Noah and the Whale
Encyclopedia
Noah and the Whale are an English
indie folk
band from Twickenham
, London
, England
formed in 2006. The band consists of Charlie Fink (vocals
, guitar
, ukulele
, mandolin
), Tom Hobden (fiddle
/keys
), Matt "Urby Whale" Owens (bass guitar
), Fred Abbott (guitar
/keys
), and Michael Petulla (drums
).
, and the name of the film's director, Noah Baumbach
. They are also avid fans of the film director Wes Anderson
, who helped produce The Squid and the Whale; the group's e-mails, and many of their MySpace blog posts are signed "Sic Transit Gloria"
, a phrase frequently used in Anderson's film Rushmore
.
After the release of a few singles the band's debut album, entitled Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down
, was released on 11 August 2008. The release made it to Number 5 on the official UK Albums Chart
and has received mainly positive critical reviews. Emmy the Great
sang for short periods with the band, while the brass accompaniment on the CD is provided by Jon Carvell (trombone
) and Sam Kinrade (trumpet
). Lillie Flynn (sister of singer Johnny Flynn
) and Rebecca Taylor of Slow Club
have also filled the role of female vocalist during tours. Doug Fink, brother of singer, Charlie, originally played drums but left to pursue a career as a doctor. Until mid-2008, Laura Marling
was a member of the band and performed with them as much as her solo touring schedule allowed. She also performed the background vocals on the band's debut album but left the band several months after its release.
The band has been compared to Neutral Milk Hotel
, Bonnie Prince Billy and Belle & Sebastian
, and the band cites both punk rock
and folk
as influences.
They have performed on Jeremy Warmsley
’s internet television show, Welcome to our TV show, and have made several appearances at festivals including Leeds
, Sasquatch!
the Cambridge Folk Festival
, Latitude
, SXSW, V Festival
, Oxegen
and Glastonbury
.
In May 2008, the group's side-project, The A Sides, performed a one-off show at The Push Club.
. Along with the album release, Charlie Fink wrote and directed a film that runs the entire length of the album, also entitled The First Days of Spring. Fink decided not to feature female backing vocals on their second LP due to the painful but inspiring departure of Laura Marling to pursue a solo career. Her separation from the band did however inspire a change from their traditional sound, signaling a new direction in the bands music and lyrics. The album was released on 31 August 2009, a little over a year after their debut. Three days prior to the release Doug Fink, brother of lead singer Charlie, announced he would be leaving the band to pursue a career in medicine. At the same time Fred Abbott was brought in on second guitar/piano and Doug was temporarily replaced by former Pull Tiger Tail
drummer Jack Hamson.
"The First Days of Spring" was the first single release from the album and was made available for download from the band's website, while the first official single entitled "Blue Skies" was released on 24 August 2009 after the song received its first airplay on Zane Lowe
's Radio 1
evening show earlier in the summer.
The band played the 2009 Reading and Leeds Festivals
on the main stage, as well as a variety of other venues on their current tour.
On 30 September 2009, BBC News
reported that the band's equipment including guitars, bass instruments and their drum kit, were stolen from a car park near the Club Academy in Manchester, England. The theft occurred on the night of 29 September 2009. The equipment was recovered in late December 2009.
Their song, "Give a Little Love" was used in an episode of Cougar Town
titled "Here Comes My Girl" which first aired on 25 November 2009. The single "Blue Skies" was also used in an episode of One Tree Hill
titled "Some Roads Lead Nowhere" which first aired on 7 December 2009.
. On 3 December 2010 the band released a track from the upcoming album on their official website, titled "Wild Thing". The first official single from the album, "L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.
", was released on 23 January 2011 and has (so far) peaked at number 14 in the UK Singles Chart
. Last Night on Earth was released on 7 March 2011 through Mercury Records
.
The song "Waiting for My Chance to Come" appears in the series 5 finale "Everyone" on the E4 British teen drama Skins
.
The song "Give It All Back" was released on Youtube on 25 November 2011.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
indie folk
Indie folk
Indie folk is a music genre that arose in the 1990s from singer/songwriters in the indie rock community showing heavy influences from folk music scenes of the 50s, 60s and early 70s, country music, and indie rock. A few early artists included Lou Barlow, Beck, Jeff Buckley and Elliott Smith...
band from Twickenham
Twickenham
Twickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...
, 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...
, England
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...
formed in 2006. The band consists of Charlie Fink (vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
, mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
), Tom Hobden (fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
/keys
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
), Matt "Urby Whale" Owens (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), Fred Abbott (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
/keys
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
), and Michael Petulla (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
).
Early years and Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down (2006–2008)
The name 'Noah and the Whale' is a combination of the title of one of the band's favourite films, The Squid and the WhaleThe Squid and the Whale
The Squid and the Whale is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Noah Baumbach and produced by Wes Anderson. It tells the semi-autobiographical story of two boys in Brooklyn dealing with their parents' divorce in the 1980s. The film is named after a giant squid and sperm whale diorama...
