Hurts
Encyclopedia
Hurts are a British synthpop
duo formed in 2009, consisting of singer Theo Hutchcraft (born August 30, 1986 in Richmond, North Yorkshire
) and synthesist Adam Anderson (born May 14, 1984 in Manchester
). Their debut album Happiness
, which was released in September 2010, has reached the Top 10 in 12 European countries, and has sold over 800,000 copies worldwide. The band have also sold over 1 million singles worldwide.
electropop band. Over the next few months they exchanged music and lyrics via e-mail, before forming Bureau in March 2006 with Jamie Alsop and Flick Ward. They performed their first gig as a quintet in May at The Music Box in Manchester, and were shortly afterwards signed to independent record label High Voltage Sounds. They released their first double A-side single "After Midnight" / "Dollhouse" in November, which was made Single of the Week on Xfm
.
In 2007, Bureau changed their name to Daggers, following Flick Ward being replaced by Sarah Beecroft. They signed to Label Fandango
and in October released another double A-side single "Money" / "Magazine", which despite failing to chart, was nominated for the Popjustice
Twenty Quid Music Prize
.
Throughout 2008, Daggers continued to build a following, and began working with successful producers Biff Stannard and Richard X
, but after a disastrous A&R showcase in London
in September, Theo and Adam returned to Manchester to reflect on the band's future. They recorded a mournful ballad called "Unspoken" together, and they immediately realised that this was the sound that they wanted to develop as a duo.
After informing the rest of the band that it was finished, they went on a short break to Verona
in Italy
, where they claim they discovered the genre Disco Lento. In an interview with CityLife
, Theo said: "A DJ asked us 'What does your music sound like?', so I said that it sounds like Alphaville
. Then he explained how in the wake of Italo-disco, all those artists started to make ballads and I was like, 'that’s what we’ve just done'". Daggers announced on their Myspace
page on January 30, 2009 that they had split up, with a simple blog saying "It's over. Thank you for everything. You will never know what it means. Sorry. Goodbye."
for a song called "Wonderful Life
", with a female dancer who had responded to an advert in a shop window and was paid £20 for her time. After uploading the video to their YouTube
channel on April 21, 2009, it quickly went viral
, and in July, they were signed to RCA
imprint Major Label, run by their old friend Biff Stannard. The video has since had over 21 million views on YouTube, putting it in the Top 200 Most Watched Videos in the history of the website.
Although Theo and Adam had decided to not to do any gigs until they had enough songs, they began to steadily build a fanbase throughout 2009 by uploading demos to their Myspace page, and on July 27, they were named Band of the Day by The Guardian
. This helped to grow a buzz around the new band, and on December 7, it was announced that they had made the longlist of the Sound Of 2010, an annual poll of music critics and industry figures conducted by the BBC
.
Following spot plays on BBC Radio 1
of "Wonderful Life", Hurts were invited to record at London's Maida Vale Studios
on December 9 for Huw Stephens
' radio show, where they performed "Illuminated" and "Silver Lining".
, Marina and the Diamonds, and Delphic
. On January 7, Zane Lowe
premiered new song "Blood, Tears & Gold" as his "Hottest Record in the World", and another self-made music video debuted online three days later.
Having released a limited edition 12" vinyl picture disc
of the Arthur Baker
remix of "Wonderful Life" on January 18, Hurts performed their first ever gig as Hurts on January 22 at the Michalsky Stylenite
in Berlin. Followed on February 22 at St Phillips Church in Salford, where they performed eight songs. This was quickly followed by gigs at Wiltons Music Hall, London, and in Berlin
and Cologne
in Germany.
In March, "Wonderful Life" was released to radio in various European territories; as manager Matt Vines explained to Music Week
, the aim was to launch the band simultaneously across Europe
and Asia
. "It's an internationally focused campaign. We're looking at tours across Europe to back up the work we are doing in the UK." The single became a big radio hit in countries such as Denmark
, Cyprus
and Russia
throughout the spring.
