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Starsailor (band)
Encyclopedia
Starsailor is an English
post-britpop
band, formed in Leigh, Warrington and Greater Manchester. By 2009, they had four charting albums and ten Top 40 singles in the UK since 2001.
Wigan and Leigh College
(Railway Rd Campus). Prior to this, singer James Walsh
attended St Michael's CE High School in Chorley, Lancashire, whilst Byrne and Stelfox went to school in Warrington
. Only Westhead is from Wigan itself.
Bassist
James Stelfox
and drummer
Ben Byrne had been playing together in the north west of England
for a number of years. When their regular singer fell ill, they recruited young singer and songwriter James Walsh
from a school choir. He was influenced by Jeff Buckley
and his 1994 album Grace in his singing style. Comparing it to Oasis'
(What's the Story) Morning Glory?
album, which Walsh says sums up a unique moment, Grace captures every moment.
The band, then named Waterface, had tried a number of guitarists before they asked long time friend Barry Westhead to join the band in 2000 on keyboards
. He had been teaching judo and playing organ for a church
near his home town. His arrival has been heralded as the most significant event in the band's formation. Walsh also took up the guitar
, following frustration over not finding a musician right for the group. The band started to build up a reputation, and their name changed to Starsailor after the 1970 album Starsailor
by Tim Buckley
.
A journalist from NME
saw a gig in 2000 and gave the band a glowing review. "One live encounter was enough to convince many sceptics that here was a band who were genuinely special, blessed with a singer whose voice thrummed like an emotional telegraph wire, that swerved the pitfalls of indie melancholia and were clearly in love with rock 'n' roll and all its possibilities." Their performance at the Glastonbury Festival
added to the band's reputation and led to a bidding war amongst UK record companies.
The band signed with EMI
, the label that a relative of one band member worked for, in 2000. In 2008, in a re-organisation, Starsailor were moved to Virgin Records
, a division of EMI.
, but the latter two were re-recorded.
March 2001 saw the band sell out their first UK Tour, which consisted of eleven dates in England. Their second single, "Good Souls", was released in April and featured a cover of Van Morrison
's "The Way Young Lovers Do
" as a B-Side. During this period, the band were recording their debut album in Rockfield Studios, Wales. By this time, the band were already previewing many of the album's tracks in their concerts, most notably "Poor Misguided Fool", "Lullaby" and "Way To Fall". An acoustic version of "Alcoholic" appeared on a promotional CD for NME
magazine earlier in 2001. The original release date for the album was August 2001.
Further live dates came supporting the Manic Street Preachers
in Glasgow
, as well as Doves on their North American tour. The band also marked their first festival appearances, playing at events such as V Festival
and Germany's Rock im Park. "Alcoholic" appeared as the third single to be taken off their debut album, and its number ten chart position remains the band's second highest placing to date. The single version was actually an extended version of the album track.
Their album Love Is Here
reached number 2 in the UK album charts in October 2001, after receiving great critical acclaim. Combining a mix of acoustic guitar and Walsh's beautiful vocals, critics said the songs leave the "hairs on the back of your neck standing."
The year ended with the band winning the "Brightest New Hope" award at the NME Awards
, and the release of their fourth single, "Lullaby", which reached number thirty-six. Some fans complained about the difficulty in attaining copies of the single.
The band played the London Astoria
on February 4 and 8, 2002. The first date was a concert in aid of Warchild
, and also included Travis
and Ryan Adams
on the bill. The 8th saw the debut of "Born Again", which would eventually be released as a single. The concert is notable since the band were joined on stage by two backing singers and a cellist. James Walsh told NME.COM after the show that he thought the gig was "amazing, something really special" while bassist James Stelfox said it was "one of the greatest ever." This flirtation with these additional voices and a cello only lasted a brief period of time.
The middle of 2002 saw a feud between Walsh and Noel Gallagher
of Oasis
. Gallagher had called the Starsailor singer a "cock" in an interview for NME magazine, something denied by the accused. However, when Walsh confronted Gallagher at the T In The Park festival in 2002, Gallagher claimed that if he said it, then it must be true. Noel's brother Liam got involved, allegedly squaring up to Walsh on the same day. In live shows following this, most notably at the 2002 V Festival, the Starsailor front man announced, "It is nice to be good, and good to be nice." Gallagher went on to declare that the incident was "the most fun Walsh has had in his life." The feud was resolved at Glastonbury
in 2004.
Peter Kay
joined the band on stage at their 2002 Christmas Concert held in Warrington
's Parr Hall.
A poster for "Love Is Here" can be seen on the bedroom wall of Katie in the 2002 film "The Ring
".
The song "Way To Fall", plays during the ending credits of the game Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
.
for their second album Silence is Easy
, which was recorded in Los Angeles
. The collaboration came about following Spector's daughter Nicole attending one of the band's American concerts in the Winter of 2002. Spector is said to have been fascinated by Lullaby
, the band's fourth single. After meeting the producer, the band agreed to work with him on their second album. However, the collaboration was short lived; sessions at London's Abbey Road proved difficult. Spector is said to have dismissed Ben Byrne's drumming, as well as proving difficult to work with. Only two tracks made the band's second album, "Silence Is Easy"—one was the title track, the other the soaring "White Dove". The band co-produced seven of the other tracks with Danton Supple and former The Stone Roses
and Radiohead
producer John Leckie
was brought in to see over the recording of "Shark Food". The first single was Silence Is Easy
, which made the Top Ten (#9, the band's highest placing). The album charted well, but sales were sluggish in comparison to the band's first album. The release dropped out of the Top 40 rather promptly.
