The Coral
Encyclopedia
The Coral are an English band formed in 1996 in Hoylake
on the Wirral Peninsula
in England
. The band first emerged during the early 2000s and found success with their debut album The Coral
(2002) and follow up Magic and Medicine
(2003). The band continued to record and tour throughout the decade releasing the albums The Invisible Invasion
(2005) and Roots & Echoes
(2007).
In 2008, guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones
left the band however The Coral continued as a five-piece. Their sixth album Butterfly House
was released in 2010.
in West Kirby
on the Wirral Peninsula
, the six friends would meet at each others' houses and the school music room where they would watch films, listen to music and play guitars. After leaving school they went on to jobs and university before quitting both to take up the band full time.
In 1996, Ian Skelly and Paul Duffy began jamming together using the name Hive. Ian's older brother James Skelly, Bill Ryder-Jones and Lee Southall joined soon after. The band briefly changed names to Oracle
before settling on The Coral and the line-up was completed with the addition of Nick Power who joined in 1998.http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2002/aug/25/featuresreview.review
According to Deltasonic
head Alan Wills he first encountered the band in a rehearsal room where they were playing pool. He thought they "looked cool" and decided to go and see them live. At that point the band hadn't released any records or have a fanbase. When Wills discovered the band he had already started to think about starting a label but yet to realise it, and The Coral gave Wills the impetus to start Deltasonic. Wills told HitQuarters
that: "It was always the aim to release them through Deltasonic, and it was always their aim to be on Deltasonic ... Most people wouldn’t have understood the Coral at that point." Wills also assumed responsibility for managing the band, albeit reluctantly as he was unable to find anyone else to take on the role.
The band started as prominent members of the Liverpool
music scene, playing many gigs around the city. The Coral's distinctive musical style has strongly influenced many other of the Liverpool
-based label's acts, including The Zutons
, The Dead 60s
and The Rascals
.
of the "guitar group revival" the band released the critically acclaimed EPs Shadows Fall
, The Oldest Path, and Skeleton Key in 2001. Their eponymous debut album The Coral
, released in 2002, reached number five on the UK Albums Chart
and was nominated for the Mercury Prize
the day after its release. A successful UK tour and festival slots followed along with the singles "Goodbye" reaching number twenty-one in the UK Singles Chart
and "Dreaming of You" reaching number thirteen. The single "Dreaming of You" was included in the United States sitcom "Scrubs
" episode My Monster. The Coral also performed "Dreaming of You" live on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
. In October 2010, on the eighth season of Strictly Come Dancing
, Matt Baker and his professional partner Aliona danced a Quickstep to "Dreaming of You" as well.
in 2003 reaching number one on the UK Albums Chart
, once more followed with UK, European, American and Japanese tours and a one-off festival Midsummer Nights Scream held on the New Brighton
promenade and held an impressive line up of the then hottest up-and-coming bands. Singles from the album, "Don't Think You're the First
", "Pass It On
", "Secret Kiss
" and "Bill McCai
" reached number ten, number five, number twenty-five and number twenty-three on the UK Singles Chart
respectively. The single "Pass It On
" was also included in the United States sitcom "Scrubs
", in the episode My Turf War. Released in 2004. In certain editions it came as a bonus disc to Magic and Medicine. It's much darker than Magic & Medicine, providing a psychedelic trip of sound and crazy outlandish melodies and guitar riffs.
In 2004 they began recording The Invisible Invasion
but not before releasing Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker
a limited-edition "mini album" getting to number five on the UK Albums Chart
which was produced by Lightning Seeds singer/songwriter Ian Broudie
(as were the first two albums), whilst Portishead's Adrian Utley
and Geoff Barrow
were in charge of The Invisible Invasion
. This album also had a second CD containing live recorded versions of songs from this and previous albums.
In 2005, The Coral did UK, European, American and Japanese tours also releasing "In The Morning
" which reached number six and "Something Inside of Me
" reaching number forty-one on the UK Singles Chart
.
during their 2007 summer festival gigs. The band released the single "Who's Gonna Find Me
" on 30 July 2007 followed by the album Roots & Echoes
on 6 August 2007.
