Midlake

Last updated

Midlake
Midlake!.jpg
Background information
Origin Denton, Texas, United States
Genres
Years active1999–present
Labels Bella Union, ATO
Members
  • Eric Nichelson
  • McKenzie Smith
  • Eric Pulido
  • Jesse Chandler
  • Joey McClellan
  • Scott Lee
Past members
  • Tim Smith
  • Evan Jacobs
  • Jason Upshaw
  • Paul Alexander
Website midlakeband.com

Midlake is an American folk rock band from Denton, Texas, formed in 1999. The band consists of Eric Pulido, McKenzie Smith, Scott Lee, Eric Nichelson, Jesse Chandler, and Joey McClellan.

Contents

In 2012, vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter Tim Smith left the band during the recording of its fourth studio album. Following his departure, guitarist and backing vocalist Eric Pulido filled Smith's vacated role, and the band started afresh with its recordings, releasing Antiphon in 2013.

The band first gained popularity[ when? ] in Europe, signing to Bella Union Records and later playing at festivals such as Les Inrockuptibles, Wintercase, End of the Road and South by Southwest.

History

Formation

Midlake was formed in 1999 by a group of jazz students at the University of North Texas College of Music. The original lineup consisted of Tim Smith (vocals, guitars, keyboards), McKenzie Smith (drums), Paul Alexander (bass), Eric Nichelson (guitar), and Evan Jacobs (keyboards). Their initial work – under the name "The Cornbread All-Stars" – consisted of funk/jazz explorations heavily influenced by Herbie Hancock. Later, the band began to lean more toward an indie rock sound. Tim Smith quit playing saxophone and began writing songs that were heavily influenced by bands such as Jethro Tull, Radiohead, Björk, and Grandaddy, artists who experiment, while still remaining accessible. [1]

Speaking about the band's influences, Smith commented:

We don't want to get called a Radiohead rip-off band. I think Radiohead is a lot closer to my natural tendencies as a songwriter than a band like, um, Jethro Tull. I listen to way more Jethro Tull than I do Radiohead these days, but I could write 10 Radiohead songs before I could write one Jethro Tull song. I want to sound more like Jethro Tull, but I just can't. That's a big struggle. [2]

In an interview with ReverbMagazine's Nick Milligan, Smith said of the band's origins:

"We were jazz musicians, but right from the get go we'd never really play jazz music. We'd play some funk stuff and then jump right into playing Led Zeppelin. For jazz musicians, rock is sort of frowned upon for how easy it is. If we had friends that knew we were playing, the best thing we could play was Herbie Hancock or Stevie Wonder. A distortion pedal seemed like a no-no. It took us a while to get away from the jazz. [3]

Member changes and The Trials of Van Occupanther

Jacobs left the band and Eric Nichelson took over on keyboard.[ when? ] Jason Upshaw joined the band as a guitarist. Live recordings from this period, recorded at Denton's Panhandle House studio, were never released as the band felt they had moved beyond the material.[ when? ][ citation needed ] Not long before the band recorded their debut EP, Milkmaid Grand Army,[ when? ] Upshaw was replaced on guitars by Eric Pulido, a longtime friend of drummer Smith.[ when? ] Their debut full-length album, 2004's Bamnan and Slivercork , was recorded at home in Denton, Texas and mastered at Abbey Road Studios. It showed a move in the direction of lo-fi psychedelic electronica, embracing influences such as Grandaddy and The Flaming Lips. The album even caught the ear of skateboarder-turned-actor Jason Lee, who produced and directed the music video for the song "Balloon Maker", [4] and who continues to support and promote the band.

Midlake in rehearsal for the Van Occupanther album, January 2006 Midlake.jpg
Midlake in rehearsal for the Van Occupanther album, January 2006

In 2006, after nearly a year-and-a-half of recording and re-recording, they completed their second release for Bella Union, The Trials of Van Occupanther . The album was a venture into classic-rock revivalism, with a sound reminiscent of Bob Welch-era Fleetwood Mac. The album was met with generally positive reviews. [5] In January 2009, their song "Bandits" was featured in an episode of the FOX television drama Fringe . [6] It was during this period that Jesse Chandler (keyboards, flute, vocals) and Joey McClellan (lead guitar and vocals) joined the band.