A full UK Tour began in Autumn 2003 shortly after the release of the album, culminating at London's Brixton Academy. The show featured the only known performance (at least until their American tour on 2006) of "Restless Heart", the closing track on the Silence Is Easy
album. Mark Collins
, from The Charlatans joined Starsailor for all dates between August 2003 to December 2004, playing additional and lead guitar
The album spawned just three singles; the second of which, Born Again
had evolved from a B-Side to Poor Misguided Fool
, released in early 2002. The song was re-recorded for the album, and cut down for a radio edit. Four to the Floor, which was also remixed by Thin White Duke
, became a popular club hit. Walsh wanted the track to become the band's "I Am The Resurrection"; something to be played in "indie discos everywhere".
to produce it, the group relocated to Los Angeles to record. Five possible titles appeared; (Faith, Hope, Love/Here I Go/Ashes or In the Crossfire/I do not know/Counterfeit Life), but the band settled for "On The Outside", a statement of their position in the music industry. The sound was different from the previous two releases; it was far heavier than its predecessors. Starsailor had always received praise for their live sound, but the releases seemed "puny" in comparison, admitted Stelfox. The recording was all done to tape, and the band did not use Editing software such as ProTools to "perfect" the recording. Byrne later remarked that his drum-track on "White Light" took a long time to nail; highlighting the band's desire to make the record they were truly happy with.
Starsailor released their third album, On the Outside, in the UK on 17 October 2005 from which the first single from the album, "In the Crossfire
" was taken. Critics raved about the release, with many citing it as a return to form. Despite this, promotional appearances including a short live set and signing at London's HMV Oxford Street
did not aid sales- the album charted at number 13.
Since September 2005, Richard Warren
joined the band when playing live, aiding Walsh with additional guitar, vocals and also harmonica parts. Again, the band's UK tour ended at Brixton Academy. Following that, the band toured Europe, playing several dates in France, where "Four To The Floor" was a number one hit in 2004. Following the Paris concert on April 3, Walsh and Warren were the DJ's at the after-show party.
The album has spawned three singles; "This Time
" and "Keep Us Together
" followed "In The Crossfire". Despite promoting the single with appearances in London and Leeds, "Keep Us Together" was the first single not to reach the UK Top 40. The promotional video for "This Time" appears to be a cultural reference to the film Run Lola Run
, but may not be intentional.
Starsailor played numerous festivals in the Summer of 2006; most notably "Hyde Park Calling" on July 1, 2006, alongside Roger Waters
, and the V Festival
, which is held in Stafford and Chelmsford. They also supported the Rolling Stones on their "Bigger Bang" Tour in Munich
, Hamburg
in 2006 and again in Frankfurt
, Paris
and Lyon
in 2007.
The summer also saw the announcement that On the Outside would be released by Artists Addiction Records in the USA on the 22nd August, with American dates including New York on 09/11/06.
In the autumn of 2006, Starsailor toured North America, playing both headlining shows and supporting James Blunt
, in January 2007 they undertook their first trip to Russia, playing in the B2 Club of Moscow. According to the band's official website Barry Westhead
's partner Kelly gave birth to a baby boy on April 12, 2007. The baby was named Joseph. Bass player James Stelfox became a father again in 2008, when his partner gave birth to a girl, named Ella, in November while the rest of the band were doing their first trip to Korea.
Starsailor was named the replacement for Amy Winehouse
as the support act for The Rolling Stones on the German leg of their tour.
They were opening for the rock legends for the first time in Hamburg. Front man James Walsh told BBC 6 Music: "We heard on Sunday evening, our agent gave us a frantic call, and asked what we were doing this week, fortunately we had a week off!"
In late September - early October 2007, the band (in their original four-piece line up) played a mini-tour in support of the Fairtrade Charity. The shows consisted of an acoustic set by Walsh, then a full band electric set, which began with 'Poor Misguided Fool'. New songs 'Boy In Waiting','All The Plans We Made' and 'Tell Me It's Not Over' were played at these shows.
To end 2007 James Walsh played an acoustic set at XFM Manchester's Winter Wonderland at Manchester Apollo on Tuesday 11 December 2007, which featured a spectacular version of 'Four to the Floor', combined with extracts from Gorillaz track 'Dare'.
," as:
"The one [demo] which everyone is raving about is called "Lights Out" or "Tell Me It's Not Over" [we have not decided yet!]" and added, "It's got a massive drum beat, reminiscent of Doves and U2
. Another couple of these and we will have a truly great album." Based on what James Walsh has said, the new album will have "struck a great balance between their heavier side and their more emotional downbeat side. There are some stompers certainly but also the ballads are back!".
In an earlier post the band said that they had written 15 songs for the album, and demoed the songs "Let Go", "Do You Believe In Love?", "Will Not Stop Now" and "Change My Mind".
"Rebel Blues", "Miss You", "Here's To The Man" and "Let Go" were also mentioned at that point as possible tracks.
In an interview with Manchester Evening News
in September 2007 James Walsh admitted that he wants Starsailor to be bigger and more successful. He also added that the fourth album had "a lot of soul" and that they've "tried to write classic songs, work the sounds around them, instead of experimenting too much".
