The Twilight Sad
Encyclopedia
The Twilight Sad are an indie rock
band from Kilsyth
, Scotland
, comprising James Graham (vocals), Andy MacFarlane (guitar) and Mark Devine (drums). The band are currently signed to Fat Cat Records
and have released two full-length albums, as well as several EPs and singles. Their 2007 debut album, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters
, drew widespread critical acclaim, noted by Graham's thick Scottish accent and MacFarlane's dense sonic walls of shoegazing
guitar and wheezing accordion. The Twilight Sad's notoriously loud live performances have been described as "completely ear-splitting", and the band toured for the album across Europe and the United States throughout 2007 and 2008. Sessions inspired by stripped-down and reworked live performances yielded the 2008 mini-album, Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did
.
Their second album, Forget the Night Ahead
, marked a shift in the band's direction; lyrically more personal and musically darker and more streamlined, it was released in 2009 to further acclaim. Recording sessions for the album also produced the mid-2010 release The Wrong Car
, which followed the departure of founding bassist Craig Orzel in February 2010. The band describes their sound as "folk with layers of noise" while citing Phil Spector
, Arab Strap
, and Leonard Cohen
as influences. Music critics have described the band as "perennially unhappy" and "a band that inject some real emotion and dynamic excitement into a comparatively standard template."
They performed two highly experimental shows at The 13th Note Café
in Glasgow that revolved around 30-minute noise jams with guitars, bass, drums, theremin, tape loops from films and old folk and country songs, effects pedals, toy keyboards, thumb pianos, and computer games. Afterwards, they decided to take a more traditional approach, which led them to write their first song, "That Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy
".
In September 2005, they produced a 4-song demo with a 24-track desk, trying to get the best representation as possible, and sent it over to Brighton
-based Fat Cat Records
. Alex Knight, co-founder of the label, went to Glasgow to watch the band perform their third gig and signed them on the spot.
The band credit Planet Sound
for giving them their first review, when a demo of their song "That Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy" received a 9/10 rating from the magazine in 2005. James Graham remarked, "That was the first review we ever had... we were thrilled. It gave us a lot of confidence we were on the right path." They later assembled those early demos in the form of their self-titled debut EP
, a US-only EP released in November 2006, then proceeded to play the fourth gig of their career at New York's CMJ Music Marathon
. During this time the band also toured with Micah P. Hinson
and participated in 2007's South by Southwest music festival
before their debut album was released.
, was released in April 2007, featuring production from guitarist Andy MacFarlane and mixed by Peter Katis
. The album was recorded over a short period of just three days, and the songs featured were the first ones the band had ever written. It received good critical reception from independent media; the album was lauded as 2007's "Album of the Year" in Planet Sound
and The Skinny in Scotland.
In July 2007, the band contributed a cover of Radiohead
's "Climbing Up the Walls" to the download-only
compilation Stereogum Presents... OKX: A Tribute to OK Computer, a track-for-track collection of covers commemorating the 10-year anniversary of Radiohead's OK Computer
album.
Inspired by a stripped down performance at London's Union Chapel
, the band reworked some of the songs on Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters for a new mini-album entitled Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did
, released in June 2008.
During this time, the band supported acts such as Mogwai
, The Smashing Pumpkins
, Snow Patrol
, David Pajo
, Battles
, Beirut
, Frightened Rabbit
, and Idlewild
. During their winter tour with Mogwai, the band released Killed My Parents and Hit the Road
, a compilation of live recordings, covers, acoustic demos, and unreleased material.
, in September 2009. Musically, they described the album as "noisier and bigger", where they experimented with a lot of instruments and different sounds, including fire extinguishers. The album was released to further critical acclaim, and was supported by multiple tours of Europe and the United States.
On February 8, 2010, it was announced that founding bassist Craig Orzel had left the band. With a statement on the band's official blog, Orzel cited personal reasons for the departure and later stated that "there were some changes I wanted to make to my life that I felt being in The Sad was allowing me to put off." Orzel continues to record music under his solo moniker, Orzelda. Following Orzel's departure, the band added Johnny Docherty, of Take a Worm for a Walk Week
, to the band's live line-up.