The Coral kicked off 'the BBC Electric Proms
' on 24 October 2007 with "Who's Gonna Find Me
". They were joined on stage by friend Noel Gallagher
, who played lead guitar on their track In the Rain
.
The Coral enlisted the help of Matt Potter for percussion and Jazz flute on the album.
The Coral released a 3LP & 2CD compilation album The Singles Collection
on 15 September 2008. It features singles, rarities and new songs. A new single, "Being Somebody Else" was released on 8 September 2008. This album also contained a second CD entitled Magic & Mysteries which contained 19 previously unreleased songs/demos/live recordings of earlier songs (mostly it's made up of new material though).
on 12 July 2010. The album is produced by John Leckie
, of The Stone Roses
and Radiohead
fame, and was recorded at RAK studios in London as well as Rockfield in South Wales. The album includes singles "1000 years", "More Than A Lover","Walking in the Winter" and "Two Faces". The album was recorded through a two-year span where the band road-tested the material. This is The Coral's first album without guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones, who departed in 2008. The deluxe version of this album comes with a bonus CD of 5 additional songs.
and folk-rock with old-fashioned country
and modern indie rock
influences. The Coral have released 7 albums, most recently "Butterfly House
" in 2010. Their self-titled debut album was nominated for the 2002 Mercury Music Prize and later voted the fourth best album of the year by NME
Magazine.
Former members
As support act
Hoylake
Hoylake is a seaside town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, on Merseyside, England. It is located at the north western corner of the Wirral Peninsula, near to the town of West Kirby and where the River Dee estuary meets the Irish Sea...
on the Wirral Peninsula
Wirral Peninsula
Wirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded by three bodies of water: to the west by the River Dee, forming a boundary with Wales, to the east by the River Mersey and to the north by the Irish Sea. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the...
in 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...
. The band first emerged during the early 2000s and found success with their debut album The Coral
The Coral (album)
-Personnel:The Coral* James Skelly – vocals, guitar, co-producer* Lee Southall – guitar, co-producer* Bill Ryder-Jones – guitar, trumpet, co-producer* Paul Duffy – bass guitar, saxophone, co-producer* Nick Power – keyboards, co-producer...
(2002) and follow up Magic and Medicine
Magic and Medicine
-Personnel:The Coral* James Skelly – vocals, guitar, co-producer* Lee Southall – guitar, backing vocals, co-producer* Bill Ryder-Jones – guitar, co-producer* Paul Duffy – bass guitar, backing vocals, co-producer...
(2003). The band continued to record and tour throughout the decade releasing the albums The Invisible Invasion
The Invisible Invasion
The Invisible Invasion is the third full-length album by The Coral. It was released on May 23, 2005 in the United Kingdom and entered at #3 in the album charts . The production is by Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley of Portishead, and most critics have described this album as a more stripped-down...
(2005) and Roots & Echoes
Roots & Echoes
Roots & Echoes is the fourth full-length studio album by English indie rock band The Coral. It was released on August 6, 2007, and debuted in the UK Albums Chart at #8, the lowest entry in that chart for the band . It subsequently dropped out of the top 20 in its second week and had fallen out of...
(2007).
In 2008, guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones
Bill Ryder-Jones
Bill Ryder-Jones is an English musician and film score composer from West Kirby, Merseyside. He was originally the lead guitarist with The Coral from 1996 until 2008 before leaving the band to pursue a solo career...
left the band however The Coral continued as a five-piece. Their sixth album Butterfly House
Butterfly House (album)
Butterfly House is the fifth full-length studio album by English indie rock band The Coral. The album was produced by John Leckie, of The Stone Roses, The Verve, Muse, XTC, Radiohead, and many more and was recorded at RAK studios in London as well as Rockfield in South Wales. It was released on...
was released in 2010.
1996–2000: Formation and early years
Meeting at Hilbre High SchoolHilbre High School
Hilbre High School is a co-educational state secondary school located in West Kirby, on the Wirral Peninsula, England. The school holds Humanities College status and is administered by the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral....
in West Kirby
West Kirby
West Kirby is a town on the north-west corner of the coast of the Wirral Peninsula, England, at the mouth of the River Dee across from the Point of Ayr in North Wales. To the north-east of the town lies Hoylake, with the suburbs of Grange and Newton to the east, and the village of Caldy to the...
on the Wirral Peninsula
Wirral Peninsula
Wirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded by three bodies of water: to the west by the River Dee, forming a boundary with Wales, to the east by the River Mersey and to the north by the Irish Sea. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the...