Starsailor started to play in various gigs during the months recording their fourth album. James Walsh also played at several events in 2007, like the SXSW festival in Texas in March 2007, and an acoustic show in London on the 12th of March. The show is notable for not having a set list; rarities such as the hardly played "Restless Heart" was played, due to a request from the front row. In addition to this he played the song "Tell Me It's Not Over", the track from the work-in-progress fourth album (early arrivals saw Walsh sound check half the song).
Walsh and Stelfox played an unplugged set on the 13 April 2007 in Switzerland with Mark Collins
of The Charlatans. They played 2 songs that will probably be on their fourth album.
Further support in Europe for The Rolling Stones
took place in mid-June; these were late additions, and fitted in with the band's festival schedule. The previous concert before the Stones' support was in Den Haag, Holland; the band debuted the first full-band version of "Tell Me It's Not Over".
Starsailor had embarked on a tour of the UK during October 2007 in support of Fairtrade. They have debuted a number of new songs during the tour as "Boy in Waiting" and "All the Plans". The lyrics for "Tell Me It's Not Over" had changed considerably since the first time they've sang it.
Their first travel to Latin America
was confirmed after a long time of speculation about it. Starsailor supported The Killers on November, 2007 on their dates in Argentina and Chile and opens the possibility of more dates that they could make by their own in other countries of the region. During their performance on October 30 in Buenos Aires they were received by about 200 fans. They sang "Tell Me It's Not Over" and also "Boy in Waiting".
In another interview, this time with the Chilean newspaper La Tercera, they announced they'll present the song "Tell Me It's Not Over" officially for the first time in public.
Starsailor was invited by The Parlotones
to Johannesburg
on October, 2008 playing with this gig on every continent.
In January 2008 it was confirmed that Starsailor would play on June at the Isle of Wight Festival
on the last day, with The Police
headlining on that date. They also played at Hard Rock Calling in Hyde Park the same month with The Police as headliners. They also confirmed that they would play at "Rockin" Park' in Holland on Saturday 28 June, on the third day of the 2008 Cactus Festival at Minnewaterpark, Brugge, Belgium on Saturday 12 July, and the Open Air Gampel Festival in Switzerland on Saturday 16 August.
In December 2007 a YouTube a video named "Santa Walsh is coming to town" was published which shows front man James Walsh playing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" on the studio set of their fourth album.
On February 25, 2008 Starsailor played an acoustic set at an intimate central London location, where they added three new tracks to the set list: "Walk These Wet Streets" (released on the album as 'Hurts Too Much'), "Keep The Blues Away" ('The Thames') and "Stars & Stripes".
On September 19, 2008 Starsailor performed in the second edition of the "Stars of Europe" concert at Brussels in support of UNICEF, where they covered U2's single "All I Want Is You"
Later it was confirmed that Steve Osborne was the producer of the album. Steve Osborne had also produced Starsailor's first studio album.
On March 20, 2008, front man James posted on the official Starsailor forum announcing the album had been completed.
The Sun
revealed on April 2008 that Ronnie Wood from The Rolling Stones
had agreed to work with the band on their new album after an approach from lead singer James Walsh.
On October 16, 2008 it was officially confirmed that the new album would be called All The Plans and was to be released in March, 2009.
On December 3, the Boy In Waiting
EP was released as a free digital download for those who pre-order the deluxe edition of All The Plans. It contained three tracks that didn't make the album.
The album debuted at Number 26 in the UK Album Charts on March 14, 2009, while Tell Me It's Not Over spent one week in the UK Singles Chart, reaching #73, and peaking at #5 in the Belgium Charts, becoming Starsailor's most successful single in that country.
On May 20, 2009, Starsailor was named Hard Rock's Philanthropic Artist of the Year in recognition of the work they'd done in support of the Caron Keating Foundation, the AECC of Barcelona and Nordoff – Robbins Music Therapy, as well as having contributed an exclusive cover of Graham Nash's Military Madness to the World Hunger Year Serve3 charity album.
began to work on a solo project at the end of 2009. On November 13, 2009 it was officially announced by Lancashire Evening Post that Starsailor was on hold and that James Walsh was concentrating on his solo career.
In an interview with VirtualFestivals.com he stated that at this moment he was working on his first solo album and that he was writing the lyrics with American songwriter and singer Suzanne Vega
.
Regular additional performers:
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-britpop
Post-Britpop
Post-Britpop is a sub-genre of British alternative rock, made up of bands that emerged from the late 1990s and early 2000s in the aftermath of Britpop, influenced by acts like Pulp, Oasis and Blur, but with less overtly British concerns in their lyrics and making more use of American rock...
band, formed in Leigh, Warrington and Greater Manchester. By 2009, they had four charting albums and ten Top 40 singles in the UK since 2001.
Early history
Although they claim to be a Wigan band, only one member is actually from the town. The band met whilst studying a music course atWigan and Leigh College
Wigan and Leigh College
Wigan and Leigh College is a state General Further and Higher Education College based at six locations in the towns of Wigan and Leigh in Greater Manchester, England, United Kingdom. Currently, there are over 1,000 staff members ) and more than 23,000 students...