The band's first release since Orzel's departure, an EP entitled The Wrong Car
, was released in late September 2010. The EP features two previously unreleased songs which were written and recorded during the sessions for Forget the Night Ahead, as well as two remixes by Simon Ward of Errors and Stuart Braithwaite
of Mogwai
.
is kinda gone. Andy [MacFarlane]'s demos involve a lot of keyboards, and it's a lot more considered." Additional musician Martin "Dok" Doherty also stated that "the band who make the same record over and over don't have a very long career." The band returned to the studio in January 2011. In April 2011, the band released a free acoustic EP on their official blog. The release featured stripped-back renditions of tracks from both Forget the Night Ahead and The Wrong Car.
The Twilight Sad's third album, No One Can Ever Know, is set for release in February 2012. The band released a new song, the album's closing track "Kill It in the Morning", for free on their new website and SoundCloud
page on September 21, 2011. The first proper single from the album, "Sick", was made available as a 7" vinyl single and digital download on November 14, 2011.
, Serge Gainsbourg
, Phil Spector
, Arab Strap
, and Leonard Cohen
as influences.
In an October 2009 interview with The Fly
, they admitted, "We are still at the stage where we don't really know where we are in this whole music industry thing. We know people like us, but we don't really know where we fit in or, if we go to certain places, up or not. [...] It's not like we're a stadium band. We're not a lads band, like Oasis
or something. We're not a scenestery band, and yet we're not a pure experimental band either. Obviously we're noisy and stuff, but we write proper songs as well."
Where the band's recorded sound is layered with many melodies, their live sound is a more intense experience with a more visceral wall of noise, something the band wanted to do all along. Graham stated, "We like having the contrast between the record and playing live. There are a lot more instruments on the record. There's only four of us in the band, so we have to keep it as simple as possible. I don't know about you, but I don't like going to see a band that sounds just like their album. That's what we try not to do."
Although the band's music is generally described as "anthemic" and "arena-friendly," they are quick to say their ambition is quite simple: "We don't want to be festival headliners, we just want to make enough money that we can stay in a band and keep making music."
footage of the sun's surface. The song was later included on the Killed My Parents and Hit the Road
compilation. MacFarlane also provided a remix of Errors' song "Bridge or Cloud?" in January 2010, which was posted as a free download on NME
s website. In February 2011, MacFarlane provided a remix of Fat Cat labelmate Ensemble
's track "Before Night", which was posted as a "song of the day" on The Line of Best Fit's website.
Singer James Graham appears on the live album Quietly Now! by fellow Scottish band Frightened Rabbit
, providing additional vocals on the track "Keep Yourself Warm". In 2011, Graham appeared as a guest vocalist and songwriter on the album First Edition by The Fruit Tree Foundation, a supergroup
collaboration of Scottish musicians headed by Rod Jones
and Emma Pollock
for the benefit of the Mental Health Foundation for Scotland
.
Under the name Orzelda, former bassist Craig Orzel released a solo album, The Wee Shop Is Filled With Delights, in 2008, with the EPs My Dress Up and Spiders following in 2010.
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...
band from Kilsyth
Kilsyth
Kilsyth is a town of 10,100 roughly halfway between Glasgow and Stirling in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.-Location:...
, 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...
, comprising James Graham (vocals), Andy MacFarlane (guitar) and Mark Devine (drums). The band are currently signed to Fat Cat Records
Fat Cat Records
Fat Cat Records is an independent label based in Brighton on England’s South Coast. Their output includes electronica, post rock, indie, downtempo, minimal techno, noise and punk-pop...
and have released two full-length albums, as well as several EPs and singles. Their 2007 debut album, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters
Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters
Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters is the debut studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by Fat Cat Records on April 3, 2007 in the US, and May 7, 2007 in the UK. The album features production from Peter Katis and the band themselves...
, drew widespread critical acclaim, noted by Graham's thick Scottish accent and MacFarlane's dense sonic walls of shoegazing
Shoegazing
Shoegazing is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. It lasted there until the mid 1990s, with a critical zenith reached in 1990 and 1991...
guitar and wheezing accordion. The Twilight Sad's notoriously loud live performances have been described as "completely ear-splitting", and the band toured for the album across Europe and the United States throughout 2007 and 2008. Sessions inspired by stripped-down and reworked live performances yielded the 2008 mini-album, Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did
Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did
-Credits:* James Alexander Graham – vocals, lyrics* Andy MacFarlane – guitar, accordion, noise, producer, mixing* Mark Devine – drums, percussion, mixing* Craig Orzel – bass, glockenspiel* Iain Cook – engineer, mixing, mastering...
