Neils Children
Encyclopedia
Neils Children is an English
post-punk
band, founded by John Linger (guitar and vocals) and Brandon Jacobs (drums).
College in Essex
, where John Linger and Brandon Jacobs were studying with Richard Hawkins. The band's name came from Linger's obsession with 1960s proto-punk band John's Children
; 'Neil' was the nickname of Hawkins, the group's original bassist.
Primarily playing freakbeat
-inspired music, the band performed several gigs on the London
mod scene, as well as performing in the Harlow Square
Rock Contest. In 2000 Hawkins quit the band for unknown reasons, and went on to become a sound engineer
for The Subways
. Replacement bassist James Hair was recruited, and the band decided to move to London
.
They played many concerts in London, Southend, Brighton and other cities, notably playing the Insomniacs Ball in London in 2006, and the London Calling Festival in Amsterdam. John was placed Number 30 of 50 in the NME Cool List 2005. In June 2005, their single "Always the Same" peaked at #56 in the UK Singles Chart
. In December 2005, Hair left to form Vile Imbeciles
, and was replaced by Keith Seymour (formerly of Hope of the States
). The group also supported rising British bands such as Razolight, Bloc Party
and Art Brut on tour throughout 2003-2005 as well as completing various British headline tours and shows throughout Europe. Hair left in 2005 to join Vile Imbeciles with former The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster
member Andy Huxley and moved to Brighton.
Bassist Keith Seymour joined the band in 2005 and in 2007, the band received attention in the wake of the critical and commercial success of The Horrors
, with whom they toured in April. This line up recorded and released the most prolific amount of material in the bands catalog, including the unreleased full-length album Pop/Aural and the bands final album X.Enc. Two Japanese tours were completed alongside the usual European and British dates.
In July 2009, Seymour left the group for personal reasons. On 10 September 2009, Neils Children played their debut live show as a four piece band, composed of Linger, Jacobs with Charles Boyer (bass) and Paul Linger (percussion, samples). The set consisted of five tracks taken from the X.Enc album release and "Front on Backwards", a song written by Linger on the band's summer 2008 Japanese tour.
, Change/Return/Success, and a string of singles
on several different independent record label
s. Their 2004 single, "I Hate Models", was included on an XFM
compilation album
.
In mid 2008, it was announced via the Neils Children website that the band had finished work on their full-length debut album X.Enc., which was recorded in a warehouse in the band's hometown of Cheshunt, and produced and mixed by Linger. The album was released in May 2009, and was preceded by the release of "I'm I'll".
Featured on: all recordings and releases
All material is being edited and compiled by Linger, Jacobs and long-term bass player James Hair.
. He performed a solo show at the Experimental Circle Club in Southend. Jacobs performs under the name of Goodnight And I Wish*, and has recorded a number of releases.
Linger is also active as a mix engineer and record producer
for various projects. He produced the early discography of the London band, Electricity In Our Homes (which features his brother Paul on drums); 2007's The Shareholders Meeting EP
and the 2008 singles "We Thought It Was, But It Wasn't" (Too Pure
) and "Silver Medal In Gymnastics" (4AD
). Most recently he produced and mixed two tracks planned for a single release by the Chichester
based post-punk band, Disconcerts. Currently he is mixing Moscow-based band Manicure's new album, scheduled for release in April/May 2011.
Record labels overseen by band members included Jacob's label Modern Pop, which has released work by Electricity In Our Homes, and Strange Idols; and the Structurally Sound label, founded by the band in 2008 to release their own music and that of associated acts.
. Originally planned as Linger's solo performance, the duo played a couple unique arrangements of Neils Children songs, using the second half of the show to showcase their new group, The Drop Five.
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...
post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
band, founded by John Linger (guitar and vocals) and Brandon Jacobs (drums).
Career
Neils Children formed in 1999 at HarlowHarlow
Harlow is a new town and local government district in Essex, England. It is located in the west of the county and on the border with Hertfordshire, on the Stort Valley, The town is near the M11 motorway and forms part of the London commuter belt.The district has a current population of 78,889...
College in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, where John Linger and Brandon Jacobs were studying with Richard Hawkins. The band's name came from Linger's obsession with 1960s proto-punk band John's Children
John's Children
John's Children were a 1960s pop art/mod rock band from Leatherhead, England that briefly featured future T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan. John's Children were known for their outrageous live performances and were booted off a tour with The Who in Germany in 1967 when they upstaged the headliners...
; 'Neil' was the nickname of Hawkins, the group's original bassist.
Primarily playing freakbeat
Freakbeat
Freakbeat is the name used for rare, collectable, and obscure British Invasion records, particularly from 1966 and 1967. Elements of the freakbeat sound include strong direct drum beats, loud and frenzied guitar riffs, and extreme effects such as: fuzztone, flanging, distortion and compression or...