(Railway Rd Campus). Prior to this, singer James Walsh
James Walsh (musician)
James Walsh is an English singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist and frontman of the band, Starsailor....
attended St Michael's CE High School in Chorley, Lancashire, whilst Byrne and Stelfox went to school in Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
. Only Westhead is from Wigan itself.
Bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
James Stelfox
James Stelfox
James Stelfox best known as Stel is a member of the British group, Starsailor, and one of the first members of the band. He plays bass guitar. Stel produced with John Kettle, Kingsway's debut EP....
and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Ben Byrne had been playing together in the north west of England
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
for a number of years. When their regular singer fell ill, they recruited young singer and songwriter James Walsh
James Walsh (musician)
James Walsh is an English singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist and frontman of the band, Starsailor....
from a school choir. He was influenced by Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
and his 1994 album Grace in his singing style. Comparing it to Oasis'
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
(What's the Story) Morning Glory?
(What's the Story) Morning Glory?
Morning Glory? is the second studio album by the English rock band Oasis. It was released on 2 October 1995 through Creation Records. The album was Oasis' most enduring commercial success, charting at number one in the UK and number four in the U.S...
album, which Walsh says sums up a unique moment, Grace captures every moment.
The band, then named Waterface, had tried a number of guitarists before they asked long time friend Barry Westhead to join the band in 2000 on keyboards
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...
. He had been teaching judo and playing organ for a church
Church service
In Christianity, a church service is a term used to describe a formalized period of communal worship, often but not exclusively occurring on Sunday, or Saturday in the case of those churches practicing seventh-day Sabbatarianism. The church service is the gathering together of Christians to be...
near his home town. His arrival has been heralded as the most significant event in the band's formation. Walsh also took up the 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...
, following frustration over not finding a musician right for the group. The band started to build up a reputation, and their name changed to Starsailor after the 1970 album Starsailor
Starsailor (album)
Starsailor is a 1970 album by Tim Buckley , released on Herb Cohen's Straight Records label. It marks the moment Buckley's folk rock origins became invisible as he fully incorporated jazz rock and avant-garde styles in to his music. Although it is often regarded as not being accessible to many...
by Tim Buckley
Tim Buckley
Timothy Charles Buckley III was an American vocalist, and musician. His music and style changed considerably through the years; his first album was mostly folk oriented, but over time his music incorporated jazz, psychedelia, funk, soul, avant-garde and an evolving "voice as instrument," sound...
.
A journalist from 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...
saw a gig in 2000 and gave the band a glowing review. "One live encounter was enough to convince many sceptics that here was a band who were genuinely special, blessed with a singer whose voice thrummed like an emotional telegraph wire, that swerved the pitfalls of indie melancholia and were clearly in love with rock 'n' roll and all its possibilities." Their performance at the Glastonbury Festival
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...
added to the band's reputation and led to a bidding war amongst UK record companies.
The band signed with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, the label that a relative of one band member worked for, in 2000. In 2008, in a re-organisation, Starsailor were moved to Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
, a division of EMI.
Love Is Here (2000–2002)
"Fever", the band's first single, was released in early 2001. The song, and its two B-Sides "Love Is Here" and "Coming Down" were cut from a demo recording session in mid-2000. All three tracks went on to feature on Starsailor's first album Love Is HereLove Is Here
Love Is Here is the first studio album by indie rock band Starsailor, released on 8 October 2001 . In 2002 'Love is Here' was certified as Platinum in the UK-Track listing:# "Tie Up My Hands" – 5:46# "Poor Misguided Fool" – 3:51...
, but the latter two were re-recorded.
March 2001 saw the band sell out their first UK Tour, which consisted of eleven dates in England. Their second single, "Good Souls", was released in April and featured a cover of Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
's "The Way Young Lovers Do
The Way Young Lovers Do
"The Way Young Lovers Do" is one of the songs included on Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison's second solo album Astral Weeks that was recorded in 1968 in New York City...
" as a B-Side. During this period, the band were recording their debut album in Rockfield Studios, Wales. By this time, the band were already previewing many of the album's tracks in their concerts, most notably "Poor Misguided Fool", "Lullaby" and "Way To Fall". An acoustic version of "Alcoholic" appeared on a promotional CD for 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...
magazine earlier in 2001. The original release date for the album was August 2001.
Further live dates came supporting the Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, as well as Doves on their North American tour. The band also marked their first festival appearances, playing at events such as 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...
and Germany's Rock im Park. "Alcoholic" appeared as the third single to be taken off their debut album, and its number ten chart position remains the band's second highest placing to date. The single version was actually an extended version of the album track.
Their album Love Is Here
Love Is Here
Love Is Here is the first studio album by indie rock band Starsailor, released on 8 October 2001 . In 2002 'Love is Here' was certified as Platinum in the UK-Track listing:# "Tie Up My Hands" – 5:46# "Poor Misguided Fool" – 3:51...
reached number 2 in the UK album charts in October 2001, after receiving great critical acclaim. Combining a mix of acoustic guitar and Walsh's beautiful vocals, critics said the songs leave the "hairs on the back of your neck standing."
The year ended with the band winning the "Brightest New Hope" award at the NME Awards
NME Awards
The NME Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine, NME .The first awards show was held in 1953 as the NME Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding of the magazine....
, and the release of their fourth single, "Lullaby", which reached number thirty-six. Some fans complained about the difficulty in attaining copies of the single.