, and the name of the film's director, Noah Baumbach
Noah Baumbach
Noah Baumbach is an American writer, director and independent filmmaker.-Background and education:Baumbach was born in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of novelist/film critic Jonathan Baumbach and Village Voice critic Georgia Brown. He graduated from Brooklyn's Midwood High School in 1987 and ...
. They are also avid fans of the film director Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson
Wesley Wales Anderson is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer of features, short films and commercials....
, who helped produce The Squid and the Whale; the group's e-mails, and many of their MySpace blog posts are signed "Sic Transit Gloria"
Sic transit gloria mundi
Sic transit gloria mundi is a Latin phrase that means "Thus passes the glory of the world". It has been interpreted as "Worldly things are fleeting." It is possibly an adaptation of a phrase in Thomas à Kempis's 1418 work The Imitation of Christ: "O quam cito transit gloria mundi" .The phrase was...
, a phrase frequently used in Anderson's film Rushmore
Rushmore (film)
Rushmore is a 1998 comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson about an eccentric teenager named Max Fischer , his friendship with rich industrialist Herman Blume , and their mutual love for elementary school teacher Rosemary Cross . The film was co-written by Anderson and Owen Wilson...
.
After the release of a few singles the band's debut album, entitled Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down
Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down
Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down is the debut album by the English band Noah and the Whale. It was released on 11 August 2008 in the United Kingdom, and on 16 September 2008 in the United States...
, was released on 11 August 2008. The release made it to Number 5 on the official 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...
and has received mainly positive critical reviews. Emmy the Great
Emmy the Great
Emma-Lee Moss , known by her stage name Emmy the Great, is a London-based singer-songwriter. She has released two albums, First Love and Virtue.-Early life:Moss was born in Hong Kong to an English father and a Chinese mother...
sang for short periods with the band, while the brass accompaniment on the CD is provided by Jon Carvell (trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
) and Sam Kinrade (trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
). Lillie Flynn (sister of singer Johnny Flynn
Johnny Flynn
Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit are an English folk rock band signed to Transgressive Records. They are fronted by Johnny Flynn , an actor, poet and songwriter who cites W.B. Yeats and Shakespeare among his influences...
) and Rebecca Taylor of Slow Club
Slow Club
Slow Club is a folk-rock duo from Sheffield, England. The band formed in 2006, after the break-up of Sheffield band The Lonely Hearts.-History:The band is made up of Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor...
have also filled the role of female vocalist during tours. Doug Fink, brother of singer, Charlie, originally played drums but left to pursue a career as a doctor. Until mid-2008, Laura Marling
Laura Marling
Laura Beatrice Marling is an English folk musician from Eversley, Hampshire.Initially prominent within the London folk scene, she has also toured with a number of well-known indie artists in the UK. Her debut album Alas, I Cannot Swim and her second album I Speak Because I Can were nominated for...
was a member of the band and performed with them as much as her solo touring schedule allowed. She also performed the background vocals on the band's debut album but left the band several months after its release.
The band has been compared to Neutral Milk Hotel
Neutral Milk Hotel
Neutral Milk Hotel was an American indie rock band formed by singer, guitarist and songwriter Jeff Mangum in the early 1990s. The band was noted for its experimental sound, obscure lyrics and eclectic instrumentation....
, Bonnie Prince Billy and Belle & Sebastian
Belle & Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian are an indie pop band formed in Glasgow in January 1996. Belle and Sebastian are often compared with influential indie bands such as The Smiths, as well as classic acts such as Love, Bob Dylan and Nick Drake. The name Belle & Sebastian comes from Belle et Sébastien, a 1965...
, and the band cites both punk rock
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...
and 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....
as influences.
They have performed on Jeremy Warmsley
Jeremy Warmsley
Jeremy Warmsley is a West London based singer-songwriter signed to Transgressive Records.-Biography:His musical style displays an electronica influenced approach to melodic pop songwriting, first heard on debut single 'I Believe In The Way You Move' , and further developed on his 'The Art Of...
’s internet television show, Welcome to our TV show, and have made several appearances at festivals including Leeds
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
, Sasquatch!
Sasquatch! Music Festival
Sasquatch! Music Festival is a music festival held annually at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington. It is presented by the House of Blues. There is an emphasis on indie rock bands and singer-songwriters, although there are also alternative rock, hip hop and comedy acts...
the Cambridge Folk Festival
Cambridge Folk Festival
The Cambridge Folk Festival is an annual music festival held on the site of Cherry Hinton Hall in Cherry Hinton, one of the villages subsumed by the city of Cambridge, England. The festival is renowned for its eclectic mix of music and a wide definition of what might be considered folk. It occurs...
, Latitude
Latitude Festival
The Latitude Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk, England. It was first held in July 2006....
, SXSW, 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...
, Oxegen
Oxegen
Oxegen is an annual music festival in Ireland held since 2004, sponsored by Heineken. As of 2007, 2008, 2009, the festival has been cited as Ireland's biggest music festival. And by 2009, the festival is cited as the greenest festival, being a 100% carbon neutral event in Ireland. It was previously...
and Glastonbury
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...
