Larrikin Love
Encyclopedia
Larrikin Love were an English
four piece indie rock
band from London
.
Consisting of Edward Larrikin
(vocals), Micko Larkin
(guitar), Alfie Ambrose (bass) and Coz Kerrigan
(drums), and also occasionally including violinist Rob Skipper from The Holloways
or roving violinist Jonnie Fielding, the band were briefly described as being part of a Thamesbeat scene by the NME
, a scene which is now widely accepted as having never really existed. They experiment with many different styles of music including punk
, reggae
, calypso
, and bluegrass
, and tend to add something of an Irish folk
flavour to the typical indie rock sound, While often compared musically to bands such as The Clash
, The Pogues
and The Libertines
, the band drew many of their lyrical influences from literature, including writers such as Rimbaud, Wilde
and Orwell
.
After releasing their first two singles on the independent labels Young and Lost Club and Transgressive Records
respectively, the band signed to Warner
as part of a 'consultancy deal' between Warner and Transgressive. The band released their debut album, The Freedom Spark
on the 25 September 2006.
On May 4, 2007 it was announced that the band had decided to split up, shortly before the release of their debut album in continental Europe.
Edward is currently committed to his solo project: Pan I Am, similar to Larrikin Love in that it is rooted in Irish folk and bluegrass but different in that Ed has introduced an electronic element to his sound.
Coz is currently drumming for Twickenham-based band Marner Brown while Micko Larkin has been working with Courtney Love
and her band Hole
in Los Angeles. Alfie is now in a new band called Gaoler's daughter, which features members of the littl'ans.
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...
four piece indie rock
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 from 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...
.
Consisting of Edward Larrikin
Edward Larrikin
Edward Eke is an English musician, performer, writer and curator. He co-runs the independent film company 'Machine Channel. He was the lead singer and musician for the band Larrikin Love and now releases music under the guise The Pan I Am...
(vocals), Micko Larkin
Micko Larkin
Michael Joseph "Micko" Larkin is an English musician of Irish background, most notable as the lead guitarist of the indie rock band Larrikin Love and more recently, Hole.-Early life and career :...
(guitar), Alfie Ambrose (bass) and Coz Kerrigan
Coz Kerrigan
Cathal Kerrigan, nicknamed Coz, was the drummer of the band Larrikin Love. He is currently a member of the Twickenham-based band Marner BrownCoz has a child called Siercha....
(drums), and also occasionally including violinist Rob Skipper from The Holloways
The Holloways
The Holloways are a four-piece indie-rock band from North London.-Formation:David Jackson and Bryn Fowler established the beginnings of the band, finding Rob Skipper at a local live music venue. They would meet later to jam together, playing in future drummer Dave Danger's room...
or roving violinist Jonnie Fielding, the band were briefly described as being part of a Thamesbeat scene by 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...
, a scene which is now widely accepted as having never really existed. They experiment with many different styles of music including punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
, calypso
Calypso music
Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from African and European roots. The roots of the genre lay in the arrival of enslaved Africans, who, not being allowed to speak with each other, communicated through song...
, and bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
, and tend to add something of an Irish folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
flavour to the typical indie rock sound, While often compared musically to bands such as The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
and The Libertines
The Libertines
The Libertines were an English rock band, formed in London in 1997 by frontmen Carl Barât and Pete Doherty . The band, centred on the song-writing partnership of Barat and Doherty, also included John Hassall and Gary Powell for most of its recording career...
, the band drew many of their lyrical influences from literature, including writers such as Rimbaud, Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
and Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
.
After releasing their first two singles on the independent labels Young and Lost Club and Transgressive Records
Transgressive Records
Transgressive Records is an independent record label based in London, England formed in 2004. Founders Tim Dellow, and Toby L first met at a Bloc Party gig organised by Toby's rockfeedback website. The first release on the label was 1am by The Subways, released in September 2004...
respectively, the band signed to Warner
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
as part of a 'consultancy deal' between Warner and Transgressive. The band released their debut album, The Freedom Spark
The Freedom Spark
The Freedom Spark is the sole album by Larrikin Love. It was released on 25 September 2006.-Track listing:# "The Spark"# "Six Queens"# "Edwould"# "Downing Street Kindling"# "Happy As Annie"# "Meet Me By The Getaway Car"# "At The Feet Of Ré"...
on the 25 September 2006.
On May 4, 2007 it was announced that the band had decided to split up, shortly before the release of their debut album in continental Europe.
Edward is currently committed to his solo project: Pan I Am, similar to Larrikin Love in that it is rooted in Irish folk and bluegrass but different in that Ed has introduced an electronic element to his sound.
Coz is currently drumming for Twickenham-based band Marner Brown while Micko Larkin has been working with Courtney Love
Courtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
and her band Hole
Hole (band)
Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
in Los Angeles. Alfie is now in a new band called Gaoler's daughter, which features members of the littl'ans.
Singles
- "Six QueensSix Queens"Six Queens" was Larrikin Love's debut single, released on Young and Lost Club Records in September 2005. Although billed as a double A side with "Little Boy Lost", the greater popularity of the former among both fans and the band, and the fact that it had a music video made for it means that the...
"/"Little Boy Lost" (19 September 2005) - "Happy as AnnieHappy as Annie"Happy as Annie" was originally released in 2005 as the limited edition second single by Larrikin Love on London indie label Transgressive Records...
" (2005) - "EdwouldEdwould"Edwould" was the third single from Larrikin Love, and the first to be taken from their debut album The Freedom Spark. It was also the band's first major label release and the first to receive full distribution, and subsequently reached number 49 on the UK charts.The title and lyrics allude to the...
" (3 April 2006), #49 (UK) - "Downing Street KindlingDowning Street Kindling"Downing Street Kindling" was the second single to be taken from Larrikin Love's debut album, The Freedom Spark, and their first release to enter the UK Top 40, charting at number 35....
" (6 June 2006), #35 (UK) - "Happy as AnnieHappy as Annie"Happy as Annie" was originally released in 2005 as the limited edition second single by Larrikin Love on London indie label Transgressive Records...
" (reissue) (18 September 2006), #32 (UK) - "Well, Love Does Furnish a Life" (22 January 2007) #31 (UK)
Other
- "A Horse with No NameA Horse with No Name“A Horse with No Name” is a song written by Dewey Bunnell and originally recorded by the band America. It was the band's first and most successful single, released in early 1972, topping the charts in several countries...
" (Cover of the AmericaAmerica (band)America is an English-American folk rock band that originally included members Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek. The three members were barely out of their teens when they became a musical sensation during 1972, scoring #1 hits and winning a Grammy for best new musical artist...
song) on Take it Easy: 15 Soft Rock Anthems (Q Magazine, 2006)