The band played the London Astoria
London Astoria
The London Astoria was a music venue, located at 157 Charing Cross Road, in London, England. It had been leased and run by Festival Republic since 2000. It was closed on 15 January 2009 and has since been demolished...
on February 4 and 8, 2002. The first date was a concert in aid of Warchild
War Child (charity)
War Child is a non-governmental organisation founded in the UK 1993, which focuses on providing assistance to children in areas of conflict and post-conflict. They use their film and entertainment background to raise money for aid agencies operating in former Yugoslavia...
, and also included Travis
Travis (band)
Travis are a post-Britpop band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy , Dougie Payne , Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose...
and Ryan Adams
Ryan Adams
David Ryan Adams is an American alt-country/rock singer-songwriter, from Jacksonville, North Carolina. Initially part of the group Whiskeytown, Adams left the band and released his first solo album Heartbreaker in 2000...
on the bill. The 8th saw the debut of "Born Again", which would eventually be released as a single. The concert is notable since the band were joined on stage by two backing singers and a cellist. James Walsh told NME.COM after the show that he thought the gig was "amazing, something really special" while bassist James Stelfox said it was "one of the greatest ever." This flirtation with these additional voices and a cello only lasted a brief period of time.
The middle of 2002 saw a feud between Walsh and Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis. He is currently fronting his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.Raised in Burnage, Manchester with his...
of Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
. Gallagher had called the Starsailor singer a "cock" in an interview for NME magazine, something denied by the accused. However, when Walsh confronted Gallagher at the T In The Park festival in 2002, Gallagher claimed that if he said it, then it must be true. Noel's brother Liam got involved, allegedly squaring up to Walsh on the same day. In live shows following this, most notably at the 2002 V Festival, the Starsailor front man announced, "It is nice to be good, and good to be nice." Gallagher went on to declare that the incident was "the most fun Walsh has had in his life." The feud was resolved at 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 2004.
Peter Kay
Peter Kay
Peter John Kay is an English comedian, writer, actor, director and producer. His work includes That Peter Kay Thing , Phoenix Nights , Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere , Britain's Got the Pop Factor... and other independent productions which have included two sell out tours.-Early career:Peter Kay...
joined the band on stage at their 2002 Christmas Concert held in Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
's Parr Hall.
A poster for "Love Is Here" can be seen on the bedroom wall of Katie in the 2002 film "The Ring
The Ring
- Film :* The Ring , a film by Alfred Hitchcock* The Ring , a film by Kurt Neumann* The Ring , a film by Armand Mastroianni...
".
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
is an award-winning stealth action video game directed by Hideo Kojima. Snake Eater was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2, and was released on November 17, 2004 in North America; December 16, 2004 in Japan; March 4, 2005 in Europe; and on...
.
Silence Is Easy (2002–2005)
Starsailor teamed up with Phil SpectorPhil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
for their second album Silence is Easy
Silence Is Easy
Silence Is Easy is the second studio album by indie rock group Starsailor, released in September 2003. The album cover is loosely based on Echo & the Bunnymen's Heaven Up Here. The song Some of Us was featured in an episode of Bones entitled A Boy in a Bush and in the closing credits of the Belgian...
, which was recorded in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The collaboration came about following Spector's daughter Nicole attending one of the band's American concerts in the Winter of 2002. Spector is said to have been fascinated by Lullaby
Lullaby
A lullaby is a soothing song, usually sung to young children before they go to sleep, with the intention of speeding that process. As a result they are often simple and repetitive. Lullabies can be found in every culture and since the ancient period....
, the band's fourth single. After meeting the producer, the band agreed to work with him on their second album. However, the collaboration was short lived; sessions at London's Abbey Road proved difficult. Spector is said to have dismissed Ben Byrne's drumming, as well as proving difficult to work with. Only two tracks made the band's second album, "Silence Is Easy"—one was the title track, the other the soaring "White Dove". The band co-produced seven of the other tracks with Danton Supple and former The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses are an English alternative rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement that was active during the late 1980s and early 1990s...
and Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
producer John Leckie
John Leckie
John Leckie is a British music producer, notable for producing many high-profile albums such as The Stone Roses's debut and Radiohead's The Bends...
was brought in to see over the recording of "Shark Food". The first single was Silence Is Easy
Silence Is Easy
Silence Is Easy is the second studio album by indie rock group Starsailor, released in September 2003. The album cover is loosely based on Echo & the Bunnymen's Heaven Up Here. The song Some of Us was featured in an episode of Bones entitled A Boy in a Bush and in the closing credits of the Belgian...
, which made the Top Ten (#9, the band's highest placing). The album charted well, but sales were sluggish in comparison to the band's first album. The release dropped out of the Top 40 rather promptly.
A full UK Tour began in Autumn 2003 shortly after the release of the album, culminating at London's Brixton Academy. The show featured the only known performance (at least until their American tour on 2006) of "Restless Heart", the closing track on the Silence Is Easy
Silence Is Easy
Silence Is Easy is the second studio album by indie rock group Starsailor, released in September 2003. The album cover is loosely based on Echo & the Bunnymen's Heaven Up Here. The song Some of Us was featured in an episode of Bones entitled A Boy in a Bush and in the closing credits of the Belgian...
album. Mark Collins
Mark Collins (musician)
Mark Collins is an English guitarist best known as a member of the British indie/rock band The Charlatans.-Career:...