On March 10, their first UK single "Better Than Love
" was premiered on Huw Stephens' show on BBC Radio 1
. After a nationwide tour with the NME Radar tour, the song was released on digital download, CD and vinyl formats on May 24, and debuted at number 50 on the UK Singles Chart
.
Following massive success on Greek radio, Hurts were invited to perform at the MAD Video Music Awards ceremony in Athens
in front of 11,000 people on June 15. Also in June, it was announced that Kylie Minogue
was recording with the band. She recorded a verse and backing vocals for the song "Devotion", which was to be included on the band's album. Hurts recorded a performance of Kylie's 1994 hit "Confide In Me
" for newspaper The Sun
s website, and has since been a regular inclusion on their gig setlists. Kylie later returned the compliment by recording a performance of "Wonderful Life" in Radio 1's Live Lounge
.
Throughout the summer, Hurts performed at several music festivals including V Festival
and T in the Park
in the UK, Pukkelpop
in Belgium, and SWR3 New Pop Festival in Germany.
"Wonderful Life" was released in Germany on August 6 and it debuted at number two on the German Singles Chart. It was released in the UK on August 23, where it debuted at number 21, becoming their first UK top 40 hit.
The album Happiness
, which had been recorded at Sunshine Dance Studios in Manchester and Pellerin in Gothenburg
with producer Jonas Quant
, was released on September 6. It debuted at number four in the UK Albums Chart
, selling 25,000 copies in its first week on sale, which made it the fastest selling debut album by a band in 2010.
In October, Hurts embarked on their first full headline UK tour, performing in Brighton
, Leeds
, Glasgow
, Manchester
, Birmingham
, Bristol
and London
.
Their third UK single "Stay
" was released in November, reaching number 50 in the chart. Meanwhile in Germany, "Wonderful Life" was certified platinum for sales in excess of 500,000 copies, and they were awarded the BAMBI
award for Best International Newcomer. They were also nominated at the MTV Europe Music Awards
in the Best Push Artist category.
Hurts ended 2010 by supporting Scissor Sisters
on their UK arena tour in December, and released a Christmas single called "All I Want for Christmas Is New Year's Day
" for free download on iTunes.
, and winning Best New Band at the NME Awards on February 23, where they also performed "Wonderful Life". A fourth single from the album, "Sunday
", was released in the UK on February 27 and it debuted at number 57, whilst the second single in Germany, "Stay", reached number three.
In March, Hurts were awarded Best International Newcomer at the ECHO Awards in Germany. A fifth single, "Illuminated
" was released in the UK on May 9, entering the chart at number 159, though it had already reached number 68 in September 2010, following its use on trailers for television channel Sky1.
On June 26, Theo and Adam performed on the John Peel
stage at the Glastonbury Festival
, and their full set was broadcast on a loop on the BBC Red Button channel. Readers of music magazine NME
voted their performance as the best of the festival, putting them ahead of headliners U2
, Coldplay
and Beyoncé. They were later voted "Band of the Summer" by the same magazine.
As of September 2011, Happiness has sold 150,000 copies in the United Kingdom, having spent an entire year on the UK Top 200 albums chart. A limited edition CD/DVD will be released on October 31. It has sold 300,000 copies in Germany, earning it three gold discs. "Blood, Tears & Gold" will be released as the third single in Germany on October 7.
Hurts will embark on their first full European tour in October and November 2011, performing in Ukraine
, Czech Republic
, Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Russia, Belarus, Croatia
, Italy
, Austria
, Switzerland
and UK.
Theo and Adam have said in interviews that they plan to start writing and recording for their second album after they have completed the tour, but that they might find it more difficult than their first. Theo said to NME: "We've got to get depressed again! And that doesn't really happen when you go around playing festivals. We have to engineer some sort of catastrophe to make us feel miserable again. We're trying to work it out at the moment, actually. Some sort of accident, maybe."