, the six friends would meet at each others' houses and the school music room where they would watch films, listen to music and play guitars. After leaving school they went on to jobs and university before quitting both to take up the band full time.
In 1996, Ian Skelly and Paul Duffy began jamming together using the name Hive. Ian's older brother James Skelly, Bill Ryder-Jones and Lee Southall joined soon after. The band briefly changed names to Oracle
before settling on The Coral and the line-up was completed with the addition of Nick Power who joined in 1998.http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2002/aug/25/featuresreview.review
According to Deltasonic
Deltasonic
Deltasonic is an English record label based in Liverpool, England. Previously joint ventured with Sony Music, it is now totally independent. It was formed by Alan Wills, the former drummer with Liverpool bands Shack and Top.-History:...
head Alan Wills he first encountered the band in a rehearsal room where they were playing pool. He thought they "looked cool" and decided to go and see them live. At that point the band hadn't released any records or have a fanbase. When Wills discovered the band he had already started to think about starting a label but yet to realise it, and The Coral gave Wills the impetus to start Deltasonic. Wills told HitQuarters
HitQuarters
HitQuarters is an international music industry publication and contact database founded in 1999. It is noted for in-depth interviews with industry figures, with past subjects including Simon Cowell, Martin Kierszenbaum, Jason Flom, Diane Warren, Peter Edge, Ron Fair and RedOne, as well as its A&R...
that: "It was always the aim to release them through Deltasonic, and it was always their aim to be on Deltasonic ... Most people wouldn’t have understood the Coral at that point." Wills also assumed responsibility for managing the band, albeit reluctantly as he was unable to find anyone else to take on the role.
The band started as prominent members of the Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
music scene, playing many gigs around the city. The Coral's distinctive musical style has strongly influenced many other of the Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
-based label's acts, including The Zutons
The Zutons
The Zutons are an English indie rock band from Liverpool. They were formed in 2001 but did not release their first album, Who Killed...... The Zutons?, until May 2004. They achieved their biggest hits with "Why Won't You Give Me Your Love?" and "Valerie", both taken from their second studio album...
, The Dead 60s
The Dead 60s
The Dead 60s were an English ska punk band from Liverpool. The band's sound is a mixture of punk rock, ska, dub and reggae. They have taken influences from artists such as King Tubby, Jackie Mittoo, Gang of Four and A Certain Ratio.-Band members:...
and The Rascals
The Rascals (English band)
The Rascals were an indie rock band from the Hoylake, England. Consisting of Joe Edwards and Greg Mighall .Both members were previous members of now-defunct indie band The Little Flames....
.
2001–2002: Breakthrough and debut album
Hailed as the first English bandEngland
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...
of the "guitar group revival" the band released the critically acclaimed EPs Shadows Fall
Shadows Fall (EP)
"Shadows Fall" is the first single by The Coral released in 2001. The songs were mixed by Mike Hunter. It was limited to 1000 copies and charted at No. 180 in the charts. "Shadows Fall" and "The Ballad of Simon Diamond" are different recordings than those featured on the The Coral...
, The Oldest Path, and Skeleton Key in 2001. Their eponymous debut album The Coral
The Coral (album)
-Personnel:The Coral* James Skelly – vocals, guitar, co-producer* Lee Southall – guitar, co-producer* Bill Ryder-Jones – guitar, trumpet, co-producer* Paul Duffy – bass guitar, saxophone, co-producer* Nick Power – keyboards, co-producer...
, released in 2002, reached number five on the 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 was nominated for the Mercury Prize
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
the day after its release. A successful UK tour and festival slots followed along with the singles "Goodbye" reaching number twenty-one 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 ...
and "Dreaming of You" reaching number thirteen. The single "Dreaming of You" was included in the United States sitcom "Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
" episode My Monster. The Coral also performed "Dreaming of You" live on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
. In October 2010, on the eighth season of Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
, Matt Baker and his professional partner Aliona danced a Quickstep to "Dreaming of You" as well.