, from The Charlatans joined Starsailor for all dates between August 2003 to December 2004, playing additional and lead 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...
The album spawned just three singles; the second of which, Born Again
Born Again (Starsailor song)
"Born Again" is the second single from the album Silence Is Easy by British pop band Starsailor, released in 2003. It peaked at number 40 in the UK Charts.- Music video :...
had evolved from a B-Side to Poor Misguided Fool
Poor Misguided Fool
"Poor Misguided Fool" is the fifth and final single from the album Love Is Here by British pop band Starsailor.- Music video :In the music video, the band plays to a crowd in a small space. The audience is dancing while almost every single part of the video but some of them fly over the floor and...
, released in early 2002. The song was re-recorded for the album, and cut down for a radio edit. Four to the Floor, which was also remixed by Thin White Duke
Stuart Price
Stuart Price is a three time Grammy-winning British electronic musician, songwriter, and record producer whose remixing and production skills are in demand by artists including New Order, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Take That, Missy Elliott, Scissor Sisters, The Killers, Pet Shop Boys, Brandon...
, became a popular club hit. Walsh wanted the track to become the band's "I Am The Resurrection"; something to be played in "indie discos everywhere".
On The Outside (2005–2007)
EMI allowed the band plenty of time to record their follow-up album; having targeted producer Rob SchnapfRob Schnapf
Rob Schnapf is an American record producer and musician. He was the co-producer of Elliott Smith's albums Either/Or, XO , Figure 8 and From a Basement on the Hill, for which he was recruited by Smith's family to complete after Smith's death.Schnapf, along with Rothrock and partner...
to produce it, the group relocated to Los Angeles to record. Five possible titles appeared; (Faith, Hope, Love/Here I Go/Ashes or In the Crossfire/I do not know/Counterfeit Life), but the band settled for "On The Outside", a statement of their position in the music industry. The sound was different from the previous two releases; it was far heavier than its predecessors. Starsailor had always received praise for their live sound, but the releases seemed "puny" in comparison, admitted Stelfox. The recording was all done to tape, and the band did not use Editing software such as ProTools to "perfect" the recording. Byrne later remarked that his drum-track on "White Light" took a long time to nail; highlighting the band's desire to make the record they were truly happy with.
Starsailor released their third album, On the Outside, in the UK on 17 October 2005 from which the first single from the album, "In the Crossfire
In the Crossfire
"In the Crossfire" is a rock song written by britpop band Starsailor, which talks about the suffering of people who have lived the Iraq war. The song says "I hear them screaming on the radio, it's getting louder in the crossfire, trying to find some hope from the ashes of their broken homes".This...
" was taken. Critics raved about the release, with many citing it as a return to form. Despite this, promotional appearances including a short live set and signing at London's HMV Oxford Street
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, United Kingdom. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, as well as its most dense, and currently has approximately 300 shops. The street was formerly part of the London-Oxford road which began at Newgate,...
did not aid sales- the album charted at number 13.
Since September 2005, Richard Warren
Richard Warren (musician)
Richard Daniel Warren is a British musician, songwriter and producer.He signed his first record deal with Heavenly Records at the height of Britpop in 1996, as one third of The Hybirds....
joined the band when playing live, aiding Walsh with additional guitar, vocals and also harmonica parts. Again, the band's UK tour ended at Brixton Academy. Following that, the band toured Europe, playing several dates in France, where "Four To The Floor" was a number one hit in 2004. Following the Paris concert on April 3, Walsh and Warren were the DJ's at the after-show party.
The album has spawned three singles; "This Time
This Time (Starsailor song)
"This Time" is a rock ballad written by britpop band Starsailor, which brings back the captivating sound of the piano of their latest singles that propelled them to their earlier success. This release followed a sell-out UK tour which culminated in a victorious show at London’s Brixton Academy...
" and "Keep Us Together
Keep Us Together
"Keep Us Together" is the third and final single from the album On the Outside by British band Starsailor. It peaked at #47 in the UK charts, spending just one week in the top 75 UK singles chart. The song has been used frequently by BBC's main football television programme 'Match of the Day'-...
" followed "In The Crossfire". Despite promoting the single with appearances in London and Leeds, "Keep Us Together" was the first single not to reach the UK Top 40. The promotional video for "This Time" appears to be a cultural reference to the film Run Lola Run
Run Lola Run
Run Lola Run is a 1998 German crime thriller film written and directed by Tom Tykwer and starring Franka Potente as Lola and Moritz Bleibtreu as Manni. The story follows a woman who needs to obtain 100,000 German marks in 20 minutes to save her boyfriend's life...
, but may not be intentional.
Starsailor played numerous festivals in the Summer of 2006; most notably "Hyde Park Calling" on July 1, 2006, alongside Roger Waters
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
, and the 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...
, which is held in Stafford and Chelmsford. They also supported the Rolling Stones on their "Bigger Bang" Tour in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
in 2006 and again in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
in 2007.
The summer also saw the announcement that On the Outside would be released by Artists Addiction Records in the USA on the 22nd August, with American dates including New York on 09/11/06.
In the autumn of 2006, Starsailor toured North America, playing both headlining shows and supporting James Blunt
James Blunt
James Hillier Blount , better known by his stage name James Blunt, is an English singer-songwriter and musician, and former army officer, whose debut album, Back to Bedlam and single releases, including "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover", brought him to fame in 2005...