.
Their second album, Forget the Night Ahead
Forget the Night Ahead
Forget the Night Ahead is the second studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by Fat Cat Records on September 22, 2009 in the US, and on 5 October 2009 in the UK. The album was produced by guitarist Andy MacFarlane and recorded and mixed by Paul Savage at Chem19 Studios...
, marked a shift in the band's direction; lyrically more personal and musically darker and more streamlined, it was released in 2009 to further acclaim. Recording sessions for the album also produced the mid-2010 release The Wrong Car
The Wrong Car
The Wrong Car is an EP by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released on September 27, 2010. The EP features two previously unreleased tracks, "The Wrong Car" and "Throw Yourself Into the Water Again," as well as two remixes of tracks from the band's second album Forget the Night Ahead:...
, which followed the departure of founding bassist Craig Orzel in February 2010. The band describes their sound as "folk with layers of noise" while citing Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
, Arab Strap
Arab Strap (band)
Arab Strap were an indie rock band from Scotland that consisted of core members Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton. The band were signed to independent record label Chemikal Underground, and split in 2006...
, and Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
as influences. Music critics have described the band as "perennially unhappy" and "a band that inject some real emotion and dynamic excitement into a comparatively standard template."
Beginnings (2003–2006)
The foundation for the group started when vocalist James Graham met guitarist Andy MacFarlane in high school and went on to form a cover band with some friends, which included drummer Mark Devine. After graduating school, they decided to take it more seriously. In late 2003, MacFarlane met bassist Craig Orzel in a bus stop and invited him to join the newly formed band.They performed two highly experimental shows at The 13th Note Café
The 13th Note Café
The 13th Note Café is a restaurant, bar and music venue in Glasgow, Scotland.It opened in 1997 on Glassford Street, before moving to its present site on King Street. Later, the 13th Note franchise expanded to include a larger club venue on Clyde Street. The holding company that owned both venues...
in Glasgow that revolved around 30-minute noise jams with guitars, bass, drums, theremin, tape loops from films and old folk and country songs, effects pedals, toy keyboards, thumb pianos, and computer games. Afterwards, they decided to take a more traditional approach, which led them to write their first song, "That Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy
That Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy
"That Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy" is a song by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, that appears on the EP The Twilight Sad, and their debut album, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters. The song was released as the album's first single on 2 April 2007 on Fat Cat Records...
".
In September 2005, they produced a 4-song demo with a 24-track desk, trying to get the best representation as possible, and sent it over to Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
-based Fat Cat Records
Fat Cat Records
Fat Cat Records is an independent label based in Brighton on England’s South Coast. Their output includes electronica, post rock, indie, downtempo, minimal techno, noise and punk-pop...
. Alex Knight, co-founder of the label, went to Glasgow to watch the band perform their third gig and signed them on the spot.
The band credit Planet Sound
Planet Sound
Planet Sound was a Teletext music page on ITV and Channel 4 in the UK. It was broadcast on analogue Teletext from page 340, and on digital Teletext from page 820. From May 24, 2007, Planet Sound was also available to read online via the Teletext website...
for giving them their first review, when a demo of their song "That Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy" received a 9/10 rating from the magazine in 2005. James Graham remarked, "That was the first review we ever had... we were thrilled. It gave us a lot of confidence we were on the right path." They later assembled those early demos in the form of their self-titled debut EP
The Twilight Sad (EP)
The Twilight Sad is the debut EP by The Twilight Sad, released on November 14, 2006 on Fat Cat Records. The EP was only released in the United States. Regarding its US-only release, former bassist Craig Orzel stated that "the American side of Fat Cat wanted a release to announce our arrival, so...
, a US-only EP released in November 2006, then proceeded to play the fourth gig of their career at New York's CMJ Music Marathon
CMJ Music Marathon
CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival is put on by CMJ Network. CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival 2010 is scheduled for October 19–23 and will be headquartered at New York University and other downtown NYC venues.- History :...