2003–2005: Continued success and touring
After a hectic year they took it easy with recording yet again another critically acclaimed album Magic and MedicineMagic and Medicine
-Personnel:The Coral* James Skelly – vocals, guitar, co-producer* Lee Southall – guitar, backing vocals, co-producer* Bill Ryder-Jones – guitar, co-producer* Paul Duffy – bass guitar, backing vocals, co-producer...
in 2003 reaching number one on the 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...
, once more followed with UK, European, American and Japanese tours and a one-off festival Midsummer Nights Scream held on the New Brighton
New Brighton, Merseyside
New Brighton is a seaside resort forming part of the town of Wallasey, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England. It is located at the northeastern tip of the Wirral Peninsula, within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, and has sandy beaches...
promenade and held an impressive line up of the then hottest up-and-coming bands. Singles from the album, "Don't Think You're the First
Don't Think You're the First
"Don't Think You're the First" was the first single taken from The Coral's hit 2003 album, Magic and Medicine. It was recorded and mixed at Elevator Studios, Liverpool. Produced by Ian Broudie & The Coral, engineered by Jon Gray and master engineered by Gary Butler.It was a top ten hit in the UK,...
", "Pass It On
Pass It On
"Pass It On" is a song by The Coral, which was taken as the second single taken from their 2003 album, Magic and Medicine. "Pass It On" is The Coral's highest charting single to date, reaching number five in the UK Singles Chart...
", "Secret Kiss
Secret Kiss
Secret Kiss was the third single taken from The Coral's hit 2003 album, Magic and Medicine. The songs were produced by Ian Broudie & The Coral and engineered by Jon Gray. It reached number 25 on the UK Singles Chart.-CD1:#"Secret Kiss" - 2:56...
" and "Bill McCai
Bill McCai
"Bill McCai" is a song by The Coral, released as the fourth and final single from their hit 2003 album, Magic and Medicine. The songs were produced by Ian Broudie & The Coral and engineered by Jon Gray. The song is used in the videopart of John Rattray, from the skateboarding movie New Blood,...
" reached number ten, number five, number twenty-five and number twenty-three 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 ...
respectively. The single "Pass It On
Pass It On
"Pass It On" is a song by The Coral, which was taken as the second single taken from their 2003 album, Magic and Medicine. "Pass It On" is The Coral's highest charting single to date, reaching number five in the UK Singles Chart...
" was also included in the United States sitcom "Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
", in the episode My Turf War. Released in 2004. In certain editions it came as a bonus disc to Magic and Medicine. It's much darker than Magic & Medicine, providing a psychedelic trip of sound and crazy outlandish melodies and guitar riffs.
In 2004 they began recording The Invisible Invasion
The Invisible Invasion
The Invisible Invasion is the third full-length album by The Coral. It was released on May 23, 2005 in the United Kingdom and entered at #3 in the album charts . The production is by Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley of Portishead, and most critics have described this album as a more stripped-down...
but not before releasing Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker
Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker
Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker is a "mini-album" by The Coral. It was recorded over a week and a half in North Wales, at Bryn Derwen Studios, once again produced by Ian Broudie. It is not considered a third album as such, more of a stop-gap between Magic and Medicine and the follow-up, The...
a limited-edition "mini album" getting to number five on the 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...
which was produced by Lightning Seeds singer/songwriter Ian Broudie
Ian Broudie
Ian Broudie is a British singer-songwriter, musician and record producer from Liverpool, England. After emerging from the post punk scene in Liverpool in the late 1970s as a member of Big in Japan, Broudie went on to form the short-lived groups Original Mirrors and Care in the early 1980s as well...