On 4th November 2011, Hurts played their last show on the Happiness tour at Brixton Academy where Kylie Minogue joined them on stage to perform Devotion and her own song Confide In Me.
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
duo formed in 2009, consisting of singer Theo Hutchcraft (born August 30, 1986 in Richmond, North Yorkshire
Richmond, North Yorkshire
Richmond is a market town and civil parish on the River Swale in North Yorkshire, England and is the administrative centre of the district of Richmondshire. It is situated on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and serves as the Park's main tourist centre...
) and synthesist Adam Anderson (born May 14, 1984 in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
). Their debut album Happiness
Happiness (Hurts album)
Happiness is the debut studio album by English synthpop duo Hurts, released in the United Kingdom on 6 September 2010. It was preceded by the release of the singles "Better Than Love" on 23 May 2010 and "Wonderful Life" on 22 August 2010. Collaborators include Jonas Quant and production team The...
, which was released in September 2010, has reached the Top 10 in 12 European countries, and has sold over 800,000 copies worldwide. The band have also sold over 1 million singles worldwide.
Musical beginnings: Bureau and Daggers (2005–2008)
Theo Hutchcraft, Adam Anderson and Scott Foster met outside the 42nd Street nightclub in Manchester in November 2005, whilst their friends got involved in a fight. Too drunk to join in, the trio got talking about music instead, and realising they had similar tastes, decided to start a hi-NRGHi-NRG
Hi-NRG describes a form of high-tempo disco music as well as a genre of electronic dance music originating in the United States during the late 1970s...
electropop band. Over the next few months they exchanged music and lyrics via e-mail, before forming Bureau in March 2006 with Jamie Alsop and Flick Ward. They performed their first gig as a quintet in May at The Music Box in Manchester, and were shortly afterwards signed to independent record label High Voltage Sounds. They released their first double A-side single "After Midnight" / "Dollhouse" in November, which was made Single of the Week on Xfm
Xfm
Xfm is a brand of two commercial radio stations focused on alternative music, primarily indie pop, and owned by Global Radio.-History:Xfm was created in London in 1992 by Sammy Jacob, who later co-founded NME Radio in 2008. Xfm subsequently expanded to a network of four stations; there are...
.
In 2007, Bureau changed their name to Daggers, following Flick Ward being replaced by Sarah Beecroft. They signed to Label Fandango
Label Fandango
Label Fandango is an independent record label based in Highbury, London. Evolving out of parent companies Fierce Panda Records and Pointy Records, it has been releasing limited edition music singles since 2005...
and in October released another double A-side single "Money" / "Magazine", which despite failing to chart, was nominated for the Popjustice
Popjustice
Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 and is the work of UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for NME, The Guardian, Attitude and many others....
Twenty Quid Music Prize
Popjustice £20 Music Prize
The Popjustice £20 Music Prize is an annual prize awarded by a panel of judges organised by music website Popjustice to the singer of the best British pop single of the past year....
.
Throughout 2008, Daggers continued to build a following, and began working with successful producers Biff Stannard and Richard X
Richard X
Richard Philips, best known by his stage name Richard X, is a British songwriter and music producer. Gaining attention as a pioneer of the bootleg craze, Richard X has earned success as a producer and remixer. He has helmed hit singles for artists including Annie, Kelis, Liberty X, Rachel Stevens...
, but after a disastrous A&R showcase in 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...
in September, Theo and Adam returned to Manchester to reflect on the band's future. They recorded a mournful ballad called "Unspoken" together, and they immediately realised that this was the sound that they wanted to develop as a duo.
After informing the rest of the band that it was finished, they went on a short break to Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, where they claim they discovered the genre Disco Lento. In an interview with CityLife
City Life (Magazine)
City Life was a Manchester-based listings magazine that was published between December 1983 and December 2005. It was a distinctive blend of radical politics and coverage of the increasingly exciting Manchester youth culture scene of the early 1980s, coinciding with the rise of Factory Records and...
