collaborate with a number of musicians and record producers.
Evans and Graham formed 69CORP and released an album, Our Present to the Future in 2005, although 69CORP now consists of just Graham.
Montgomery also appeared in the 'Identity Parade' in the BBC Television
television program
me, Never Mind The Buzzcocks
.
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...
indie
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Career
The band were formed in 1992 by vocalist Andrew MontgomeryAndrew Montgomery
Andrew Montgomery is a Scottish singer who is best known as a member of late '90s Aberdeen indie band Geneva.- Musical career:Montgomery met guitarist Steven Dora in Aberdeen, in 1992, and they began writing music together...
and guitarist Steven Dora. They recruited second guitarist Stuart Evans, bass player Keith Graham and finally drummer Craig Brown. Craig was later replaced by Douglas Caskie. Originally the band were called Sunfish.
One of their demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
found their way to Suede
Suede (band)
Suede are an English alternative rock band from London, formed in 1989. The group's most prominent early line-up featured singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Bernard Butler, bass player Mat Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert. By 1992, Suede were hailed as "The Best New Band in Britain", and attracted...
’s record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, Nude
Nude Records
Nude Records was a London based record label, set up in 1992 by Saul Galpern who had previously been involved in the success of artists such as Simply Red, the Fall, Julian Cope, The Triffids, The Slits and The Au Pairs. The label's first success was with Suede. Suede's debut album was the fastest...
, who signed the band in 1996. The band changed their name, originally to Garland, then later to Geneva, and released their debut single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"No One Speaks" the same year. The band garnered enough press to headline 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...
s annual Bratbus tour of up and coming bands in early 1997. The band released second single "Into the Blue" to coincide with the tour.
Musical style
The band fitted well with the current musical scene and were well promoted by the UK music press of the time. As a reaction to the fading BritpopBritpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
scene many bands rejected the laddish ideals of bands like Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
and wrote darker, more intelligent songs. Montgomery’s high pitched vocals were often compared to Suede.
Albums
Geneva released their debut albumAlbum
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...
, Further, early in June 1997. The album mixed power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
with darker brooding songs. It reached #20 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...
, and included amongst others 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...
voted "Single of the Year", "Tranquilizer", plus "Best Regrets", "No One Speaks" and "Into the Blue".
The second album, Weather Underground, was released in March 2000, after more than a year of wrangling with the band's record label. It was preceded by the single "Dollars in the Heavens" and followed by the single "If You Have To Go". The band split later that year.
Current whereabouts
Following the breakup of Geneva, Montgomery embarked on a number of musical collaborations, most notably with American composer Ben NeillBen Neill
Ben Neill is a composer and trumpeter who has studied with La Monte Young. His music has been recorded on the Thirsty Ear, Astralwerks, Verve, and Six Degrees labels. Neill spent seven years as the music curator for The Kitchen in New York. He has collaborated with DJ Spooky, David Wojnarowicz...
and Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
electronica guru Overseer. Montgomery formed a band called Amityville with guitarist Stuart Peck and drummer David Bevis; they released the Pacific Radio Fire EP in 2004 to critical acclaim - a limited release, it quickly sold out. Amityville broke up in late 2005 and Montgomery formed a duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
with Keris Howard called St Famous. In March 2009 Montgomery announced on the band's Myspace page that Keris Howard has decided to leave and St Famous is a solo project now. Montgomery continues to collaborate with a number of musicians and record producers.
Evans and Graham formed 69CORP and released an album, Our Present to the Future in 2005, although 69CORP now consists of just Graham.
Montgomery also appeared in the 'Identity Parade' in 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...
television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
me, Never Mind The Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
.
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Chart Positions |
|---|---|---|
| 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... |
||
| 1997 | Further Further (Geneva album) Further is the debut studio album by the Scottish Indie band Geneva. It was released on 9 June 1997 and reached number twenty on the UK Albums Chart. Further includes the singles "No One Speaks", "Into the Blue", "Tranquillizer" and "Best Regrets"....
|
20 |
| 2000 | Weather Underground Weather Underground (Geneva album) Weather Underground is Geneva's second album, released in 2000 on Nude Records. It charted at #117 in the UK.-Track listing:All songs written by Andrew Montgomery and Stuart Evans, except where noted.# "Dollars in the Heavens" - 3:47... |
117 |
Singles
| Year | Song | 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 ... |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "No One Speaks" | 32 | Further |
| 1997 | "Into the Blue" | 26 | |
| "Tranquillizer" | 24 | ||
| "Best Regrets" | 38 | ||
| 1999 | "Dollars in the Heavens" | 59 | Weather Underground |
| 2000 | "If You Have to Go" | 69 | |
| "Cassie" / "Have You Seen the Horizon Lately?" (Promo) | – | ||
| Musecone 1 (Promo) | – | ||