Sirens (band)
Encyclopedia
Sirens are Newcastle Upon Tyne
based R&B
, pop
, hip hop
and dance-pop
girl band, known best for their Top 50 single
, "Baby (Off the Wall)".
. Heaton left the band before their debut single was released and was replaced by Lea Cummings. They dubbed themselves Sirens in honour of the infamous Greek myth of three beautiful women (Siren
) luring sailors to their deaths by singing to them.
Brians left school at 14 to try and make money by doing a variety of jobs before running her own stableyard. Haslam set up her own business as soon as she was old enough. However, when they met aged 17, both knew that their future was in writing and making music together.
demos
in London
, and also slept rough. After a variety of early trial and error line-up's Sirens were formed when Schofield and Cummings joined. Soon after, the girls signed a recording contract
with the independent record label
, Kitchenware Records
, also home to Editors
.
Their debut single was a cover
of N*E*R*D's "Things Are Gettin' Better". Their second single "Baby (Off the Wall)" became their highest charting
single, peaking at number forty-nine on the UK Singles Chart
. Their debut album
Control Freaks, released two weeks after "Baby (Off the Wall)", became a club
hit
in the UK
and achieved commercial success in the Far East
, which allowed the band to create their second album.
Between albums Sirens released a non-album single, "Love Hurts", featuring a sample
from ODB. This was the final single with Schofield who left after its release.
and recording
in Los Angeles
, California
with record producer
s Wayne Rodrigues, Justin Trugman
, D. C. Joseph and DeeKay. Rap
contributions come from Najee
and D-Roc
from New York
. The album was mixed
by Dave Pensado, noted for his hits with Christina Aguilera
and The Black Eyed Peas
and was released on 16 June 2008.
A second electropop single called "Stilettos" was released on October 4, 2010. This single was immediately compared to Lady Gaga
. A second single called "Good Enough" is due for release during march 2011 and the third album #3 - Opium Apathy will be released on March 28.
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
based R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
girl band, known best for their Top 50 single
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...
, "Baby (Off the Wall)".
Biography
The Sirens line-up originally consisted of Karina Brians, Kat Haslam, Lynsey Schofield and Michelle HeatonMichelle Heaton
Michelle Christine Heaton is a British pop singer, television personality, and recently a glamour model as well. She was married to former boyband member Andy Scott-Lee.-Career:...
. Heaton left the band before their debut single was released and was replaced by Lea Cummings. They dubbed themselves Sirens in honour of the infamous Greek myth of three beautiful women (Siren
Siren
In Greek mythology, the Sirens were three dangerous mermaid like creatures, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Roman poets placed them on an island called Sirenum scopuli...
) luring sailors to their deaths by singing to them.
Brians left school at 14 to try and make money by doing a variety of jobs before running her own stableyard. Haslam set up her own business as soon as she was old enough. However, when they met aged 17, both knew that their future was in writing and making music together.
Control Freaks
To get their big break, Brians and Haslam sold their automobiles to finance their studioRecording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
in 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...
, and also slept rough. After a variety of early trial and error line-up's Sirens were formed when Schofield and Cummings joined. Soon after, the girls signed a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with the 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:...
, Kitchenware Records
Kitchenware Records
Kitchenware Records is an independent record label based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. It was founded in 1982 by Keith Armstrong and Phil Mitchell, and was originally part of The Soul Kitchen, an artist collective and nightclub...
, also home to Editors
Editors
Editors are a British indie rock band based in Birmingham, who formed in 2002. Previously known as Pilot, The Pride and Snowfield, the band consists of Tom Smith , Chris Urbanowicz , Russell Leetch and Ed Lay .Editors have so far released two platinum studio...
.
Their debut single was a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of N*E*R*D's "Things Are Gettin' Better". Their second single "Baby (Off the Wall)" became their highest charting
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
single, peaking at number forty-nine on 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 ...
. Their debut album
Album
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...
Control Freaks, released two weeks after "Baby (Off the Wall)", became a club
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and achieved commercial success in the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, which allowed the band to create their second album.
Between albums Sirens released a non-album single, "Love Hurts", featuring a sample
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
from ODB. This was the final single with Schofield who left after its release.
Say Goodbye to LA LA Land
Their second album, Say Goodbye to LA LA Land saw the band writingSongwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
with 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...
s Wayne Rodrigues, Justin Trugman
Justin Trugman
Justin Trugman is an American Award winning music producer who has worked with artists such as: Eminem, Alsou, Angie Martinez, Baby Bash, The Product G&B, DJ Lethal, Redman, Heltah Skeltah, Jo Jo, Nelly, Originoo Gunn Clappaz, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Jessie Malakouti , Paula Deanda, Paul Wall, Ryan...
, D. C. Joseph and DeeKay. Rap
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
contributions come from Najee
Najee
Jerome Najee Rasheed , known professionally as Najee, is an urban jazz saxophonist and flautist.He attended New England Conservatory of Music in Boston where he studied with George Russell and Jaki Byard....
and D-Roc
D-Roc
Dennis Miles aka D-Roc the Executioner was an American musician who played rhythm guitar for the heavy metal band Body Count. Miles also played guitar for his own band, Pitch Blaack...
from New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The album was mixed
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
by Dave Pensado, noted for his hits with Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
and The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
and was released on 16 June 2008.
#3 - Opium Apathy
Sirens released in november 2009 the first single for their upcoming third album: Don't Let Go.A second electropop single called "Stilettos" was released on October 4, 2010. This single was immediately compared to Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
. A second single called "Good Enough" is due for release during march 2011 and the third album #3 - Opium Apathy will be released on March 28.
Albums
| Statistics | Singles |
|---|---|
| Control Freaks Control Freaks (album) Control Freaks is the debut album by UK r&b/pop girl group Sirens. The album featured singles "Things Are Gettin' Better" and their Top 40 hit "Baby ".-Track listing:...
|
|
| Say Goodbye to LA LA Land
Kitchenware Records Kitchenware Records is an independent record label based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. It was founded in 1982 by Keith Armstrong and Phil Mitchell, and was originally part of The Soul Kitchen, an artist collective and nightclub... |
|
| #3 - Opium Apathy
Kitchenware Records Kitchenware Records is an independent record label based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. It was founded in 1982 by Keith Armstrong and Phil Mitchell, and was originally part of The Soul Kitchen, an artist collective and nightclub... |
|
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
IRE Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
|||
| 2003 | "Things Are Gettin' Better" | |
|
|
| 2004 | "Baby (Off the Wall)" | |
|
|
| 2005 | "Love Hurts" (featuring ODB Ol' Dirty Bastard Russell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard or simply ODB... ) |
|
|
|
| 2008 | "Club LA LA" | |
|
|
| 2009 | "Don't Let Go" | |
|
|
| 2010 | "Stilettos" | |
|
|
| 2011 | "Good Enough" | |
|