The Hazey Janes
Encyclopedia
The Hazey Janes are an indie pop
band from Dundee
, Scotland
.
The band consists of Andrew Mitchell (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Liam Brennan (drums, vocals, percussion) and siblings Alice Marra (vocals, guitar, keyboard, synthesizer) and Matthew Marra (bass guitar, keyboard, glockenspiel).
Formed around 2000 by guitarist Andrew Mitchell and bass player Matthew Marra, the band's music has been described as a fusion of country-rock and indie-pop, with a penchant for heavy folk harmonies, reminiscent of Big Star
, Velvet Crush
and The Posies
.
In 2004 the band recorded a self-titled mini-album with record producer
Mark Freegard (Manic Street Preachers, The Breeders, Del Amitri). This was followed in 2006 by their first full-length album
, Hotel Radio. Recorded with Paco Loco (Golden Smog
, The Sadies
, Josh Rouse) in El Puerto de Santa Maria
, Spain, the record met with significant acclaim from Q
magazine
, Mojo
, Uncut
, Classic Rock
and The Word.
In 2006 they were the first Dundee-based band to perform at South by Southwest
Music Festival in Austin, Texas
. In 2007, the band recorded a second album, Hands Around The City, with producer John Agnello
(The Hold Steady
, Sonic Youth, The Walkmen) at Water Music Recorders in Hoboken, New Jersey
. The group again performed in Austin at SXSW, and also played their first shows in New York City and New Jersey.
The last few years have seen the band tour extensively throughout the UK, performing both as headlining artists and as support of several major acts such as Snow Patrol
, Elbow
, Idlewild
, Brakes
, Aberfeldy
and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
.
October 25th, 2011, saw the release of their third full-length album, 'The Winter That Was' through Armellodie Records. The album was self-produced and recorded on the outskirts of Dundee with engineer, Robin Sutherland. The band are currently on tour.
Dundee musician/songwriter Michael Marra
is the father of band members Alice Marra and Matthew Marra.
DISCOGRAPHY
ALBUMS:
'The Hazey Janes' (Mini LP) - 2004
'Hotel Radio' - 2006
'Hands Around The City' - 2008 (Unreleased)
'The Winter That Was' - 2011
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
band from Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
The band consists of Andrew Mitchell (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Liam Brennan (drums, vocals, percussion) and siblings Alice Marra (vocals, guitar, keyboard, synthesizer) and Matthew Marra (bass guitar, keyboard, glockenspiel).
Formed around 2000 by guitarist Andrew Mitchell and bass player Matthew Marra, the band's music has been described as a fusion of country-rock and indie-pop, with a penchant for heavy folk harmonies, reminiscent of Big Star
Big Star
Big Star was an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1971 by Alex Chilton, Chris Bell, Jody Stephens and Andy Hummel. The group broke up in 1974, but reorganized with a new line-up nearly 20 years later...
, Velvet Crush
Velvet Crush
Velvet Crush is a power pop band from Rhode Island that achieved prominence in indie-rock circles in the early- and mid-1990s. The band broke up in 1996 but re-formed in 1998 and have continued to record, releasing their most recent album in 2004...
and The Posies
The Posies
The Posies are an alternative rock/power pop group. The band was formed in 1987 in Bellingham, Washington by primary songwriters Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow. They are best known for their radio hits "Golden Blunders" , as well as "Dream All Day", "Solar Sister" and "Flavor of the Month"...
.
In 2004 the band recorded a self-titled mini-album with record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Mark Freegard (Manic Street Preachers, The Breeders, Del Amitri). This was followed in 2006 by their first full-length album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Hotel Radio. Recorded with Paco Loco (Golden Smog
Golden Smog
Golden Smog is a loosely connected group of musicians comprised, at various times, of members of Soul Asylum, The Replacements, Wilco, The Jayhawks, Run Westy Run, The Honeydogs and Big Star...
, The Sadies
The Sadies
The Sadies are a Canadian indie rock and alternative country band from Toronto, Ontario.-Background:The band consists of Dallas Good , Travis Good, Sean Dean and Mike Belitsky...
, Josh Rouse) in El Puerto de Santa Maria
El Puerto de Santa María
El Puerto de Santa María is a municipality located on the banks of the Guadalete River in the province of Cádiz, Spain. , the city has a population of c...
, Spain, the record met with significant acclaim from Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
, Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
, Uncut
UNCUT (magazine)
Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...
, Classic Rock
Classic Rock (magazine)
Classic Rock is a British magazine dedicated to the radio format of classic rock, published by Future Publishing, who are also responsible for its "sister" publication Metal Hammer. Although firmly focusing on key bands from the 1960s through early 1990s, it also includes articles and reviews of...
and The Word.
In 2006 they were the first Dundee-based band to perform at South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
Music Festival in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. In 2007, the band recorded a second album, Hands Around The City, with producer John Agnello
John Agnello
John Agnello is a producer, recording engineer and mixer who has been involved with many albums throughout the last 25 years. Most recently, John has been involved with Kurt Vile, Sonic Youth, Sweet Apple, Dinosaur Jr...
(The Hold Steady
The Hold Steady
The Hold Steady is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2004. The band consists of Craig Finn , Tad Kubler , Galen Polivka , Bobby Drake , and Steve Selvidge...
, Sonic Youth, The Walkmen) at Water Music Recorders in Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
. The group again performed in Austin at SXSW, and also played their first shows in New York City and New Jersey.
The last few years have seen the band tour extensively throughout the UK, performing both as headlining artists and as support of several major acts such as Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow...
, Elbow
Elbow (band)
Elbow are an English rock band. They have played together since 1990 and recorded five studio albums, the most recent of which is Build a Rocket Boys!, released in March 2011...
, Idlewild
Idlewild (band)
Idlewild are a Scottish rock band, formed in Edinburgh, in 1995, comprising Roddy Woomble , Rod Jones , Colin Newton , Allan Stewart and Gareth Russell...
, Brakes
Brakes (band)
Brakes is a four member band from Brighton, England. The group formed in 2003. It consists of Eamon Hamilton , Thomas White , Marc Beatty , and Alex White .-Biography:Brakes formed in 2003, when Thomas White and Alex White of The Electric Soft Parade saw Eamon Hamilton perform...
, Aberfeldy
Aberfeldy (band)
Aberfeldy are a band formed by the singer-songwriter Riley Briggs in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2002. The band is named after the Scottish town.-History:...
and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
Gorky's Zygotic Mynci were a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in Carmarthen, west Wales in 1991. They sang songs in both Welsh and English. They split up in May 2006.-Biography:...
.
October 25th, 2011, saw the release of their third full-length album, 'The Winter That Was' through Armellodie Records. The album was self-produced and recorded on the outskirts of Dundee with engineer, Robin Sutherland. The band are currently on tour.
Dundee musician/songwriter Michael Marra
Michael Marra
Michael Marra is a Scottish musician from Dundee.Jenny Marra, the Labour MSP, is his niece.-History:Michael Marra was brought up in the Lochee district of Dundee. His first public performance was at an NCR Christmas party in the 1950s...
is the father of band members Alice Marra and Matthew Marra.
DISCOGRAPHY
ALBUMS:
'The Hazey Janes' (Mini LP) - 2004
'Hotel Radio' - 2006
'Hands Around The City' - 2008 (Unreleased)
'The Winter That Was' - 2011