. During this time the band also toured with Micah P. Hinson
Micah P. Hinson
Micah Paul Hinson is an American americana singer and guitarist and recording artist for Sketchbook Records in the United Kingdom and Jade Tree Records in the United States. His debut album Micah P. Hinson and the Gospel of Progress was released in 2004 to much critical praise...
and participated in 2007's South by Southwest music festival
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...
before their debut album was released.
Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters (2007–2008)
Their debut studio album, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen WintersFourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters
Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters is the debut studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by Fat Cat Records on April 3, 2007 in the US, and May 7, 2007 in the UK. The album features production from Peter Katis and the band themselves...
, was released in April 2007, featuring production from guitarist Andy MacFarlane and mixed by Peter Katis
Peter Katis
Peter Katis is an American record producer, engineer, mixer and musician.Working primarily out of his own residential studio in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Katis is best known for producing alternative and indie rock bands, especially for Fat Cat Records.-Biography:Katis attended New Canaan Country...
. The album was recorded over a short period of just three days, and the songs featured were the first ones the band had ever written. It received good critical reception from independent media; the album was lauded as 2007's "Album of the Year" in Planet Sound
Planet Sound
Planet Sound was a Teletext music page on ITV and Channel 4 in the UK. It was broadcast on analogue Teletext from page 340, and on digital Teletext from page 820. From May 24, 2007, Planet Sound was also available to read online via the Teletext website...
and The Skinny in Scotland.
In July 2007, the band contributed a cover of 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...
's "Climbing Up the Walls" to the download-only
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
compilation Stereogum Presents... OKX: A Tribute to OK Computer, a track-for-track collection of covers commemorating the 10-year anniversary of Radiohead's OK Computer
OK Computer
OK Computer is the third studio album by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released on 16 June 1997 on Parlophone in the UK and 1 July 1997 by Capitol Records in the US. It marks a deliberate attempt by the band to move away from the introspective guitar-oriented sound of their previous...
album.
Inspired by a stripped down performance at London's Union Chapel
Union Chapel
-United States:National Register of Historical Places*Pine Orchard Union Chapel, Branford, CT, listed on the NRHP in Connecticut*East Raymond Union Chapel, East Raymond, ME, listed on the NRHP in Maine...
, the band reworked some of the songs on Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters for a new mini-album entitled Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did
Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did
-Credits:* James Alexander Graham – vocals, lyrics* Andy MacFarlane – guitar, accordion, noise, producer, mixing* Mark Devine – drums, percussion, mixing* Craig Orzel – bass, glockenspiel* Iain Cook – engineer, mixing, mastering...
, released in June 2008.
During this time, the band supported acts such as Mogwai
Mogwai (band)
Mogwai are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite , John Cummings , Barry Burns , Dominic Aitchison , and Martin Bulloch...
, The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
, 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...
, David Pajo
David Pajo
David Pajo is an American alternative rock musician. He has played a wide variety of music, loosely fitting into several other genres: hardcore, math-rock, post-rock, electronica, folk and indie-pop...
, Battles
Battles (band)
Battles is an American experimental rock group, founded in 2002 in New York City, comprising guitarists Ian Williams and Dave Konopka , and drummer John Stanier .-Biography:...
, Beirut
Beirut (band)
Beirut is an American band which was originally the solo musical project of Santa Fe native Zachary Francis Condon, and later expanded into a band. The band's first performances were in Wollaston, United Kingdom, in May 2006, to support the release of their debut album, Gulag Orkestar...
, Frightened Rabbit
Frightened Rabbit
Frightened Rabbit are a Scottish indie rock band from Selkirk, formed in 2003. The lineup consists of lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and lyricist Scott Hutchison, guitarist and bassist Billy Kennedy, guitarist Andy Monaghan, drummer Grant Hutchison and guitarist and keyboardist Gordon Skene...
, and 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...
. During their winter tour with Mogwai, the band released Killed My Parents and Hit the Road
Killed My Parents and Hit the Road
The Twilight Sad Killed My Parents and Hit the Road is a limited edition compilation album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by Fat Cat Records on December 8, 2008. The compilation is composed of live tracks, covers and previously unreleased material, and was made to "help fund...