, in January 2007 they undertook their first trip to Russia, playing in the B2 Club of Moscow. According to the band's official website Barry Westhead
Barry Westhead
Barry Westhead is a musician and pianist of the British group Starsailor.-Biography:Westhead was working as pianist in a church before meeting the other members of Starsailor, James Stelfox, Ben Byrne and James Walsh in March 2000. He was the last member to join the band, then named Waterface...
's partner Kelly gave birth to a baby boy on April 12, 2007. The baby was named Joseph. Bass player James Stelfox became a father again in 2008, when his partner gave birth to a girl, named Ella, in November while the rest of the band were doing their first trip to Korea.
Starsailor was named the replacement for Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
as the support act for The Rolling Stones on the German leg of their tour.
They were opening for the rock legends for the first time in Hamburg. Front man James Walsh told BBC 6 Music: "We heard on Sunday evening, our agent gave us a frantic call, and asked what we were doing this week, fortunately we had a week off!"
In late September - early October 2007, the band (in their original four-piece line up) played a mini-tour in support of the Fairtrade Charity. The shows consisted of an acoustic set by Walsh, then a full band electric set, which began with 'Poor Misguided Fool'. New songs 'Boy In Waiting','All The Plans We Made' and 'Tell Me It's Not Over' were played at these shows.
To end 2007 James Walsh played an acoustic set at XFM Manchester's Winter Wonderland at Manchester Apollo on Tuesday 11 December 2007, which featured a spectacular version of 'Four to the Floor', combined with extracts from Gorillaz track 'Dare'.
All the Plans (2007–2009)
In 2007, Starsailor began recording demos for the follow-up to 2005's On The Outside. Their front man, James Walsh, referred to their first single,"Tell Me It's Not OverTell Me It's Not Over
"Tell Me It's Not Over" is the first single released from the 2009 album, All the Plans by the English alternative rock band, Starsailor. Its release date was announced on 18 October 2008 on their official website and later via youtube by the lead singer James Walsh and Ben Byrne in their...
," as:
"The one [demo] which everyone is raving about is called "Lights Out" or "Tell Me It's Not Over" [we have not decided yet!]" and added, "It's got a massive drum beat, reminiscent of Doves and U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
. Another couple of these and we will have a truly great album." Based on what James Walsh has said, the new album will have "struck a great balance between their heavier side and their more emotional downbeat side. There are some stompers certainly but also the ballads are back!".
In an earlier post the band said that they had written 15 songs for the album, and demoed the songs "Let Go", "Do You Believe In Love?", "Will Not Stop Now" and "Change My Mind".
"Rebel Blues", "Miss You", "Here's To The Man" and "Let Go" were also mentioned at that point as possible tracks.
In an interview with Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
The Manchester Evening News is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. It is published every day except Sunday and is owned by Trinity Mirror plc following its sale by Guardian Media Group in early 2010. It has an average daily circulation of 90,973 copies...
in September 2007 James Walsh admitted that he wants Starsailor to be bigger and more successful. He also added that the fourth album had "a lot of soul" and that they've "tried to write classic songs, work the sounds around them, instead of experimenting too much".
"Even if there isn't a particular theme to the new material "married life and international politics are some of the key ingredients among the 16 songs which have been recorded to date". James Walsh
Starsailor started to play in various gigs during the months recording their fourth album. James Walsh also played at several events in 2007, like the SXSW festival in Texas in March 2007, and an acoustic show in London on the 12th of March. The show is notable for not having a set list; rarities such as the hardly played "Restless Heart" was played, due to a request from the front row. In addition to this he played the song "Tell Me It's Not Over", the track from the work-in-progress fourth album (early arrivals saw Walsh sound check half the song).
Walsh and Stelfox played an unplugged set on the 13 April 2007 in Switzerland with Mark Collins
Mark Collins (musician)
Mark Collins is an English guitarist best known as a member of the British indie/rock band The Charlatans.-Career:...
of The Charlatans. They played 2 songs that will probably be on their fourth album.
Further support in Europe for The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
took place in mid-June; these were late additions, and fitted in with the band's festival schedule. The previous concert before the Stones' support was in Den Haag, Holland; the band debuted the first full-band version of "Tell Me It's Not Over".
Starsailor had embarked on a tour of the UK during October 2007 in support of Fairtrade. They have debuted a number of new songs during the tour as "Boy in Waiting" and "All the Plans". The lyrics for "Tell Me It's Not Over" had changed considerably since the first time they've sang it.
Their first travel to Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
was confirmed after a long time of speculation about it. Starsailor supported The Killers on November, 2007 on their dates in Argentina and Chile and opens the possibility of more dates that they could make by their own in other countries of the region. During their performance on October 30 in Buenos Aires they were received by about 200 fans. They sang "Tell Me It's Not Over" and also "Boy in Waiting".
In another interview, this time with the Chilean newspaper La Tercera, they announced they'll present the song "Tell Me It's Not Over" officially for the first time in public.
Starsailor was invited by The Parlotones
The Parlotones
The Parlotones is a rock band based in Johannesburg, South Africa. They have achieved multiplatinum-selling status in their home country. They experiment with their sound and various structures in their songs, incorporating the typical doo-wop or traditional folk structures. The Parlotones are...
to Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
on October, 2008 playing with this gig on every continent.
