Malcolm Middleton
Encyclopedia
Malcolm Bruce Middleton
(born 31 December 1973) is a Scottish
musician
best known for his work with Aidan Moffat
in post-folk indie
band Arab Strap
as well as his solo career writing and producing. To date, Middleton has released five solo studio albums, with his most recent, Waxing Gibbous
, released on 8 June 2009.
but raised in Falkirk
, Scotland
. He attended Graeme High School
. He played bass, guitar and sometimes sang in several bands in the 1990s, including Purple Bass Plectrum, Rabid Lettuce, Pigtube and The Laughing Stock.
, after bonding over their love of musical artists such as Smog
and Will Oldham
, began making music under the name "Arab Strap". The band released six studio albums before splitting up in 2006.
in 2002, followed by Into The Woods
in 2005. After Arab Strap split in 2006, the album A Brighter Beat
was released in 2007. The first song on the album "We're All Going To Die" was released as a single on 17 December and started off with odds of 1000-1 against becoming the Christmas number one - reportedly the highest odds ever quoted. But after support from social networking websites and from BBC Radio 1
DJ Colin Murray
the odds dropped to 9-1 and Middleton was 4th favourite for Christmas number one, behind Leona Lewis
, Katie Melua
ft Eva Cassidy
and X Factor winner Leon Jackson
.
Murray started supporting the song as a response to repeated Christmas chart domination by manufactured pop acts churned out by the likes of The X Factor
. Middleton has said that, despite the song's negative-sounding title, he feels the song perfectly sums up the spirit of Christmas - the need to make the most of life while we have it. The song was beaten to the top on 23/12/2007, having reached number 31 in the UK singles chart, with the UK Christmas number one being a cover of Mariah Carey
and Whitney Houston
's When You Believe
as performed by X-Factor
winner Leon Jackson
. The publicity around the single gave Middleton significant mainstream exposure for the first time in his career. Middleton's solo album Sleight of Heart
was released in 2008.
Middleton has finished recording his fifth solo album, and notes that it could be his last:
Middleton's fifth solo album, entitled Waxing Gibbous
, was released on 8 June 2009. The single "Red Travellin' Socks", released on 18 May 2009, preceded the album's release.
In September, despite his original intention to quit as a solo artist, Middleton revealed UK tour dates for December 2011 and also hinted at a new album via his Twitter page.
(born 31 December 1973) is a Scottish
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...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
best known for his work with Aidan Moffat
Aidan Moffat
Aidan John Moffat is a Scottish vocalist and musician, best known for his work with Malcolm Middleton in Arab Strap.-Early life:...
in post-folk 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 Arab Strap
Arab Strap (band)
Arab Strap were an indie rock band from Scotland that consisted of core members Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton. The band were signed to independent record label Chemikal Underground, and split in 2006...
as well as his solo career writing and producing. To date, Middleton has released five solo studio albums, with his most recent, Waxing Gibbous
Waxing Gibbous
Waxing Gibbous is the fifth studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter Malcolm Middleton, released on June 1, 2009 on Full Time Hobby. Middleton has stated that following the release of this album, and its subsequent tour, he will put his career as a solo artist on hold: "I want to try something...
, released on 8 June 2009.
Early life
Middleton was born in DumfriesDumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
but raised in Falkirk
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
, 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...
. He attended Graeme High School
Graeme High School
Graeme High School is a non-denominational public secondary school located in Falkirk, Scotland. The school is run by Falkirk Council on behalf of the Scottish Executive Education Department. The catchment area is served by Hallglen, Laurieston, St...
. He played bass, guitar and sometimes sang in several bands in the 1990s, including Purple Bass Plectrum, Rabid Lettuce, Pigtube and The Laughing Stock.
Arab Strap
In 1995, Middleton and Aidan MoffatAidan Moffat
Aidan John Moffat is a Scottish vocalist and musician, best known for his work with Malcolm Middleton in Arab Strap.-Early life:...
, after bonding over their love of musical artists such as Smog
Smog (band)
Bill Callahan , is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, who has also recorded and performed under the band name Smog. Callahan began working in the lo-fi genre of underground rock, with home-made tape-albums recorded on four track tape recorders...
and Will Oldham
Will Oldham
Will Oldham , better known by the stage name Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded under variations of the Palace name, including the Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, and Palace Music...
, began making music under the name "Arab Strap". The band released six studio albums before splitting up in 2006.
