Lawrence | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Lawrence Hayward |
Born | [ citation needed ] Birmingham, Warwickshire, England | 12 August 1961
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards |
Years active | 1979–present |
Labels | Cherry Red, Creation, Boy's Own, Echo, West Midlands Records |
Lawrence Hayward [1] [2] [3] (born 12 August 1961[ citation needed ]), known mononymously as Lawrence, is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is known as the frontman in the English indie pop bands Felt, Denim, and Mozart Estate (formerly Go-Kart Mozart).
Felt released ten albums in the 1980s, and Lawrence was the only constant member of the band from its inception in 1979 to its dissolution in 1989, though he doesn't appear at all on the band's penultimate album, Train Above The City , despite being present at the recording sessions. During his time in the band, he served as lyricist and co-songwriter, together with then-lead guitarist Maurice Deebank, who left the band in 1985. [4]
After the dissolution of Felt, Lawrence formed Denim. Influenced lyrically by Lawrence's upbringing during the 1970s and stylistically by bubblegum and glam rock, Denim released two albums in the 1990s, plus a compilation of B-sides and extra tracks, but mainstream success continued to elude Lawrence. A third album (sometimes referred to as Denim Take Over) was shelved indefinitely, and a standalone single "Summer Smash" was withdrawn from being released shortly after the death of Princess Diana. Lawrence co-wrote the first single by Shampoo, "Blisters and Bruises", released in 1993.
1999 saw the full-length debut of Lawrence's current project, Go-Kart Mozart, released through his personal imprint, West Midlands Records and distributed by Cherry Red. The 2005 follow-up was titled Tearing Up The Album Chart– a wry comment on his failure to achieve commercial success, a habit the album itself did nothing to break. UNCUT awarded Lawrence the dubious honour of being "one of the stars fame forgot." [5]
In 2006, Lawrence began working on a new Go-Kart Mozart album entitled On the Hot Dog Streets that was eventually released in June 2012 to coincide with the nationwide premiere of Lawrence of Belgravia, which documented the making of the record.
Filmmaker Paul Kelly directed a documentary about Lawrence, titled Lawrence of Belgravia (a reference both to the Welshman who led the Arab Revolt and the district of Central London in which Lawrence resided), which was set to premiere at the London Film Festival in 2006, but wasn't ready at the time. A 20-minute work-in-progress version of the documentary was screened at the Barbican Centre in London in November 2008. [6] A final finished cut of the film had its debut screening at the 2011 London Film festival, followed by screenings in several film and music festivals. A DVD release of the film with a limited run of 2,000 copies surfaced in June 2016.
In 2024 it was announced that a book about Lawrence, titled Street Level Superstar: A Year With Lawrence, was being published by Nine Eight books. [7] Written by the UK journalist Will Hodgkinson, the book recounts a year in the life of Lawrence - following on from Hodgkinson's earlier full-length cover feature and interview with Lawrence in the Idler magazine. [8]
Due to his reclusive public persona, Lawrence has given very little information away about his personal life,[ citation needed ] aside from the fact that he was born at 12 Melville Road in Edgbaston, Birmingham, as referred to in the Felt song "Mobile Shack", though moved as a child to the nearby village of Water Orton, Warwickshire, where he met founding Felt members Maurice Deebank and Nick Gilbert. [9] Early on he was heavily influenced by Tom Verlaine of Television in both his guitar-playing and his idiosyncratic vocals. [10] He now[ when? ] lives in a council flat in London. [11]
In 2018, Lawrence was awarded Maverick of the Year at the Q Awards. In 2024, a Portugeuse pink marble bust of Lawrence, sculpted by renowned artist Corin Johnson, was exhibited at the Fitzrovia Chapel in London. [12]
Peter William Phipps is a rock drummer, singer and songwriter known for his work with Gary Glitter, the Glitter Band, and later Eurythmics, XTC and Denim. He is currently a member of both the Glitter Band and Mud.
Felt were an English jangle pop band, formed in 1979 in Water Orton, Warwickshire, and led by the mononymous Lawrence. They were active for ten years through the 1980s, releasing ten singles and ten albums, although none reached the UK singles chart or albums chart. The band's name was inspired by Tom Verlaine's emphasis of the word "felt" in the Television song "Venus".
Mozart Estate, formerly known as Go-Kart Mozart, are an English indie pop band founded by Lawrence, previously of the bands Felt and Denim. Lawrence formed the group as a reaction to his previous bands' lack of commercial success. He has called it "the world's first B-side band," which he explains "simply meant that you would take away the pressure of I've got to write a hit single, I've got to write an album that's going to get in the top ten." The band's original name is derived from a line in the song "Blinded by the Light" by Bruce Springsteen.
