Nightnurse
Encyclopedia
Nightnurse was an indie rock
band from London
, UK, who had some success in the late 1990s. They released three singles, with their second "Skirt" reaching no. 11 in the UK independent singles chart in February 1998. A subsequent album was recorded but never released when the label Better Records folded in 2000.
front-woman Ellyott Dragon, Nightnurse's original line up consisted of Ellyott Dragon on guitar and vocals, Charlotte Hatherley
on guitar, Ben Drakeford on bass guitar and Alex Lutes on drums. After playing only 6 gigs together the band were signed to ex Creation Records
boss Tim Abbott's Better Records label. In 1997 the band's profile was raised considerably after winning the NME
new bands award that same year after only being together for a few months. They achieved some success with debut single "Golem" which received a small amount of radio play on BBC Radio 1
and video play on MTV Europe
but did not chart. Shortly after the release of this single Charlotte Hatherley
left the band to join fellow indie rockers Ash
.
After working with a number of guitarists including Debbie Smith
(Curve
, Echobelly
) and Charley Stone (Gay Dad
), new guitarist Matt Platts recorded a second single with the band called "Skirt", which charted at No. 11 in the independent singles chart in 1998. The single was XFM's 'single of the Week'. The band subsequently toured on the success of the single, supporting other 1990's UK indie bands including Rachel Stamp
, Jolt, Snow Patrol
, Monsoon Bassoon, Cay and Seafood.
A follow up single was double A-side 'IDF/Big Sleep' released on a white label limited edition 7" vinyl
through S16 Records. This pressing was deleted on the day of release and the band made history by self-releasing the UK's first ever official mp3
format single, getting 30,000 downloads from their website in a week.
After the release of their third single 'IDF', Nightnurse were signed by Sanctuary management and went on to record 4 new demo tracks at Trident studios in South London
. The company, suffering from financial problems, were unable to support the band who now remain on hiatus.
Ellyott Dragon lead vocals / guitar
Matt Platts guitar / backing vocals
Ben Drakeford bass guitar
Dicki Fliszar drums
1997
Ellyott Dragon lead vocals / guitar
Debbie Smith
guitar
Charley Stone (Gay Dad
) guitar
Matt Platts guitar
Alex Lutes] drums
1996 - original line up
Ellyott Dragon lead vocals / guitar
Charlotte Hatherley
guitar
Ben Drakeford bass guitar
Alex Lutes drums
Skirt (12 January 1998) CD single / 7" vinyl - Better Records
IDF (26 October 1998) ltd 7" vinyl / MP3 - S16 Records / Nightnurse
A message posted on the band's official Myspace
page in 2006 confirms that the album is now set for re-mastering and will be released at some time in the future. A date has yet to be announced.
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...
, UK, who had some success in the late 1990s. They released three singles, with their second "Skirt" reaching no. 11 in the UK independent singles chart in February 1998. A subsequent album was recorded but never released when the label Better Records folded in 2000.
History
Formed in 1996 by lead singer and previous Sister GeorgeSister George
Sister George was an influential queercore band from London that was formed in 1994. The groups' name was inspired by the 1968 UK movie The Killing of Sister George, which was an adaptation of a BBC radio play of the same name...
front-woman Ellyott Dragon, Nightnurse's original line up consisted of Ellyott Dragon on guitar and vocals, Charlotte Hatherley
Charlotte Hatherley
Charlotte Franklin Hatherley is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. She initially came to prominence as guitarist and backing vocalist for alternative rock band Ash. Since departing Ash in 2006, she has found success as a solo artist...
on guitar, Ben Drakeford on bass guitar and Alex Lutes on drums. After playing only 6 gigs together the band were signed to ex Creation Records
Creation Records
Creation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The label lasted until its demise in 1999. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation , whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were...
boss Tim Abbott's Better Records label. In 1997 the band's profile was raised considerably after winning 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...
new bands award that same year after only being together for a few months. They achieved some success with debut single "Golem" which received a small amount of radio play 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...
and video play on MTV Europe
MTV Europe
MTV Europe is a pan-European 24-hour entertainment cable and digital television network launched on August 1, 1987. Initially, the channel served all regions within Europe being one of the very few channels that targeted the entire European continent...
but did not chart. Shortly after the release of this single Charlotte Hatherley
Charlotte Hatherley
Charlotte Franklin Hatherley is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. She initially came to prominence as guitarist and backing vocalist for alternative rock band Ash. Since departing Ash in 2006, she has found success as a solo artist...
left the band to join fellow indie rockers Ash
Ash (band)
Ash are an alternative rock band that formed in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1992. The band has sold 8 million albums worldwide.-Band beginning, Trailer and 1977 :...