Solo career
Middleton released his first solo album 5:14 Fluoxytine Seagull Alcohol John Nicotine5:14 Fluoxytine Seagull Alcohol John Nicotine
-Personnel:*Malcolm Middleton – guitar, vocals*Paul Savage – producer*Aidan Moffat – vocals*Emma Pollock – vocals*Alun Woodward – vocals*James Woods – vocals*Geoff Allan*Barry Burns – vocals*Stewart Henderson – vocals...
in 2002, followed by Into The Woods
Into the Woods (album)
Into The Woods is the second studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter, Malcolm Middleton, released on June 13, 2005 on Chemikal Underground.-Overview:...
in 2005. After Arab Strap split in 2006, the album A Brighter Beat
A Brighter Beat (album)
A Brighter Beat is the third studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter, Malcolm Middleton, released on 25 February 2007 on Full Time Hobby. The album is the first Middleton solo release since Arab Strap's split in 2006.-Overview:...
was released in 2007. The first song on the album "We're All Going To Die" was released as a single on 17 December and started off with odds of 1000-1 against becoming the Christmas number one - reportedly the highest odds ever quoted. But after support from social networking websites and from 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...
DJ Colin Murray
Colin Murray
Colin Murray is a Northern Irish sports and music radio and television presenter. He is the current host of the BBC Television show Match of the Day 2 on BBC Two, and the BBC Radio 5 Live shows 5 Live Sport and Fighting Talk, as well as a show on BBC Radio Ulster. He has previously hosted regular...
the odds dropped to 9-1 and Middleton was 4th favourite for Christmas number one, behind Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
, Katie Melua
Katie Melua
Ketevan "Katie" Melua is a British-Georgian singer, songwriter and musician. She moved to Northern Ireland at the age of eight and then to England at fourteen. Melua is signed to the small Dramatico record label, under the management of composer Mike Batt, and made her musical debut in 2003...
ft Eva Cassidy
Eva Cassidy
Eva Marie Cassidy was an American vocalist known for her interpretations of jazz, blues, folk, gospel, country and pop classics. In 1992 she released her first album, The Other Side, a set of duets with go-go musician Chuck Brown, followed by a live solo album, Live at Blues Alley in 1996...
and X Factor winner Leon Jackson
Leon Jackson
Leon Jackson is a Scottish singer-songwriter. He won the fourth series of British talent show The X Factor in 2007. Following his win, Jackson was the main star of his on-web series entitled Leon's Life, which ran from 2007 until 2008...
.
Murray started supporting the song as a response to repeated Christmas chart domination by manufactured pop acts churned out by the likes of The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
. Middleton has said that, despite the song's negative-sounding title, he feels the song perfectly sums up the spirit of Christmas - the need to make the most of life while we have it. The song was beaten to the top on 23/12/2007, having reached number 31 in the UK singles chart, with the UK Christmas number one being a cover of Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
and Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
's When You Believe
When You Believe
"When You Believe" is an Academy Award-winning song by American recording artists Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. The song was written and composed by Stephen Schwartz for the 1998 DreamWorks animated feature The Prince of Egypt. A version of "When You Believe" was produced as a single with...
as performed by X-Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
winner Leon Jackson
Leon Jackson
Leon Jackson is a Scottish singer-songwriter. He won the fourth series of British talent show The X Factor in 2007. Following his win, Jackson was the main star of his on-web series entitled Leon's Life, which ran from 2007 until 2008...
. The publicity around the single gave Middleton significant mainstream exposure for the first time in his career. Middleton's solo album Sleight of Heart
Sleight of Heart (album)
Sleight of Heart is the fourth studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter Malcolm Middleton, released on 3 March 2008 on Full Time Hobby. The album was recorded in the summer of 2007 at Chem 19 Studios in Blantyre.-Artwork:...
was released in 2008.
Middleton has finished recording his fifth solo album, and notes that it could be his last:
I'd like to do something different, whether it's under a different name or start a new band or something. I'm starting to feel like I've done as much as I can with this creative voice. I think I'm getting to the point where Arab Strap were, where we felt like we couldn't do much more once we were placed in our pigeonhole. I'm not very comfy in presenting myself. When I wrote Into the Woods, I remember thinking that it was going to be for a band. Like, I'm going to record and produce it, but get someone else to represent it. Maybe I'd just like to do that; write songs for people and produce, without having to go and stand on stage and act like a fanny, you know? No matter how much you tour, you go out and you feel the same lack of confidence. It's not like you can accrue what you've learnt before and take it with you. In the past with my solo records, I've pretty much been really confident, thinking I can tell straight away if what I'm singing is good or if it's just crap. But right now I'm not so sure of that, or whether there's any reason to be singing about these things, or if it's just someone complaining. I think that's what I miss about being in a band; you don't have people to bounce off, which, after being in Arab Strap for so long, I needed to get away from, but now I miss it a wee bit.
Middleton's fifth solo album, entitled Waxing Gibbous
Waxing Gibbous
Waxing Gibbous is the fifth studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter Malcolm Middleton, released on June 1, 2009 on Full Time Hobby. Middleton has stated that following the release of this album, and its subsequent tour, he will put his career as a solo artist on hold: "I want to try something...
, was released on 8 June 2009. The single "Red Travellin' Socks", released on 18 May 2009, preceded the album's release.