(as were the first two albums), whilst Portishead's Adrian Utley
Adrian Utley
Adrian Francis Utley is an English musician and a member of the band Portishead.-Biography:Utley is self-taught on guitar, bass and keyboards, and played professionally from the age of 18 in working men's clubs, night clubs, holiday camps, and in cabaret, backing soul artists...
and Geoff Barrow
Geoff Barrow
Geoffrey Paul Barrow is the producer, disc jockey, and instrumentalist for Portishead.Portishead—formed in 1991—was named after the small town near Bristol where Barrow grew up...
were in charge of The Invisible Invasion
The Invisible Invasion
The Invisible Invasion is the third full-length album by The Coral. It was released on May 23, 2005 in the United Kingdom and entered at #3 in the album charts . The production is by Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley of Portishead, and most critics have described this album as a more stripped-down...
. This album also had a second CD containing live recorded versions of songs from this and previous albums.
In 2005, The Coral did UK, European, American and Japanese tours also releasing "In The Morning
In the Morning (The Coral song)
"In the Morning" was the first single taken from The Coral's hit 2005 record, The Invisible Invasion. The single reached number six on the UK Singles Chart...
" which reached number six and "Something Inside of Me
Something Inside of Me
"Something Inside of Me" was the second single taken from The Coral's hit 2005 record, The Invisible Invasion. It missed being a top 40 hit by peaking at #41 on the UK Singles Chart....
" reaching number forty-one 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 ...
.
2006–2008: Roots & Echoes and Bill Ryder-Jones departure
The Coral toured with Arctic MonkeysArctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
during their 2007 summer festival gigs. The band released the single "Who's Gonna Find Me
Who's Gonna Find Me
"Who's Gonna Find Me" is the first single from the fourth full-length album by British band The Coral, Roots & Echoes, and was released on July 30, 2007. The single peaked at number 25 on the UK Singles Chart....
" on 30 July 2007 followed by the album Roots & Echoes
Roots & Echoes
Roots & Echoes is the fourth full-length studio album by English indie rock band The Coral. It was released on August 6, 2007, and debuted in the UK Albums Chart at #8, the lowest entry in that chart for the band . It subsequently dropped out of the top 20 in its second week and had fallen out of...
on 6 August 2007.
The Coral kicked off 'the BBC Electric Proms
BBC Electric Proms
The BBC Radio 2 Electric Proms was an October music festival in London run by the BBC for five years, 2006-2010...
' on 24 October 2007 with "Who's Gonna Find Me
Who's Gonna Find Me
"Who's Gonna Find Me" is the first single from the fourth full-length album by British band The Coral, Roots & Echoes, and was released on July 30, 2007. The single peaked at number 25 on the UK Singles Chart....
". They were joined on stage by friend 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...
, who played lead guitar on their track In the Rain
In the Rain
In the Rain is an Apocalyptic folk album released by Tony Wakeford's English industrial and Pagan neoclassical group Sol Invictus, in 1995....
.
The Coral enlisted the help of Matt Potter for percussion and Jazz flute on the album.
The Coral released a 3LP & 2CD compilation album The Singles Collection
The Singles Collection (The Coral album)
-Personnel:The Coral* James Skelly – vocals, guitar, producer, arrangements* Lee Southall – guitar, producer, arrangements* Bill Ryder-Jones – guitar, trumpet, producer, arrangements, string arrangements...
on 15 September 2008. It features singles, rarities and new songs. A new single, "Being Somebody Else" was released on 8 September 2008. This album also contained a second CD entitled Magic & Mysteries which contained 19 previously unreleased songs/demos/live recordings of earlier songs (mostly it's made up of new material though).
2009–present: Five-piece lineup and Butterfly House
The Coral released their fifth album Butterfly HouseButterfly House (album)
Butterfly House is the fifth full-length studio album by English indie rock band The Coral. The album was produced by John Leckie, of The Stone Roses, The Verve, Muse, XTC, Radiohead, and many more and was recorded at RAK studios in London as well as Rockfield in South Wales. It was released on...
on 12 July 2010. The album is produced by 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...
, of 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...
fame, and was recorded at RAK studios in London as well as Rockfield in South Wales. The album includes singles "1000 years", "More Than A Lover","Walking in the Winter" and "Two Faces". The album was recorded through a two-year span where the band road-tested the material. This is The Coral's first album without guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones, who departed in 2008. The deluxe version of this album comes with a bonus CD of 5 additional songs.