, Theo said: "A DJ asked us 'What does your music sound like?', so I said that it sounds like Alphaville
Alphaville (band)
Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold , Bernhard Lloyd , and Frank Mertens Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold (real name Hartwig Schierbaum,...
. Then he explained how in the wake of Italo-disco, all those artists started to make ballads and I was like, 'that’s what we’ve just done'". Daggers announced on their Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page on January 30, 2009 that they had split up, with a simple blog saying "It's over. Thank you for everything. You will never know what it means. Sorry. Goodbye."
Birth of Hurts (2009)
Now called Hurts, the duo recorded an amateur music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for a song called "Wonderful Life
Wonderful Life (Hurts song)
"Wonderful Life" is a song by English synthpop duo Hurts from their debut album, Happiness. It was released as their debut single in Denmark on 3 May 2010, and was released as their second single in the United Kingdom on 22 August 2010. The song peaked at number two in Germany, and reached top ten...
", with a female dancer who had responded to an advert in a shop window and was paid £20 for her time. After uploading the video to their YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel on April 21, 2009, it quickly went viral
Viral video
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email...
, and in July, they were signed to RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
imprint Major Label, run by their old friend Biff Stannard. The video has since had over 21 million views on YouTube, putting it in the Top 200 Most Watched Videos in the history of the website.
Although Theo and Adam had decided to not to do any gigs until they had enough songs, they began to steadily build a fanbase throughout 2009 by uploading demos to their Myspace page, and on July 27, they were named Band of the Day by The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
. This helped to grow a buzz around the new band, and on December 7, it was announced that they had made the longlist of the Sound Of 2010, an annual poll of music critics and industry figures conducted by 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...
.
Following spot plays on 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...
of "Wonderful Life", Hurts were invited to record at London's Maida Vale Studios
Maida Vale Studios
Maida Vale Studios is a complex of seven BBC studios on Delaware Road, Maida Vale, London.It has been used to record thousands of classical music, popular music and drama sessions for BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 from 1946 to the present...
on December 9 for Huw Stephens
Huw Stephens
Huw Stephens is a radio presenter currently broadcasting shows on BBC Radio 1.-Early life and career:Stephens was born in Cardiff, Wales, the son of the author and literary journalist Meic Stephens...
' radio show, where they performed "Illuminated" and "Silver Lining".
Release of Happiness (2010)
2010 began with Hurts finishing fourth on the Sound Of 2010 poll, behind Ellie GouldingEllie Goulding
Elena Jane "Ellie" Goulding is an English singer-songwriter. In 2010 she became only the second artist to both top the BBC's annual Sound of... poll, and win the Critics' Choice Award at the BRIT Awards in the same year, following Adele's win of both in 2008...
, Marina and the Diamonds, and Delphic
Delphic
Delphic are an alternative dance band from Marple Bridge, Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. They are signed to Polydor and released the single "Counterpoint" in April 2009 through R&S Records, produced by Ewan Pearson...
. On January 7, Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe also known as 'Zipper', is a radio DJ and television presenter. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Auckland, where he was a presenter on the local music station Max TV, before moving to England...
premiered new song "Blood, Tears & Gold" as his "Hottest Record in the World", and another self-made music video debuted online three days later.
Having released a limited edition 12" vinyl picture disc
Picture disc
Picture discs are gramophone records that show images on their playing surface, rather than being of plain black or coloured vinyl.-Development:...
of the Arthur Baker
Arthur Baker
Arthur Baker may refer to:* Arthur Baker , calligrapher and typeface designer* Arthur Baker , record producer and DJ...
remix of "Wonderful Life" on January 18, Hurts performed their first ever gig as Hurts on January 22 at the Michalsky Stylenite
Stylenite
The Stylenite is a cultural event organized by Berlin’s designer Michael Michalsky. It has evolved from Michalsky’s fashion shows and takes place twice a year during Berlin Fashion Week...
in Berlin. Followed on February 22 at St Phillips Church in Salford, where they performed eight songs. This was quickly followed by gigs at Wiltons Music Hall, London, and in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
in Germany.