-inspired music, the band performed several gigs on the 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...
mod scene, as well as performing in the Harlow Square
The Square, Harlow
The Square is a 250 capacity live music venue in Harlow, Essex. It is managed by SquareOne Entertainment LLP who took over the venue in July 2008. Previous to this it had been run by Essex County Council...
Rock Contest. In 2000 Hawkins quit the band for unknown reasons, and went on to become a sound engineer
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
for The Subways
The Subways
The Subways are an English alternative rock / indie rock band. Their debut album, Young For Eternity, was released on 4 July 2005 in the UK and February 14, 2006 in the U.S. Their second album, All or Nothing, was released on 30 June 2008 and their third album Money and Celebrity debuted on the...
. Replacement bassist James Hair was recruited, and the band decided to move to 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...
.
They played many concerts in London, Southend, Brighton and other cities, notably playing the Insomniacs Ball in London in 2006, and the London Calling Festival in Amsterdam. John was placed Number 30 of 50 in the NME Cool List 2005. In June 2005, their single "Always the Same" peaked at #56 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 ...
. In December 2005, Hair left to form Vile Imbeciles
Vile Imbeciles
Vile Imbeciles are an English alternative rock band from Brighton, formed in 2005, consisting of ex-The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster chief songwriter and guitarist Andy Huxley on guitar and vocals, Caspian Rospigliosi on guitar and backing vocals, Evan Reinhold on drums, Deen Lim on bass...
, and was replaced by Keith Seymour (formerly of Hope of the States
Hope of the States
Hope of the States were an English post rock-influenced indie band from Chichester.-Members:* Sam Herlihy - vocals, guitar, piano, music boxes, glockenspiels, mellotron, sampler, celeste, harmonium* Michael Hibbert - guitar, harmonica, backing vocals...
). The group also supported rising British bands such as Razolight, Bloc Party
Bloc Party
Bloc Party are a British Indie rock band, composed of Kele Okereke , Russell Lissack , Gordon Moakes , and Matt Tong...
and Art Brut on tour throughout 2003-2005 as well as completing various British headline tours and shows throughout Europe. Hair left in 2005 to join Vile Imbeciles with former The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster
The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster
The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster were an English rock band from Brighton, England, formed in 1999. They have released three full-length albums, Hörse Of the Dög , The Royal Society and Blood And Fire...
member Andy Huxley and moved to Brighton.
Bassist Keith Seymour joined the band in 2005 and in 2007, the band received attention in the wake of the critical and commercial success of The Horrors
The Horrors
The Horrors are an English band from Southend on Sea, formed in 2005. Their debut Strange House, was released in 2007 and reached number thirty-seven on the UK Albums Chart, their second album Primary Colours was released in 2009 and peaked at number 25 in the UK...
, with whom they toured in April. This line up recorded and released the most prolific amount of material in the bands catalog, including the unreleased full-length album Pop/Aural and the bands final album X.Enc. Two Japanese tours were completed alongside the usual European and British dates.
In July 2009, Seymour left the group for personal reasons. On 10 September 2009, Neils Children played their debut live show as a four piece band, composed of Linger, Jacobs with Charles Boyer (bass) and Paul Linger (percussion, samples). The set consisted of five tracks taken from the X.Enc album release and "Front on Backwards", a song written by Linger on the band's summer 2008 Japanese tour.
Releases
Neils Children released an eight track mini 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...
, Change/Return/Success, and a string of singles
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...
on several different independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
s. Their 2004 single, "I Hate Models", was included on an 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...
compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
.
In mid 2008, it was announced via the Neils Children website that the band had finished work on their full-length debut album X.Enc., which was recorded in a warehouse in the band's hometown of Cheshunt, and produced and mixed by Linger. The album was released in May 2009, and was preceded by the release of "I'm I'll".
Band members timeline and recordings
John Linger: Guitarist, Vocalist, Songwriter (1999-Present)Featured on: all recordings and releases
Brandon Jacobs: Drummer (1999-Present)
Featured on: all recordings and releases
Tom Hawkins: Bassist (1999-2000)
Featured on: Demand The Impossible (Album, 2000)
James Hair: Bassist (2000-2005, 2011-Present)
Featured on: Come Down (Single, 2003), I Hate Models (Single, 2004), Change/Return/Success (Album, 2004), Always The Same (Single, 2005), Another Day (Single, 2005), Perpetually/Live/2005 (Album, 2011)
Keith Seymour: Bassist (2005-2009)
Featured on: Stand Up (Single, 2006), Lucifer Sam (Single, 2006), Something Perpetual (Album, 2006), You Didn't Care (Single, 2007), Reflective/Surface (Single, 2008), I'm Ill (Single, 2008), X.Enc (Album, 2009)
Charlie Boyer: Bassist (2009)
Featured on: Not featured on any released recordings.