In September, despite his original intention to quit as a solo artist, Middleton revealed UK tour dates for December 2011 and also hinted at a new album via his Twitter page.
Studio albums
- 5:14 Fluoxytine Seagull Alcohol John Nicotine5:14 Fluoxytine Seagull Alcohol John Nicotine-Personnel:*Malcolm Middleton – guitar, vocals*Paul Savage – producer*Aidan Moffat – vocals*Emma Pollock – vocals*Alun Woodward – vocals*James Woods – vocals*Geoff Allan*Barry Burns – vocals*Stewart Henderson – vocals...
(2002) - Into The WoodsInto the Woods (album)Into The Woods is the second studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter, Malcolm Middleton, released on June 13, 2005 on Chemikal Underground.-Overview:...
(2005) - A Brighter BeatA Brighter Beat (album)A Brighter Beat is the third studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter, Malcolm Middleton, released on 25 February 2007 on Full Time Hobby. The album is the first Middleton solo release since Arab Strap's split in 2006.-Overview:...
(2007) - Sleight of HeartSleight of Heart (album)Sleight of Heart is the fourth studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter Malcolm Middleton, released on 3 March 2008 on Full Time Hobby. The album was recorded in the summer of 2007 at Chem 19 Studios in Blantyre.-Artwork:...
(2008) - Waxing GibbousWaxing GibbousWaxing Gibbous is the fifth studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter Malcolm Middleton, released on June 1, 2009 on Full Time Hobby. Middleton has stated that following the release of this album, and its subsequent tour, he will put his career as a solo artist on hold: "I want to try something...
(2009)
Singles
| Year | Song | Album | Record label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Ryanair Song Ryanair Song "Ryanair Song" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Malcolm Middleton. It is his first single, released as a 7" single on 23 February 2004, limited to 1000 copies on Nowhere Fast.-Track listing:Songs, lyrics and music by Malcolm Middleton.... " |
(none) | Nowhere Fast |
| 2005 | "Loneliness Shines Loneliness Shines "Loneliness Shines" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Malcolm Middleton, on his second album, Into The Woods. It was his second single overall, and first proper single from an album, released as a double A-side 7" with "No Modest Bear" on 23 May 2005 on Chemikal Underground.-Track... "/"No Modest Bear No Modest Bear "No Modest Bear" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Malcolm Middleton, from his second album, Into The Woods. It was his second single overall, and first proper single from an album, released as a double A-side 7" with "Loneliness Shines" on 23 May 2005 on Chemikal Underground.-Track... " |
Into The Woods | Chemikal Underground |
| 2005 | "Break My Heart Break My Heart (Malcolm Middleton song) "Break My Heart" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Malcolm Middleton, from his second album, Into The Woods. It was his third single overall, and his second single from an album, released on 18 September 2005 on Chemikal Underground.-Track listing:... " |
Into The Woods | Chemikal Underground |
| 2007 | "A Brighter Beat A Brighter Beat (song) "A Brighter Beat" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Malcolm Middleton, from his 2007 third album, A Brighter Beat. It was his fourth single overall, and his first single from A Brighter Beat, released in the UK on 22 January 2007 on Full Time Hobby.-Overview:Malcolm Middleton has commented on... " |
A Brighter Beat | Full Time Hobby |
| 2007 | "Fuck It, I Love You Fuck It, I Love You "Fuck It, I Love You" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Malcolm Middleton, from his third album, A Brighter Beat. It was his fifth single overall, and his second single from A Brighter Beat, released as "Beep Beep, I Love You" in the UK on 1 April 2007 on Full Time Hobby.-Overview:BigYawn.net... " |
A Brighter Beat | Full Time Hobby |
| 2007 | "Fight Like The Night Fight like the Night "Fight Like The Night" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Malcolm Middleton, from his third album, A Brighter Beat. It features guest vocals by Glaswegian musician Jenny Reeve... " |
A Brighter Beat | Full Time Hobby |
| 2007 | "We're All Going To Die We're All Going To Die "We're All Going To Die" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Malcolm Middleton, and the fourth single released from A Brighter Beat. The song was released on December 10 and more widely on December 17 2007. A limited-edition seven-inch record was also released on the latter date.There was a... " |
A Brighter Beat | Full Time Hobby |
| 2008 | "Blue Plastic Bags" | Sleight Of Heart | Full Time Hobby |
| 2009 | "Red Travellin' Socks" | Waxing Gibbous | Full Time Hobby |
| 2009 | "Zero" | Waxing Gibbous | Full Time Hobby |
External links
- Official Malcolm Middleton website
- Sleight of Heart album review from stv.tvStv.tvwww.stv.tv is the URL of the website of the Scottish television channel, STV. The website currently offers the usual sections of News, Sport, Entertainment, Weather, Competitions, Forums and STV programme information, with TV listings...
- Stereokill Interview: April 2009