Butterfly Child

Last updated

Butterfly Child
Origin Belfast, Northern Ireland
Genres Indie Pop
Years active19842021
Associated acts A.R. Kane, The Webb Brothers, Assassins
Past members
  • Joe Cassidy (deceased)
  • Andrew "Pendle" Poucher
  • Richie Thomas
  • James Harris
  • Michael Paisley
  • Willy Sharpe
  • Tony McKeown
  • Merritt Lear

Butterfly Child were a Northern Irish group led by singer/songwriter Joe Cassidy, based in Chicago, Illinois. Described as "purveyors of shimmering, oceanic rock," [1] they have released three full-length albums and numerous singles/EPs. Their latest album Futures was released by Dell'Orso Records on 27 November 2015. [2]

Contents

History

Butterfly Child were formed in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1984.

After playing shows throughout Ireland, Butterfly Child released their debut EP, Toothfairy, on A.R. Kane's H.ark! label in 1991. [3] Remarkable in its "frazzled, cracked fragility", [3] the EP caught the ear of legendary BBC DJ John Peel, who invited the band to record their first Peel Session on 12 January 1992 at Maida Vale Studios. [4] A second EP entitled Eucalyptus was released the same year. [5]

The band then signed to Rough Trade Records in 1993 where they released the Ghetto Speak EP and the first full-length album, Onomatopoeia. In November 1993, Butterfly Child returned to Maida Vale for a second Peel Session. Broadcast in January 1994, the session featured two songs that would later appear on the second album.

Work began on The Honeymoon Suite in the summer of 1994, with the intent to release it that autumn. But its release was delayed due to disagreements with the record company over running order and content. After protracted discussions, the album was finally released as originally intended by Dedicated Records in 1995. [6]

Frustrated by the experience, Cassidy relocated to Chicago [7] in 1997 to begin work on a third album. [8] Soft Explosives was released in late 1998 by HitIt! Recordings, a Chicago-based label that had previously handled the US releases of the first two albums. [9]

Following a lengthy hiatus, Butterfly Child released No Longer Living In Your Shadow as a 7" single on Dell'Orso Records in 2012.

On 15 July 2021, Joe Cassidy died of heart problems and sepsis after falling ill earlier in the month. [10] He was 51. [11]

Discography

Albums [12]
TitleFormatLabelYear
OnomatopoeiaLP/CD Rough Trade Records 1993
The Honeymoon SuiteCD/cassette Dedicated Records 1995
Soft ExplosivesCDHitIt!1998
FuturesLP/CDDell'Orso2015
Singles/EPs
TitleFormatLabelYear
Toothfairy EP12"H.ark!1991
Eucalyptus EP12"/CDH.ark!1992
Juice7" Rough Trade Records 1992
Ghetto Speak EP12"/CDRough Trade Records1993
Beaujolais EP10"/CD Dedicated Records 1994
Flaming Burlesque10"/CDDedicated1995
No Longer Living In Your Shadow7"Dell'Orso2012

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References

  1. Young, Rob (2006). Rough Trade: Labels Unlimited. Black Dog Publishing. p. 133. ISBN   1904772471.
  2. "Butterfly Child returns with new track "Lost In These Machines" [Premiere]" . Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  3. 1 2 Stubbs, David (September 1991). "Butterfly Child". Melody Maker.
  4. "Keeping It Peel".
  5. Strong, Martin (2003). The Great Indie Discography. Canongate Books. p. 467. ISBN   1841953350.
  6. McKay, Neil (10 March 1996). "Suite for my sweet". Sunday Life.
  7. Rob Young (2006). Rough Trade. Black Dog Publishing. pp. 167–. ISBN   978-1-904772-47-7.
  8. Gershman, Gil (December 1998). "Butterfly Child in Bloom". Magnet.
  9. McGonigal, Mike (September 1998). "Soft Explosives". Spin.
  10. Bailie, Stuart. "Remembering Joe Cassidy". Belfasttelegraph. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  11. Mourning Joe Cassidy of Butterfly Child
  12. "Butterfly Child". Discogs. Retrieved 7 May 2015.