Paul Linger: Percussionist (2009)
Featured on: Not featured on any released recordings.
Visit-Revisited release project
In September 2011, the band announced via their official Facebook page that there would be a string of releases compiling unreleased material. The first release is a full-length live show from 2005, which is available from Monday 26th September 2011 from the official Neils Children website while other releases possibly include demos, alternate mixes and further live material. Also added on the bands official site and Facebook page are two unreleased recordings; namely a live version of 'Getting Evil In The Playground' at Junk Club, Southend, 2005 and a previously unheard track 'Turn Your Life Around' from 2009 which is stream-able from a secret section on the bands site.All material is being edited and compiled by Linger, Jacobs and long-term bass player James Hair.
Other work
Various members of the band have undertaken side projects. Linger, under the pseudonym of "Round", was the first member of Neils Children to pursue solo work and recorded in 2007 a few tracks which were posted on MySpaceMySpace
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....
. He performed a solo show at the Experimental Circle Club in Southend. Jacobs performs under the name of Goodnight And I Wish*, and has recorded a number of releases.
Linger is also active as a mix engineer and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
for various projects. He produced the early discography of the London band, Electricity In Our Homes (which features his brother Paul on drums); 2007's The Shareholders Meeting EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
and the 2008 singles "We Thought It Was, But It Wasn't" (Too Pure
Too Pure
Too Pure is a London-based independent record label that was formed in 1990 by Richard Roberts and Paul Cox.-History:Too Pure started off as a small experimental label and had built their reputation by releasing primarily alternative/independent music which they felt was being ignored by the major...
) and "Silver Medal In Gymnastics" (4AD
4AD
4AD is a British independent record label that was started in 1979 by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent, funded by Beggars Banquet Records, and is still active today...
). Most recently he produced and mixed two tracks planned for a single release by the Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
based post-punk band, Disconcerts. Currently he is mixing Moscow-based band Manicure's new album, scheduled for release in April/May 2011.
Record labels overseen by band members included Jacob's label Modern Pop, which has released work by Electricity In Our Homes, and Strange Idols; and the Structurally Sound label, founded by the band in 2008 to release their own music and that of associated acts.
Decline
In August 2010, founder members Linger and Jacobs announced the split of the group, planning the band's last show at 2010's Offset FestivalOffset Festival
Offset Festival was formed in 2008 as a reaction against overpriced festivals with less than creative lineups. The event is held at Hainault Forest Country Park, just outside London, accessible via the Central Line.-2008:...
. Originally planned as Linger's solo performance, the duo played a couple unique arrangements of Neils Children songs, using the second half of the show to showcase their new group, The Drop Five.
Reform-2011
It was announced via the band's official Facebook page in October 2011 that core members Linger, Jacobs and Hair were rehearsing together for the first time in 7 years, with the aim of playing live shows in 2012. The bands announcement mentioned that the sets would consist of songs from the period with Hair as bassist (2000-2005) and would include the whole of the acclaimed mini-album 'Change/Return/Success'. The date 16th March 2012 is mentioned on the page alongside the word London, presumably the date of the first London show.Albums
- Change/Return/Success (2004, Soft City Recordings/Early single compilation mini-album)
- Something Perpetual" (2006, Vinyl Junkie/Japanese Only rarites compilation)
- X.Enc (2009, Structurally Sound/Vinyl Junkie)
- Perpetually/Live/2005 (2011, Structurally Sound)
Singles
- "St. Benet Fink" (2002, Circle Records - limited edition of 500)
- "Come Down" (2003, Soft City Recordings)
- "I Hate Models" (2004, Soft City Recordings/Loog)
- "Always The Same" (2005, PoptonesPoptonesPoptones is a record label launched by Alan McGee after the demise of Creation Records in 1999. Named after a Public Image Limited song, it is seen as something of a return to the staunchly independent roots of Creation...
/Soft City) - UKUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
#56 - "Another Day" (2006, White Heat Records)
- "Stand Up" (2006, Half Machine RecordsHalf Machine RecordsHalf Machine Records is an independent record label based in London, England. They have released 7" singles by Neils Children , MIT , Theoretical Girl and MIT's second single 'Good Book' ....
) - "Lucifer Sam" (2006, Modern Pop Records)
- "You Didn't Care" (2007, 30:30 Recordings)
- "Reflective/Surface"/"Exposure" (2008, April 77 Records)
- "Im Ill"/"Terror At Home" (2008, Structurally Sound)
Promotional videos
- "Come Down" (2003)
- "Always The Same" (2005)
- "Another Day" (2006)
- "Stand Up" (2006)
- "Lucifer Sam" (2006)
- "You Didn't Care" (2007)
- "I'm Ill" (2008, featuring SKIPtheatre)
- "Motorcar" (2009)