.
After working with a number of guitarists including Debbie Smith
Debbie Smith (musician)
Debbie Smith is a British guitar and bass player who has been in several bands from the 1990s to the present, including Curve, Echobelly, Nightnurse, Snowpony, Bows, The Nuns , and SPC ECO .Smith was interviewed for the book Never Mind the Bollocks: Women Rewrite Rock by...
(Curve
Curve (band)
Curve was an English music group formed in 1990 chiefly around the collaboration of singer/songwriter Toni Halliday and bassist/guitarist/programmer Dean Garcia.-History:...
, Echobelly
Echobelly
Echobelly were a Britpop band, debuting in 1994 with their album Everyone's Got One. They were often compared to Blondie and were influenced by Morrissey, who himself was a fan of the group....
) and Charley Stone (Gay Dad
Gay Dad
In 2001 the leading single from Transmission - "Now Always and Forever" - was released. It fell just short of the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart. An extensive UK tour was followed by a limited edition single "Harder, Faster". The third single "Transmission" was released just before the album came...
), new guitarist Matt Platts recorded a second single with the band called "Skirt", which charted at No. 11 in the independent singles chart in 1998. The single was XFM's 'single of the Week'. The band subsequently toured on the success of the single, supporting other 1990's UK indie bands including Rachel Stamp
Rachel Stamp
Rachel Stamp is a British rock band formed in London, England in 1994. Their debut album, Hymns For Strange Children was released in 2000, followed by Oceans of Venus two years later.-Biography:...
, Jolt, Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow...
, Monsoon Bassoon, Cay and Seafood.
A follow up single was double A-side 'IDF/Big Sleep' released on a white label limited edition 7" vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
through S16 Records. This pressing was deleted on the day of release and the band made history by self-releasing the UK's first ever official mp3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
format single, getting 30,000 downloads from their website in a week.
After the release of their third single 'IDF', Nightnurse were signed by Sanctuary management and went on to record 4 new demo tracks at Trident studios in South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
. The company, suffering from financial problems, were unable to support the band who now remain on hiatus.
Line Up
2006Ellyott Dragon lead vocals / guitar
Matt Platts guitar / backing vocals
Ben Drakeford bass guitar
Dicki Fliszar drums
1997
Ellyott Dragon lead vocals / guitar
Debbie Smith
Debbie Smith (musician)
Debbie Smith is a British guitar and bass player who has been in several bands from the 1990s to the present, including Curve, Echobelly, Nightnurse, Snowpony, Bows, The Nuns , and SPC ECO .Smith was interviewed for the book Never Mind the Bollocks: Women Rewrite Rock by...
guitar
Charley Stone (Gay Dad
Gay Dad
In 2001 the leading single from Transmission - "Now Always and Forever" - was released. It fell just short of the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart. An extensive UK tour was followed by a limited edition single "Harder, Faster". The third single "Transmission" was released just before the album came...
) guitar
Matt Platts guitar
Alex Lutes] drums
1996 - original line up
Ellyott Dragon lead vocals / guitar
Charlotte Hatherley
Charlotte Hatherley
Charlotte Franklin Hatherley is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. She initially came to prominence as guitarist and backing vocalist for alternative rock band Ash. Since departing Ash in 2006, she has found success as a solo artist...
guitar
Ben Drakeford bass guitar
Alex Lutes drums
Singles
Golem (1 April 1997) CD single / 7" vinyl - Better RecordsSkirt (12 January 1998) CD single / 7" vinyl - Better Records
IDF (26 October 1998) ltd 7" vinyl / MP3 - S16 Records / Nightnurse
Album
In late 1997, Nightnurse recorded their debut album at the Blackwing Studios in London. However, after severe financial difficulties, the band's label Better Records fell into liquidation and so the album was never released.A message posted on the band's official 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 in 2006 confirms that the album is now set for re-mastering and will be released at some time in the future. A date has yet to be announced.