Ignite the Seven Cannons is the fourth album by English alternative rock band Felt, released in 1985. The album is sometimes referred to as "Ignite the Seven Cannons and Set Sail for the Sun", a phrase which was printed in one place on the original vinyl record.
The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories is the third album by English alternative rock band Felt, released in 1984 and produced by John Leckie. The album marked a departure from the introspective, guitar-led sound of their first two albums, with Lawrence's vocals becoming much more dominant in the mix along with a greater emphasis on pop melodies. The album also introduced a traditional drum kit to the band's sound, having previously relied on tom drums in the past.
The Splendour of Fear is the second album by English alternative rock band Felt, released in 1984. It is a largely instrumental album based around long guitar passages inspired by classical guitar music, with only tracks 2 and 5 having any lyrics.
Maurice Deebank is a classically trained English guitarist. He was the co-founder and lead guitarist of the British indie band Felt from its debut album until 1985, and was responsible for the ornate, atmospheric guitar work found on many of the band's early recordings. During his tenure in Felt he co-wrote most of its material with frontman Lawrence.
Back in Denim is the debut album by British rock band Denim.
Tearing Up the Album Chart is an album by the band Go-Kart Mozart. It was released in 2005 on West Midland's Records, a subsidiary of Cherry Red. It was former Felt and Denim frontman Lawrence's second album under the alias Go Kart Mozart. Tracks 5, 8, 9 and 12 were originally recorded for the unreleased Denim album Denim Take Over.
Instant Wigwam and Igloo Mixture is the debut album by the band Go-Kart Mozart. It was released in 2000 on West Midlands Records, a subsidiary of Cherry Red. It was former Felt and Denim frontman Lawrence's first album under the alias Go Kart Mozart. Its cover features a shot of Birmingham's Bull Ring Centre as built in 1964, shortly before it was redeveloped.
Denim were an English indie rock band, the brainchild of Lawrence, and were based in Birmingham, England.
Paul Kelly is an English film director, musician, photographer and designer.
On the Hot Dog Streets is the third studio album by the band Go-Kart Mozart, the musical project of former Felt and Denim frontman Lawrence. It was released in 2012 on West Midlands Records, a subsidiary of Cherry Red.
Absolute Classic Masterpieces is the third compilation album by English alternative rock band Felt, released in 1992. It collects tracks from the band's singles and albums recorded for Cherry Red between 1981 and 1985, with two exceptions: "Dance of Deliverance" from guitarist Maurice Deebank's album, Inner Thought Zone; and "Index", a single recorded and released by leader Lawrence before the band formed properly. Tracks 4, 9, 11, 15 and 18 are instrumental.
Stains on a Decade is the fifth compilation album by English alternative rock band Felt, released in 2003. A career-spanning collection, it contains tracks from the band's singles released between 1981 and 1988, with one album-track exception: "Dismantled King Is Off The Throne".
Wolf People are an English psychedelic rock band, formed by singer and guitarist Jack Sharp in Bedford in 2005. The band announced an indefinite hiatus in January 2020.
Idles are a British punk rock band formed in Bristol in 2009. The band consists of Adam Devonshire (bass), Joe Talbot (vocals), Mark Bowen (guitar), Lee Kiernan (guitar), and Jon Beavis (drums).
Mozart Estate Present Go-Kart Mozart in Mozart's Mini-Mart is the fourth studio album by Go-Kart Mozart, the musical project of former Felt and Denim frontman Lawrence. It was released on 23 February 2018 on West Midlands Records, a subsidiary of Cherry Red.
Joy as an Act of Resistance is the second studio album by British rock band Idles, released on 31 August 2018 by Partisan Records. Following the success of their debut album Brutalism, the band started recording new material for their next album. Taking inspiration from the similarly titled 2008 poem by Toi Derricotte, Joy as an Act of Resistance tells stories from Joe Talbot's troubled past and lyrics that deal with toxic masculinity, love, self-love, immigration, Brexit, and class. The album garnered acclaim from critics upon release. Joy as an Act of Resistance peaked at number 5 on the UK Albums Chart and spawned two official singles: "Danny Nedelko" and "Never Fight a Man with a Perm". To promote the record, the band toured across Japan, North America, and Europe.
Pop-Up! Ker-Ching! and the Possibilities of Modern Shopping is the fifth studio album by Mozart Estate, the musical project of former Felt and Denim frontman Lawrence. It is the first album to be released under the moniker after changing from the band's original name Go-Kart Mozart. It was released on January 27, 2023, on Lawrence's West Midlands Records, a subsidiary of Cherry Red.