Musical style and influence
The band's music is a mixture of 1960s-style psychedeliaPsychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
and folk-rock with old-fashioned country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and modern indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
influences. The Coral have released 7 albums, most recently "Butterfly House
Butterfly House (album)
Butterfly House is the fifth full-length studio album by English indie rock band The Coral. The album was produced by John Leckie, of The Stone Roses, The Verve, Muse, XTC, Radiohead, and many more and was recorded at RAK studios in London as well as Rockfield in South Wales. It was released on...
" in 2010. Their self-titled debut album was nominated for the 2002 Mercury Music Prize and later voted the fourth best album of the year by 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.
Members
- James Skelly – vocals, guitar, percussion (1996–present)
- Lee Southall – guitar (1996–present)
- Paul Duffy – bass guitar, saxophone (1996–present)
- Nick Power – keyboards, organ, piano (1998–present)
- Ian Skelly – drums (1996–present)
Former members
- Bill Ryder-JonesBill Ryder-JonesBill Ryder-Jones is an English musician and film score composer from West Kirby, Merseyside. He was originally the lead guitarist with The Coral from 1996 until 2008 before leaving the band to pursue a solo career...
– guitar, trumpet (1996–2008)
Discography
- The CoralThe Coral (album)-Personnel:The Coral* James Skelly – vocals, guitar, co-producer* Lee Southall – guitar, co-producer* Bill Ryder-Jones – guitar, trumpet, co-producer* Paul Duffy – bass guitar, saxophone, co-producer* Nick Power – keyboards, co-producer...
(2002) - Magic and MedicineMagic and Medicine-Personnel:The Coral* James Skelly – vocals, guitar, co-producer* Lee Southall – guitar, backing vocals, co-producer* Bill Ryder-Jones – guitar, co-producer* Paul Duffy – bass guitar, backing vocals, co-producer...
(2003) - Nightfreak and the Sons of BeckerNightfreak and the Sons of BeckerNightfreak and the Sons of Becker is a "mini-album" by The Coral. It was recorded over a week and a half in North Wales, at Bryn Derwen Studios, once again produced by Ian Broudie. It is not considered a third album as such, more of a stop-gap between Magic and Medicine and the follow-up, The...
(2004) - The Invisible InvasionThe Invisible InvasionThe Invisible Invasion is the third full-length album by The Coral. It was released on May 23, 2005 in the United Kingdom and entered at #3 in the album charts . The production is by Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley of Portishead, and most critics have described this album as a more stripped-down...
(2005) - Roots & EchoesRoots & EchoesRoots & Echoes is the fourth full-length studio album by English indie rock band The Coral. It was released on August 6, 2007, and debuted in the UK Albums Chart at #8, the lowest entry in that chart for the band . It subsequently dropped out of the top 20 in its second week and had fallen out of...
(2007) - Butterfly HouseButterfly House (album)Butterfly House is the fifth full-length studio album by English indie rock band The Coral. The album was produced by John Leckie, of The Stone Roses, The Verve, Muse, XTC, Radiohead, and many more and was recorded at RAK studios in London as well as Rockfield in South Wales. It was released on...
(2010)
Tours
- Debut UK Tour (November 2001)
- NME Carling Awards Tour (January–February 2002)
- The Coral Tour (2002)
- Magic and Medicine Tour (2003–2004)
- The Invisible Invasion Tour (2005)
- Roots & Echoes Tour (2007)
- The Singles Collection Tour (2008)
- Butterfly House Tour (2010–2011)
As support act
- SupergrassSupergrassSupergrass was an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band consisted of brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes , Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey ....
: Life on Other Planets Tour (March 2003) - BlurBlur (band)Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
: Think Tank Tour (October 2003) - OasisOasis (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...
: Don't Believe the Truth TourDon't Believe the Truth tourThe Don't Believe the Truth World Tour was a concert tour by English rock band Oasis, which took place in 2005 and 2006, in Europe, the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, some parts of Asia, South America and Mexico. The tour was in promotion of their album Don't Believe the Truth and they had booked...
(2005) - Arctic MonkeysArctic MonkeysArctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
: Favourite Worst Nightmare Tour (July 2007)
Filmography
- The Coral Mini Movie (2002)
- The Curry Files (2003)
- The Coral Film (2008)