In January 2008 it was confirmed that Starsailor would play on June at the Isle of Wight Festival
Isle of Wight Festival
The Isle of Wight Festival is a music festival which takes place every year on the Isle of Wight in England. It was originally held from 1968 to 1970. These original events were promoted and organised by the Foulk brothers under the banner of their company Fiery Creations Limited...
on the last day, with The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
headlining on that date. They also played at Hard Rock Calling in Hyde Park the same month with The Police as headliners. They also confirmed that they would play at "Rockin" Park' in Holland on Saturday 28 June, on the third day of the 2008 Cactus Festival at Minnewaterpark, Brugge, Belgium on Saturday 12 July, and the Open Air Gampel Festival in Switzerland on Saturday 16 August.
In December 2007 a YouTube a video named "Santa Walsh is coming to town" was published which shows front man James Walsh playing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" on the studio set of their fourth album.
On February 25, 2008 Starsailor played an acoustic set at an intimate central London location, where they added three new tracks to the set list: "Walk These Wet Streets" (released on the album as 'Hurts Too Much'), "Keep The Blues Away" ('The Thames') and "Stars & Stripes".
On September 19, 2008 Starsailor performed in the second edition of the "Stars of Europe" concert at Brussels in support of UNICEF, where they covered U2's single "All I Want Is You"
Later it was confirmed that Steve Osborne was the producer of the album. Steve Osborne had also produced Starsailor's first studio album.
On March 20, 2008, front man James posted on the official Starsailor forum announcing the album had been completed.
The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
revealed on April 2008 that Ronnie Wood from The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
had agreed to work with the band on their new album after an approach from lead singer James Walsh.
On October 16, 2008 it was officially confirmed that the new album would be called All The Plans and was to be released in March, 2009.
On December 3, the Boy In Waiting
Boy In Waiting
Boy In Waiting is an EP by English alternative rock band Starsailor, released on 3 December 2008 as a Free Digital Download worldwide for those who pre-ordered the Deluxe edition of their album All the Plans through Starsailor.net....
EP was released as a free digital download for those who pre-order the deluxe edition of All The Plans. It contained three tracks that didn't make the album.
The album debuted at Number 26 in the UK Album Charts on March 14, 2009, while Tell Me It's Not Over spent one week in the UK Singles Chart, reaching #73, and peaking at #5 in the Belgium Charts, becoming Starsailor's most successful single in that country.
On May 20, 2009, Starsailor was named Hard Rock's Philanthropic Artist of the Year in recognition of the work they'd done in support of the Caron Keating Foundation, the AECC of Barcelona and Nordoff – Robbins Music Therapy, as well as having contributed an exclusive cover of Graham Nash's Military Madness to the World Hunger Year Serve3 charity album.
Hiatus (2009–present)
Lead singer, James WalshJames Walsh (musician)
James Walsh is an English singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist and frontman of the band, Starsailor....
began to work on a solo project at the end of 2009. On November 13, 2009 it was officially announced by Lancashire Evening Post that Starsailor was on hold and that James Walsh was concentrating on his solo career.
In an interview with VirtualFestivals.com he stated that at this moment he was working on his first solo album and that he was writing the lyrics with American songwriter and singer Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Nadine Vega is an American songwriter and singer known for her eclectic folk-inspired music.Two of Vega's songs reached the top 10 of various international chart listings: "Luka" and "Tom's Diner"...
.
Band members
- Ben Byrne - born on 8 March 1977, in WarringtonWarringtonWarrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
, CheshireCheshireCheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
- (drumsDrum kitA 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 ....
) - James 'Stel' Stelfox - born on 23 March 1976, born in WarringtonWarringtonWarrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
, CheshireCheshireCheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
- (BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) - James Walsh - born on 10 June 1980, in ChorleyChorleyChorley is a market town in Lancashire, in North West England. It is the largest settlement in the Borough of Chorley. The town's wealth came principally from the cotton industry...
, LancashireLancashireLancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
- (GuitarGuitarThe 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...
/ vocalsSingingSinging 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...
) - Barry Westhead - born on 13 May 1977, born in WiganWiganWigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
, Greater ManchesterGreater ManchesterGreater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
- (KeyboardsKeyboard instrumentA 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...
)
Regular additional performers:
- Mark Collins - (Additional Guitar and Vocals, 2003–2004, 2006)
- Richard "Echoboy" WarrenRichard Warren (musician)Richard Daniel Warren is a British musician, songwriter and producer.He signed his first record deal with Heavenly Records at the height of Britpop in 1996, as one third of The Hybirds....
- (Additional Guitar,Vocals and HarmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, 2005–2006) - Pete Greenwood - (Additional Guitar, 2008 - )
Discography
- Love Is HereLove Is HereLove Is Here is the first studio album by indie rock band Starsailor, released on 8 October 2001 . In 2002 'Love is Here' was certified as Platinum in the UK-Track listing:# "Tie Up My Hands" – 5:46# "Poor Misguided Fool" – 3:51...
(2001) - Silence Is EasySilence Is EasySilence Is Easy is the second studio album by indie rock group Starsailor, released in September 2003. The album cover is loosely based on Echo & the Bunnymen's Heaven Up Here. The song Some of Us was featured in an episode of Bones entitled A Boy in a Bush and in the closing credits of the Belgian...
(2003) - On the Outside (2005)
- All the Plans (2009)