The Courage of Others

In February 2010, the band released The Courage of Others , which garnered generally good reviews, notably "album of the month" in Mojo. [7] The album, which showcased Tim Smith's brooding baritone vocals, had a slower pace and denser musical arrangements inspired by British prog-folk acts like Pentangle, Fairport Convention, and The Incredible String Band. [8] [9] [10]

In a 2010 interview with Reverb Magazine, Tim Smith told editor Nick Milligan:

I'm never satisfied with what we do, so when Occupanther came out I had changes I wanted to make. But what I disliked about the album is probably totally different than what other people might see as a problem. I might be totally focused on my voice. But I think we get a little better as we get older. We're listening to more music and getting more confident with who we are as musicians and as a band. It's a natural progression to get to The Courage of Others. Although it did take a long time and that's due to my influences and falling in love with a different style of music to what we came from. [3]

Smith also said in the Reverb Magazine interview that his favourite song from The Courage of Others was "Small Mountain":

I think my favourite is 'Small Mountain'. Though it seems that when we've played it live, it's the weakest one – people seem to not connect with it. They'd probably rather talk to their friend than listen to it, but people don't really have the album yet. Maybe in time people will start to like that song more. It was written about when I was in college and my parents lived on the top of this hill. I'd spend time up there and wait tables at my dad's restaurant. It was just a good time for me, so it was nice to have a song that I can relate to it. I like the melody also, so that's probably my favourite. [3]

Of The Courage of Others, Tim Smith also said:

The title track was written as a B-side for Van Occupanther so that was really old, and we never used it. We wanted to hold on to it for the next album. 'Children of the Grounds' we started playing towards the end of our touring for Van Occupanther, because I'd written that around that time and we thought we'd throw it in [the set] to see how it did. But the rest of the material was written while we were recording. There was also a lot of material that was thrown away, because I realised [the ideas] weren't good enough. [3]

Departure of Tim Smith

Though the group spent much of 2011 and 2012 recording at the farm in Buffalo, Texas where The Courage of Others was tracked, the recording process stalled. "We knew something was missing," guitarist Eric Pulido said. Midlake played a handful of live dates and debuted new material in 2012, including an appearance at Bella Union's 15th Anniversary End Of The Road Festival on August 31, 2012. Just a few months later, lead vocalist and songwriter Tim Smith announced he was leaving Midlake to form a new project called Harp. Rather than divide the recorded material among the two bands, Midlake abandoned the two years' worth of recordings with Smith and began again from scratch, writing and recording a new full-length album in just six months. [11]

Antiphon and For the Sake of Bethel Woods

In August 2013, Midlake announced the release date for their fourth full-length album, Antiphon , due November 5, 2013 on ATO Records in North America and November 4, 2013 on Bella Union in Europe. [12] Guitarist Eric Pulido stepped into the role of lead vocalist on Antiphon, with backing vocals from Alexander, Chandler and McClellan. "Antiphon is the most honest representation of the band as a whole, as opposed to one person's vision that we were trying to facilitate," Pulido remarked in the album's press release, which characterizes the new music as "free-flowing in feel, concise in structure ... it's very much Midlake, but uncannily rebooted, and relaxed." [11] In addition to the lineup change, Antiphon marks Midlake's first release on Dave Matthews' ATO Records label, also home to My Morning Jacket, Caitlin Rose, and Stars.

On October 25, 2021, Midlake announced the release date for their fifth full-length album, For the Sake of Bethel Woods,which was released in 2022 on ATO Records in North America and on Bella Union in Europe.