In March, "Wonderful Life" was released to radio in various European territories; as manager Matt Vines explained to Music Week
Music Week
Music Week is a trade paper for the UK record industry.Founded in 1959 as Record Retailer, it was relaunched on 18 March 1972 as Music Week . On 17 January 1981 the title was again changed, owing to the increasing importance of sell-through videos, to Music & Video Week...
, the aim was to launch the band simultaneously across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. "It's an internationally focused campaign. We're looking at tours across Europe to back up the work we are doing in the UK." The single became a big radio hit in countries such as Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
throughout the spring.
On March 10, their first UK single "Better Than Love
Better Than Love
"Better Than Love" is a song by British synthpop duo Hurts from their debut album, Happiness. It was released as their debut single on 23 May 2010 in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number fifty on the UK Singles Chart...
" was premiered on Huw Stephens' show on 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...
. After a nationwide tour with the NME Radar tour, the song was released on digital download, CD and vinyl formats on May 24, and debuted at number 50 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 ...
.
Following massive success on Greek radio, Hurts were invited to perform at the MAD Video Music Awards ceremony in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
in front of 11,000 people on June 15. Also in June, it was announced that Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
was recording with the band. She recorded a verse and backing vocals for the song "Devotion", which was to be included on the band's album. Hurts recorded a performance of Kylie's 1994 hit "Confide In Me
Confide in Me
Confide in Me is a compilation album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue, which was released in May, 2002. The album cosists both studio albums of her former record label Deconstruction Records, which are Kylie Minogue and Impossible Princess. However, her single Breathe was not featured...
" for newspaper The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
s website, and has since been a regular inclusion on their gig setlists. Kylie later returned the compliment by recording a performance of "Wonderful Life" in Radio 1's Live Lounge
Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio station BBC Radio 1. Originally hosted by Jo Whiley on her mid-morning radio show and now hosted by Fearne Cotton, it exhibits well-known artists usually performing one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format...
.
Throughout the summer, Hurts performed at several music festivals including V Festival
V Festival
The V Festival is an annual music festival held in England during the penultimate weekend in August. The event is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and...
and T in the Park
T in the Park
T in the Park is a major British music festival that has been held annually since 1994. It is named after its main sponsor, the brewing company Tennents. It was originally held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire but since 1997 has been held at a disused airfield in Balado, Kinross-shire...
in the UK, Pukkelpop
Pukkelpop
Pukkelpop is an annual music festival which takes place near the city of Hasselt, Belgium in mid-to-late August. It is held within a large enclosure of fields and woodland—between a dual carriageway called Kempische Steenweg—in the village of Kiewit, approximately 7 km north of Hasselt...
in Belgium, and SWR3 New Pop Festival in Germany.
"Wonderful Life" was released in Germany on August 6 and it debuted at number two on the German Singles Chart. It was released in the UK on August 23, where it debuted at number 21, becoming their first UK top 40 hit.
The album Happiness
Happiness (Hurts album)
Happiness is the debut studio album by English synthpop duo Hurts, released in the United Kingdom on 6 September 2010. It was preceded by the release of the singles "Better Than Love" on 23 May 2010 and "Wonderful Life" on 22 August 2010. Collaborators include Jonas Quant and production team The...
, which had been recorded at Sunshine Dance Studios in Manchester and Pellerin in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
with producer Jonas Quant
Jonas Quant
Jonas Quant is a producer and songwriter from Gothenburg, Sweden. One of the Swedish label Dot's leading artists, Quant released a few neo-electro EPs for the quirky label in the late 1990s, in addition to several compilation contributions as well as remixes. His first album was released in 2000...
, was released on September 6. It debuted at number four 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...
, selling 25,000 copies in its first week on sale, which made it the fastest selling debut album by a band in 2010.