, a compilation of live recordings, covers, acoustic demos, and unreleased material.
Forget the Night Ahead and Orzel's departure (2009–2010)
The band released their second studio album, Forget the Night AheadForget the Night Ahead
Forget the Night Ahead is the second studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by Fat Cat Records on September 22, 2009 in the US, and on 5 October 2009 in the UK. The album was produced by guitarist Andy MacFarlane and recorded and mixed by Paul Savage at Chem19 Studios...
, in September 2009. Musically, they described the album as "noisier and bigger", where they experimented with a lot of instruments and different sounds, including fire extinguishers. The album was released to further critical acclaim, and was supported by multiple tours of Europe and the United States.
On February 8, 2010, it was announced that founding bassist Craig Orzel had left the band. With a statement on the band's official blog, Orzel cited personal reasons for the departure and later stated that "there were some changes I wanted to make to my life that I felt being in The Sad was allowing me to put off." Orzel continues to record music under his solo moniker, Orzelda. Following Orzel's departure, the band added Johnny Docherty, of Take a Worm for a Walk Week
Take a Worm for a Walk Week
Take a Worm for a Walk Week is a band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising members Joseph Quimby , Jonny Scott , Johnny Docherty and Iain Quimby . The band were previously signed to Undergroove Records and have released three full-length albums, as well as several EPs...
, to the band's live line-up.
The band's first release since Orzel's departure, an EP entitled The Wrong Car
The Wrong Car
The Wrong Car is an EP by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released on September 27, 2010. The EP features two previously unreleased tracks, "The Wrong Car" and "Throw Yourself Into the Water Again," as well as two remixes of tracks from the band's second album Forget the Night Ahead:...
, was released in late September 2010. The EP features two previously unreleased songs which were written and recorded during the sessions for Forget the Night Ahead, as well as two remixes by Simon Ward of Errors and Stuart Braithwaite
Stuart Braithwaite
Stuart Leslie Braithwaite is a Scottish guitarist, bassist, drummer, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the guitarist of post rock band Mogwai, with whom he has recorded seven studio albums.-Early life :...
of Mogwai
Mogwai
The word mogwai is the transliteration of the Cantonese word 魔怪 meaning "monster", "evil spirit", "devil" or "demon".-Mogwai/Mogui in Chinese culture:...
.
No One Can Ever Know (2010–present)
Whilst on tour with Errors in October 2010, vocalist James Graham stated that "the next [album] is not going to be anything like the first two. [...] The wall of soundWall of Sound
The Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California, during the early 1960s...
is kinda gone. Andy [MacFarlane]'s demos involve a lot of keyboards, and it's a lot more considered." Additional musician Martin "Dok" Doherty also stated that "the band who make the same record over and over don't have a very long career." The band returned to the studio in January 2011. In April 2011, the band released a free acoustic EP on their official blog. The release featured stripped-back renditions of tracks from both Forget the Night Ahead and The Wrong Car.
The Twilight Sad's third album, No One Can Ever Know, is set for release in February 2012. The band released a new song, the album's closing track "Kill It in the Morning", for free on their new website and SoundCloud
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform which allows collaboration, promotion and distribution of audio recordings.-History:SoundCloud was originally started in Stockholm, Sweden, but was established in Berlin, Germany in August, 2007 by sound designer Alex Ljung and artist Eric Wahlforss...
page on September 21, 2011. The first proper single from the album, "Sick", was made available as a 7" vinyl single and digital download on November 14, 2011.
Music style and influences
When asked to describe their debut album, Graham says the band likes to see their songs as "folk with layers of noise", as they are based on experiences that have happened to them, around their hometowns or people they know. They often cite the works of Daniel JohnstonDaniel Johnston
Daniel Dale Johnston is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and artist. Johnston was the subject of the 2006 documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston. He currently lives in Waller, Texas....
, Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
, Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
, Arab Strap
Arab Strap (band)
Arab Strap were an indie rock band from Scotland that consisted of core members Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton. The band were signed to independent record label Chemikal Underground, and split in 2006...
, and Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
as influences.
In an October 2009 interview with The Fly
The Fly (magazine)
The Fly is a free music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom. The magazine is published by the HMV owned MAMA Group.The magazine started as a listings leaflet in Camden, north London, for the Barfly music venue on Chalk Farm Road...