.
In May 2008, the group's side-project, The A Sides, performed a one-off show at The Push Club.
The First Days of Spring (2009)
From January 2009 onwards, the band started work on their second full length LP, entitled The First Days of SpringThe First Days of Spring (album)
The First Days of Spring is the second studio album by the English band Noah and the Whale. It was released on 31 August 2009. The band began playing the new material at concerts in 2009 to a favourable response...
. Along with the album release, Charlie Fink wrote and directed a film that runs the entire length of the album, also entitled The First Days of Spring. Fink decided not to feature female backing vocals on their second LP due to the painful but inspiring departure of Laura Marling to pursue a solo career. Her separation from the band did however inspire a change from their traditional sound, signaling a new direction in the bands music and lyrics. The album was released on 31 August 2009, a little over a year after their debut. Three days prior to the release Doug Fink, brother of lead singer Charlie, announced he would be leaving the band to pursue a career in medicine. At the same time Fred Abbott was brought in on second guitar/piano and Doug was temporarily replaced by former Pull Tiger Tail
Pull Tiger Tail
Pull Tiger Tail were an indie rock band based in London and originating from Stratford-upon-Avon and Edinburgh; they formed in 2006 while attending Goldsmiths College....
drummer Jack Hamson.
"The First Days of Spring" was the first single release from the album and was made available for download from the band's website, while the first official single entitled "Blue Skies" was released on 24 August 2009 after the song received its first airplay on 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...
's 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...
evening show earlier in the summer.
The band played the 2009 Reading and Leeds Festivals
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
on the main stage, as well as a variety of other venues on their current tour.
On 30 September 2009, BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
reported that the band's equipment including guitars, bass instruments and their drum kit, were stolen from a car park near the Club Academy in Manchester, England. The theft occurred on the night of 29 September 2009. The equipment was recovered in late December 2009.
Their song, "Give a Little Love" was used in an episode of Cougar Town
Cougar Town
Cougar Town is an American television sitcom that premiered on ABC on September 23, 2009. The series focuses on a recently divorced woman in her forties facing the often humorous challenges, pitfalls and rewards of life's next chapter, along with her son, ex-husband, and friends who together make...
titled "Here Comes My Girl" which first aired on 25 November 2009. The single "Blue Skies" was also used in an episode of One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
titled "Some Roads Lead Nowhere" which first aired on 7 December 2009.
Last Night on Earth (2010–present)
In January 2010, it was announced that Noah and the Whale were heading to the recording studio soon to prepare their third album, for which the band was considering the title Old Joy, however, in an interview with the website SoonerMusic.com, lead singer Charlie announced that the album would be called Last Night On EarthLast Night on Earth (album)
Last Night on Earth is the third studio album by the English indie folk band Noah and the Whale. It was released on March 7, 2011 on Universal Mercury Records. It peaked to number 8 on the UK Albums Chart...
. On 3 December 2010 the band released a track from the upcoming album on their official website, titled "Wild Thing". The first official single from the album, "L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.
L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.
"L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N." is a song by English folk band Noah and the Whale. The single served as the lead single from the band's third studio album, Last Night on Earth...
", was released on 23 January 2011 and has (so far) peaked at number 14 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 ...
. Last Night on Earth was released on 7 March 2011 through Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
.
The song "Waiting for My Chance to Come" appears in the series 5 finale "Everyone" on the E4 British teen drama Skins
Skins (TV series)
Skins is a BAFTA award-winning British teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of college. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness , adolescent sexuality, substance abuse and death...
.
The song "Give It All Back" was released on Youtube on 25 November 2011.
Discography
- Peaceful, the World Lays Me DownPeaceful, The World Lays Me DownPeaceful, the World Lays Me Down is the debut album by the English band Noah and the Whale. It was released on 11 August 2008 in the United Kingdom, and on 16 September 2008 in the United States...
(2008) - The First Days of SpringThe First Days of Spring (album)The First Days of Spring is the second studio album by the English band Noah and the Whale. It was released on 31 August 2009. The band began playing the new material at concerts in 2009 to a favourable response...
(2009) - Last Night on EarthLast Night on Earth (album)Last Night on Earth is the third studio album by the English indie folk band Noah and the Whale. It was released on March 7, 2011 on Universal Mercury Records. It peaked to number 8 on the UK Albums Chart...
(2011)
External links
- Official website
- Interview at musicOMH
- The Comment Tree interviews Noah and the Whale
- Interview on Platforms Magazine
- Jazzy the cockatoo dances to 5 Years Time on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- Abbot, Stephen (2008) "Noah and the Whale, FREEDM Studio, Roundhouse, Camden, London (review)", The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- Appearance on Plus1TV.com
- Take Away Show on Blogotheque
- Charlie Fink's IMDb page
- First Days of Spring at IMDb
- Noah and the Whale on Obscure Sound
- Acoustic Session with 'They Shoot Music – Don't They'
- The Independent: Feb 2009