In October, Hurts embarked on their first full headline UK tour, performing 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...
, 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...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and 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...
.
Their third UK single "Stay
Stay (Hurts song)
"Stay" is a song by English synthpop duo Hurts from their debut album, Happiness. It was released as the album's third single in the United Kingdom on 15 November 2010...
" was released in November, reaching number 50 in the chart. Meanwhile in Germany, "Wonderful Life" was certified platinum for sales in excess of 500,000 copies, and they were awarded the BAMBI
Bambi (prize)
The Bambi - Deutschlands Wichtigster Medienpreis, often simply called Bambi Awards and stylized as BAMBI, are presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television "with vision and creativity who affected and inspired the German public that year",...
award for Best International Newcomer. They were also nominated at the MTV Europe Music Awards
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider...
in the Best Push Artist category.
Hurts ended 2010 by supporting Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters are an American band "spawned by the scuzzy, gay nightlife scene of New York" who took their name from a sexual position between two women also known as tribadism...
on their UK arena tour in December, and released a Christmas single called "All I Want for Christmas Is New Year's Day
All I Want for Christmas Is New Year's Day
"All I Want for Christmas Is New Year's Day" is a song by British synthpop duo Hurts. In the first week of its release, the song was made as a free download on iTunes in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and was "Single of the Week"...
" for free download on iTunes.
Continued European success (2011)
Happiness climbed back into the UK Top 30 albums chart in February 2011 following a second nationwide headline tour, several TV appearances including on The Graham Norton ShowThe Graham Norton Show
The Graham Norton Show is a British comedy chat show that is broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom. It was originally shown on BBC Two from February 2007 to May 2009 until it moved to BBC One from October 2009...
, and winning Best New Band at the NME Awards on February 23, where they also performed "Wonderful Life". A fourth single from the album, "Sunday
Sunday (Hurts song)
"Sunday" is a song by British recording duo Hurts, Co-Written by Rhys Barker. It was released as the fourth single from their debut album Happiness.-Critical reception:...
", was released in the UK on February 27 and it debuted at number 57, whilst the second single in Germany, "Stay", reached number three.
In March, Hurts were awarded Best International Newcomer at the ECHO Awards in Germany. A fifth single, "Illuminated
Illuminated (song)
"Illuminated" is a song by British recording duo Hurts from their debut album, Happiness. Initially charting on the UK Singles Chart due to a feature on Sky 1's "Unmissable Dramas" advert, the track was released as a double A-side with "Better Than Love" as the fifth single from the...
" was released in the UK on May 9, entering the chart at number 159, though it had already reached number 68 in September 2010, following its use on trailers for television channel Sky1.
On June 26, Theo and Adam performed on the John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
stage 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 their full set was broadcast on a loop on the BBC Red Button channel. Readers of music magazine 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 their performance as the best of the festival, putting them ahead of headliners U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, Coldplay
Coldplay
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...
and Beyoncé. They were later voted "Band of the Summer" by the same magazine.
As of September 2011, Happiness has sold 150,000 copies in the United Kingdom, having spent an entire year on the UK Top 200 albums chart. A limited edition CD/DVD will be released on October 31. It has sold 300,000 copies in Germany, earning it three gold discs. "Blood, Tears & Gold" will be released as the third single in Germany on October 7.
Hurts will embark on their first full European tour in October and November 2011, performing in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Russia, Belarus, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and UK.
Theo and Adam have said in interviews that they plan to start writing and recording for their second album after they have completed the tour, but that they might find it more difficult than their first. Theo said to NME: "We've got to get depressed again! And that doesn't really happen when you go around playing festivals. We have to engineer some sort of catastrophe to make us feel miserable again. We're trying to work it out at the moment, actually. Some sort of accident, maybe."
On 4th November 2011, Hurts played their last show on the Happiness tour at Brixton Academy where Kylie Minogue joined them on stage to perform Devotion and her own song Confide In Me.
External links
- Hurts on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...