Collaborations

Tim Smith is featured on the 2021 Lost Horizons double album release, "In Quiet Moments", writing lyrics, melodies and performing vocals for the song "Grey Tower" and the 2017 Lost Horizons album "Ojalá", writing lyrics and singing the song "She Led Me Away". He also appears on Chemical Brothers' 2007 album We Are the Night , contributing vocals to the track "The Pills Won't Help You Now". [13]

In 2007 Robert Gomez and Midlake guitarist Eric Pulido recorded a version of Feliz Navidad for a "Merry Christmas from Bella Union" CD. [14]

Midlake also co-produced, engineered and played on an album for their friend John Grant, former singer with label mates The Czars. [15] The album, Queen of Denmark , was released in April 2010. In an interview with the UK music website The Line of Best Fit, Bella Union boss Simon Raymonde said:

I still think the Czars' singer John Grant has one of the greatest voices in music today which is why I am about to release his debut solo record, the Queen Of Denmark. In a weird coincidence, the Midlake guys all fell in love with John's voice too and invited him down to Denton this year to let them work on his record. They play all the instruments and produce. It's genius. [16]

BNQT, led by Eric Pulido, is a collaboration between members of Midlake and Ben Bridwell (Band of Horses), Alex Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand), Fran Healy (Travis), and Jason Lytle (Grandaddy). Their first album, titled Volume 1, was released on 28 April 2017 via Dualtone/Bella Union. [17]

Discography

Albums

YearAlbumPeak positions
US
[18] 		AUS
[19] 		BEL
[20] 		FRA
[21] 		NLD
NOR
[22] 		SWE
[23] 		UK
[24]
2004 Bamnan and Slivercork ————————
2006 The Trials of Van Occupanther ———81———162
2010 The Courage of Others [25] [26] 9461212731301518
2013 Antiphon 150—688446——39
2022For the Sake of Bethel Woods——139————71

Singles and EPs

Music videos

Compilation albums

Collaborations

Solo projects

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jethro Tull (band)</span> British rock band

Jethro Tull are a British rock band formed in Blackpool, Lancashire in 1967. Initially playing blues rock and jazz fusion, the band soon incorporated elements of English folk music, hard rock and classical music, forging a signature progressive rock sound. The group's founder, bandleader, principal composer, lead vocalist, and only constant member is Ian Anderson, a multi-instrumentalist who mainly plays flute and acoustic guitar. The group has featured a succession of musicians throughout the decades, including significant contributors such as guitarists Mick Abrahams and Martin Barre ; bassists Glenn Cornick, Jeffrey Hammond, John Glascock, Dave Pegg, Jonathan Noyce, and David Goodier; drummers Clive Bunker, Barrie "Barriemore" Barlow and Doane Perry; and keyboardists John Evan, Dee Palmer, Peter-John Vettese, Andrew Giddings, and John O'Hara.

<i>Aqualung</i> (album) 1971 studio album by Jethro Tull

Aqualung is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Jethro Tull; it was released in March 1971 by Chrysalis Records. Though it is generally regarded as a concept album, featuring a central theme of "the distinction between religion and God", the band have said there was no intention to make a concept album, and that only a few songs have a unifying theme. Aqualung's success signalled a turning point in the career of the band, who went on to become a major radio and touring act.

<i>Heavy Horses</i> 1978 studio album by Jethro Tull

Heavy Horses is the eleventh studio album by British progressive rock band Jethro Tull, released on 10 April 1978.

<i>A Passion Play</i> 1973 album by Jethro Tull

A Passion Play is the sixth studio album by British progressive rock band Jethro Tull, released in July 1973 in both the UK and US. Following in the same style as the band's previous album Thick as a Brick (1972), A Passion Play is a concept album comprising individual songs arranged into a single continuous piece of music. The album's concept follows the spiritual journey of a recently deceased man in the afterlife, exploring themes of morality, religion and good and evil. The album's accompanying tour was considered the high water mark of Jethro Tull's elaborate stage productions, involving a full performance of the album accompanied by physical props, sketches and projected video.

<i>Stormwatch</i> (album) 1979 studio album by Jethro Tull

Stormwatch is the twelfth studio album by progressive rock band Jethro Tull, released in September 1979. The album is often considered the last in a trio of folk rock albums released by the band at the end of the 1970s, alongside Songs from the Wood (1977) and Heavy Horses (1978). The album's themes deal mostly with the environment, climate and seaside living, and were heavily inspired by the Isle of Skye in Scotland, where frontman Ian Anderson had recently purchased property.