, they admitted, "We are still at the stage where we don't really know where we are in this whole music industry thing. We know people like us, but we don't really know where we fit in or, if we go to certain places, up or not. [...] It's not like we're a stadium band. We're not a lads band, like 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...
or something. We're not a scenestery band, and yet we're not a pure experimental band either. Obviously we're noisy and stuff, but we write proper songs as well."
Where the band's recorded sound is layered with many melodies, their live sound is a more intense experience with a more visceral wall of noise, something the band wanted to do all along. Graham stated, "We like having the contrast between the record and playing live. There are a lot more instruments on the record. There's only four of us in the band, so we have to keep it as simple as possible. I don't know about you, but I don't like going to see a band that sounds just like their album. That's what we try not to do."
Although the band's music is generally described as "anthemic" and "arena-friendly," they are quick to say their ambition is quite simple: "We don't want to be festival headliners, we just want to make enough money that we can stay in a band and keep making music."
Side projects and collaborations
Guitarist Andy MacFarlane composed the song "The Weath-er Is Bad" for Semiconductor Films' short film Brillant Noise, a film pieced together from archive NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
footage of the sun's surface. The song was later included on the Killed My Parents and Hit the Road
Killed My Parents and Hit the Road
The Twilight Sad Killed My Parents and Hit the Road is a limited edition compilation album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by Fat Cat Records on December 8, 2008. The compilation is composed of live tracks, covers and previously unreleased material, and was made to "help fund...
compilation. MacFarlane also provided a remix of Errors' song "Bridge or Cloud?" in January 2010, which was posted as a free download on 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...
s website. In February 2011, MacFarlane provided a remix of Fat Cat labelmate Ensemble
Olivier Alary
Olivier Alary is a musician who is known under the title of his musical project 'Ensemble'.A native of Toulouse, France, Olivier Alary is a Montreal-based musician and composer who has released his own recordings, as well as composing for film and exhibitions.A former student of architecture, Alary...
's track "Before Night", which was posted as a "song of the day" on The Line of Best Fit's website.
Singer James Graham appears on the live album Quietly Now! by fellow Scottish band Frightened Rabbit
Frightened Rabbit
Frightened Rabbit are a Scottish indie rock band from Selkirk, formed in 2003. The lineup consists of lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and lyricist Scott Hutchison, guitarist and bassist Billy Kennedy, guitarist Andy Monaghan, drummer Grant Hutchison and guitarist and keyboardist Gordon Skene...
, providing additional vocals on the track "Keep Yourself Warm". In 2011, Graham appeared as a guest vocalist and songwriter on the album First Edition by The Fruit Tree Foundation, a supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
collaboration of Scottish musicians headed by Rod Jones
Rod Jones (musician)
Rodric "Rod" Iwan Pryce Jones is the guitarist and backing vocalist for indie rock band Idlewild.Son of classical musician, John Pryce-Jones, Jones is an energetic live performer, and his guitar playing has been described as "gritty yet melodic."In 2000 Jones played second guitar for Graham Coxon...
and Emma Pollock
Emma Pollock
Emma Pollock is a Scottish singer, songwriter, and guitarist.-Early life:Pollock studied Physics at the University of Strathclyde and later Archaeology at the University of Liverpool...
for the benefit of the Mental Health Foundation for Scotland
Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland
The Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland was set up by the Scottish Executive to hear applications for, and appeals against, Compulsory Treatment Orders, and appeals against Short Term Detention Certificates made under the Mental Health Act 2003, and other matters in relation to that Act, for...
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Under the name Orzelda, former bassist Craig Orzel released a solo album, The Wee Shop Is Filled With Delights, in 2008, with the EPs My Dress Up and Spiders following in 2010.
Core members
- James Graham – vocals (2003–present)
- Andy MacFarlane – guitar, accordion, noise (2003–present)
- Mark Devine – drums (2003–present)
Live members
- Martin "Dok" Doherty – keyboards, backing vocals, guitar (2008–present)
- Johnny Docherty – bass (2010–present)
Studio albums
- Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen WintersFourteen Autumns & Fifteen WintersFourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters is the debut studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by Fat Cat Records on April 3, 2007 in the US, and May 7, 2007 in the UK. The album features production from Peter Katis and the band themselves...
(3 April 2007) - Forget the Night AheadForget the Night AheadForget the Night Ahead is the second studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by Fat Cat Records on September 22, 2009 in the US, and on 5 October 2009 in the UK. The album was produced by guitarist Andy MacFarlane and recorded and mixed by Paul Savage at Chem19 Studios...
(22 September 2009) - No One Can Ever Know (13 February 2012)
EPs
- The Twilight SadThe Twilight Sad (EP)The Twilight Sad is the debut EP by The Twilight Sad, released on November 14, 2006 on Fat Cat Records. The EP was only released in the United States. Regarding its US-only release, former bassist Craig Orzel stated that "the American side of Fat Cat wanted a release to announce our arrival, so...
(14 November 2006) - Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It DidHere, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did-Credits:* James Alexander Graham – vocals, lyrics* Andy MacFarlane – guitar, accordion, noise, producer, mixing* Mark Devine – drums, percussion, mixing* Craig Orzel – bass, glockenspiel* Iain Cook – engineer, mixing, mastering...
(9 June 2008) - The Wrong CarThe Wrong CarThe Wrong Car is an EP by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released on September 27, 2010. The EP features two previously unreleased tracks, "The Wrong Car" and "Throw Yourself Into the Water Again," as well as two remixes of tracks from the band's second album Forget the Night Ahead:...
(27 September 2010)
Compilations
- Killed My Parents and Hit the RoadKilled My Parents and Hit the RoadThe Twilight Sad Killed My Parents and Hit the Road is a limited edition compilation album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by Fat Cat Records on December 8, 2008. The compilation is composed of live tracks, covers and previously unreleased material, and was made to "help fund...
(8 December 2008) - Demos (limited edition splitSplit albumA split album is a music album which includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There have been singles and EPs released in the same nature, which can be referred to as split singles and split EPs respectively...
cassette release with Frightened RabbitFrightened RabbitFrightened Rabbit are a Scottish indie rock band from Selkirk, formed in 2003. The lineup consists of lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and lyricist Scott Hutchison, guitarist and bassist Billy Kennedy, guitarist Andy Monaghan, drummer Grant Hutchison and guitarist and keyboardist Gordon Skene...
for Record Store DayRecord Store DayRecord Store Day is an internationally celebrated day observed the third Saturday of April each year. Its purpose, as conceived by independent record store employee Chris Brown, is to celebrate the art of music...
) (16 April 2011)
Singles
- "That Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible BoyThat Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy"That Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy" is a song by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, that appears on the EP The Twilight Sad, and their debut album, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters. The song was released as the album's first single on 2 April 2007 on Fat Cat Records...
" (2 April 2007) - "And She Would Darken the MemoryAnd She Would Darken the Memory"And She Would Darken the Memory" is a song by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, that appears on the EP The Twilight Sad, and their debut album, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters. The song was released as the album's second single on 16 July 2007 on Fat Cat Records...
" (16 July 2007) - "I Became a ProstituteI Became a Prostitute"I Became a Prostitute" is a song by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad. The song was released as the first single from the band's second studio album, Forget the Night Ahead...
" (3 August 2009) - "Seven Years of LettersSeven Years of Letters"Seven Years of Letters" is a song by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad. The song was released as the second single from the band's second studio album, Forget the Night Ahead. It was released on October 19, 2009 on Fat Cat Records...
" (19 October 2009) - "The RoomThe Room (song)"The Room" is a song by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad. The song was released as the third single from the band's second studio album, Forget the Night Ahead. It was released on April 5, 2010 on Fat Cat Records...
" (5 April 2010) - "Sick" (14 November 2011)
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "And She Would Darken the Memory" | Mark Charlton | YouTube |
| 2009 | "I Became a Prostitute" | (unlisted) | YouTube |
| "Seven Years of Letters" | Adam Stafford | YouTube | |
| 2010 | "The Room" | Nicola Collins | YouTube |
| "The Wrong Car" | YouTube | ||
External links
- The Twilight Sad's official Blogspot site
- The Twilight Sad at FatCat Records