<i>Songs from the Wood</i> 1977 studio album by Jethro Tull

Songs from the Wood is the tenth studio album by British progressive rock band Jethro Tull, released on 11 February 1977 by Chrysalis Records. The album is considered to be the first of three folk rock albums released by the band at the end of the 1970s, followed by Heavy Horses (1978) and Stormwatch (1979).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Airey</span> English keyboardist

Donald Smith Airey is an English musician who has been the keyboardist in the rock band Deep Purple since 2002, after the retirement of Jon Lord. He has had a long and productive career, playing with such acts as Gary Moore, Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Whitesnake, Saxon, Wishbone Ash, Colosseum II, Ten, Sinner, Michael Schenker, Rainbow, Empire, Brian May, Divlje jagode and Living Loud. He has also worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fran Healy (musician)</span> Scottish musician

Francis Healy is a British musician. He is the lead singer and lyricist of the band Travis, having written nearly all of the songs on their first six studio albums along with their ninth and tenth, with the seventh and eighth containing material written by other members of the band. Healy released his debut solo album, titled Wreckorder, in October 2010.

<i>The Trials of Van Occupanther</i> 2006 studio album by Midlake

The Trials of Van Occupanther is the second studio album by American rock band Midlake. It was released on July 25, 2006, on Bella Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Locomotive Breath</span> 1971 single by Jethro Tull

"Locomotive Breath" is a song by British progressive rock band Jethro Tull from their 1971 album, Aqualung.

<i>Bamnan and Slivercork</i> 2004 studio album by Midlake

Bamnan and Slivercork is the first studio album by the US rock band Midlake, released in 2004 to positive reviews. It mixes together warm acoustic sounds with electronica and lo-fi keyboard sounds. The songs "Balloon Maker" and "Kingfish Pies" were released as singles.

<i>The Courage of Others</i> 2010 studio album by Midlake

The Courage of Others is the third studio album by American folk rock band Midlake. It was released on February 1, 2010, on Bella Union Records. The album sleeve pays homage to Andrei Rublev, a 1966 film by Russian writer and director Andrei Tarkovsky.

<i>Queen of Denmark</i> (album) 2010 studio album by John Grant

Queen of Denmark is the debut solo album by American musician and former The Czars frontman John Grant, released via Bella Union on April 19, 2010. It is a collaboration between Grant and members of the American folk rock band Midlake, who had persuaded him to end his four-year hiatus from music following the break-up of The Czars.

<i>Antiphon</i> (album) 2013 studio album by Midlake

Antiphon is the fourth studio album by American folk rock band Midlake, released on November 5, 2013, on Bella Union Records, in Europe, and ATO Records in North America. Recorded following the departure of vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter Tim Smith, Antiphon is the first album to feature guitarist Eric Pulido on lead vocals, alongside new members Jesse Chandler and Joey McClellan (guitar).

Snowbird is a British/American band consisting of instrumentalist Simon Raymonde and vocalist Stephanie Dosen. Dosen, originally a member of the 1990s techno band Virus, sang live with Massive Attack in 2008 and later collaborated with The Chemical Brothers. Dosen and Raymonde first worked together on her second solo album, A Lily for the Spectre, released by Bella Union in 2007. The duo's debut album as Snowbird, Moon, was released on 27 January 2014 on Bella Union.

<i>Volume 1</i> (BNQT album) 2017 studio album by BNQT

Volume 1 is the debut studio album by indie super-group BNQT, led by Eric Pulido (Midlake) with Ben Bridwell, Alex Kapranos, Fran Healy (Travis) and Jason Lytle (Grandaddy), backed by the other members of Midlake. Each member wrote and sang on two tracks each. It was released on 28 April 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BNQT</span> Musical group

BNQT ( "banquet") is an indie super-group featuring Fran Healy (Travis), Alex Kapranos, Eric Pulido (Midlake), Ben Bridwell and Jason Lytle (Grandaddy), backed by other members of Midlake: Jesse Chandler, Joey McClellan and McKenzie Smith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day</span> 1975 single by Jethro Tull

"Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day" is a song by British progressive rock band Jethro Tull. It was released on their album War Child in 1974. Written as a comment on global cooling for the band's aborted "Chateau D'isaster" album, the song was reworked in 1974 for War Child.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Pence</span> American record producer and drummer

Matthew Louis Pence is an American recording engineer, producer, and drummer. He owns and manages The Echo Lab studio in Denton, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teacher (Jethro Tull song)</span> 1970 single by Jethro Tull

"Teacher" is a song by the British rock band Jethro Tull, first released as the B-side to the January 1970 single "The Witch's Promise", on the Chrysalis label. Written by the band's frontman Ian Anderson, the song is a comment on the corruption of self-styled gurus who used their followers for their own gain.

References

  1. ↑ "Melody makers". The Guardian. London. February 23, 2007. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  2. ↑ Heller, Jason (September 4, 2007). "Tim Smith of Midlake". The A. V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved June 21, 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Milligan, Nick (January 30, 2010), "MIDLAKE: The Courage of Others Speak N Spell, 4.5/5", Reverb Magazine, no. 43, p. 23
  4. ↑ "Artists: Midlake". Bella Union.
  5. ↑ "The Trials Of Van Occupanther by Midlake". Metacritic.com. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  6. ↑ Roco (January 28, 2009). "What's That Song in Fringe? 'Bandits' by Midlake". Fringe Bloggers. Retrieved January 30, 2009.
  7. ↑ Alexander, Phil (March 19, 2011). "John Grant Stuns SXSW". MOJO. Archived from the original on August 13, 2011.
  8. ↑ Wood, Mikael (February 9, 2010), "Midlake: The Courage of Others", ThePhoenix.com
  9. ↑ Lake, Ed (February 10, 2010), "Midlake: The Courage of Others", The National
  10. ↑ "The Courage of Others by Midlake". Rhapsody.com.
  11. 1 2 ATO Welcomes Midlake / New Album Out Nov 5th. Accessed August 7, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Antiphon – Midlake". SoundCloud.com. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  13. ↑ Diver, Mike (March 23, 2007). "Exit Planet Denton: Chemical Brothers team up with Midlake's Tim Smith". Drowned in Sound . Archived from the original on April 5, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2009.
  14. ↑ "Merry Christmas from Bella Union featuring My Latest Novel, Devics and Robert Gomez/Midlake". Blog. SixtyWatt. July 20, 2007.
  15. ↑ Jessica (November 14, 2008). "Progress Report: Midlake". Blog. Stereogum.
  16. ↑ "Bella Union Week :: The People vs. Simon Raymonde". Interviewed by Bella Union. The Line of Best Fit. September 16, 2009. Archived from the original on December 8, 2009. Retrieved November 8, 2009.
  17. ↑ Shelter, Carter (January 30, 2017). "Members of Midlake, Band of Horses, Franz Ferdinand, Grandaddy, Travis Announce Debut Album as BNQT". Spin Magazine. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Midlake Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard . Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  19. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 187.
  20. ↑ "Midlake discography". Ultratop.be. Hung Medien. Retrieved November 15, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Midlake discography". Lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved November 15, 2013.
  22. ↑ "Midlake discography". Norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved November 15, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Midlake discography". Swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved November 15, 2013.
  24. ↑ "Midlake | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company . Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  25. ↑ "Smoking Section: Jack Johnson on the beach, Midlake in the studio, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore on stage". Rolling Stone. January 18, 2008. Archived from the original on March 6, 2008.
  26. ↑ "New Midlake Album". Bella Union. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011.
  27. ↑ worldsfair (October 22, 2006), Midlake: Videos of Van Occupanther Pt. 5: "Balloon Maker", archived from the original on December 22, 2021, retrieved September 16, 2018
  28. ↑ "Midlake – The Old & The Young". YouTube. December 5, 2013. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
  29. ↑ "Volume 1 by BNQT". Metacritic.com. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  30. ↑ "Happy Release Day to Two Medicine – Bella Union". Bellaunion.com. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  31. ↑ "E.B. The Younger announces debut album "To Each His Own" - Bella Union". Bellaunion.com. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.