My Vitriol

Last updated

My Vitriol
MyVitriol.Nov24.KOKO.jpg
My Vitriol live at KOKO, 24 November 2006
Background information
Origin London, England
Genres
Years active1999–2002, 2005–present
Labels
Members
  • Som Wardner
  • Ravi Kesavaram
  • Seth Taylor
Past members
  • Carolyn Bannister
  • Laura Salmon
  • Tatia Starkey
Website www.myvitriol.com

My Vitriol are a British alternative rock band, [1] formed in 1999 in London. The band currently comprises singer and guitarist Som Wardner, drummer Ravi Kesavaram, guitarist Seth Taylor and bassist Tatia Starkey. [2] The band had success with their debut album Finelines in 2001, which spawned three top-40 hit singles on the UK Singles Chart, [3] before announcing a hiatus in 2002. The band were credited as spearheading a new shoegazing movement, dubbed nu gaze. [4] They released new material in 2007, and released limited fanbase album The Secret Sessions in October 2016. [5] The band name is taken from the Graham Greene novel Brighton Rock . [6]

Contents

Biography

Formation

Ravi Kesavaram and Som Wardner, of Sri Lankan origin, met at UCL where they lived opposite each other in halls, with Wardner studying genetics and Kesavaram studying biochemistry. [7] A year and a half later they began playing together, with Kesavaram playing drums and Wardner playing the rest of the instruments. [6] They recorded an EP, "Delusions of Grandeur", in two days. BBC Radio 1 DJ Steve Lamacq received a copy at a gig and played the band on his Session Unsigned slot, which led to national exposure for the band and various press and record company interest. [8]

The duo recruited former Mint 400 guitarist Seth Taylor and bassist Carolyn Bannister and released their debut single, "Always: Your Way" b/w "Pieces", on Org Records on 6 December 1999.[ citation needed ]

Finelines (2001)

The band's first single, "Losing Touch", was released in April 2000 on Infectious Records, peaking at number 91; the second "Cemented Shoes" reached number 65 in the UK Singles Chart in July. [3] Their third single, "Pieces", charted at number 56 and the fourth, "Always: Your Way", broke the UK Top 40, peaking at number 31. [3] Soon after the band’s debut album, Finelines , was released and it reached number 24 in the UK Albums Chart in March 2001. [3] The final single from the album was their biggest hit, "Grounded", which peaked at number 29. [3] The band toured extensively and played UK and international festivals in Europe and Japan. [9]

The band had radio hits in South Africa and Iceland and signed to Epic in the US for a reported $400,000. The album was re-mixed by American producer Steve Thompson for release in the US. [10] The new mix of the album was released in the UK in July 2002 as part of a 2 CD re-issue featuring b-sides and rarities, titled "Finelines/Between The Lines". [11] The re-issue stumbled to number 96 in the charts. [3] "Finelines/Between The Lines" was preceded by the "Moodswings" b/w "The Gentle Art Of Choking" double a-side, which was the band's final Top 40 single. [3]

Hiatus (2002–2005)

In October 2002, after three years of touring, [8] Wardner announced My Vitriol's hiatus at Kerrang Weekender. [12] [13] Their song "Always Your Way" was voted in 2002 as one of the best alternative songs by Xfm listeners. [14] The band recorded a cover of Elliott Smith's "Bottle Up & Explode!", upon hearing of the singer-songwriter's death in October 2003. [15] It was reported in December 2003 that the band were recording with Colin Richardson, with a view to a 2004 release. [15] In May 2004, Gigwise confirmed that the second album was due for release in 2004 and revealed track titles "War of the Worlds", "My Whole World Implodes" and "Between Mercury and Mars". [16]

Post-hiatus (2005–present)

In January 2005, the band played a low key show at O2 Academy Islington, London. [17] The band debuted new material and a live album of the show (titled Cast In Amber) was released. [18]

Bassist Carolyn Bannister departed sometime following the show in 2005 and was replaced by Laura Salmon, formerly of the heavy metal band Area 54. [8] The new lineup of the band played KOKO in Camden, London in November 2006. [19]

In March 2007, the band released the limited edition single "This Time" under the pseudonym of 'A Secret Society' via Org Records. [20] The single was followed in July 2007 by "A Pyrrhic Victory EP", released via Xtra Mile Records. [20] The band played several festivals in the UK, including Download, Guilfest and a headlining slot at Offset Festival the following year. [21] [22] The band continued to play live through 2008 and 2009, taking in two UK tours and shows in Europe and Japan. [23] The band played at the final gig to be held at the London Astoria on 14 January 2009. [24] [25]

In May 2013, the band played their first show in nearly four years at KOKO in London. [9] When guitarist Seth Taylor temporarily left the band due to family commitments, Sam Harvey was recruited for the role. [26] Seth Taylor rejoined the band in September 2013, while Salmon was replaced by Tatia Starkey, granddaughter of the Beatles' drummer Ringo Starr. [2]

A PledgeMusic campaign to fund a new album was announced on 5 July 2013, [27] with a proposed release for 2014. [28] It was later clarified on 29 May 2014 that the campaign would fund a limited release fanbase-only album entitled The Secret Sessions. [29] On 26 October 2016, a critical article titled Whatever Happened To My Vitriol? appeared on Drowned In Sound documenting the multiple delays in the follow-up to their debut album Finelines. [30] Two days later, the album was released as part of the limited release for PledgeMusic subscribers. [31] The album was later made available on other streaming services on 7 September 2017. [32] The band embarked on a short UK tour in April/May 2017, though several of the dates were postponed due to illness.

In 2020, The Secret Sessions was made available on Bandcamp.

Band members

Timeline

My Vitriol

Discography

Studio albums

TitleDetailsPeak chart positions
UK
[33] 		UK
Indie
[34] 		UK
Rock
[35] 		SCO
[36]
Finelines 242223
The Secret Sessions
  • Released: 28 October 2016
  • Label: PledgeMusic
  • Formats: CD
————

Live albums

Extended plays

TitleEP details
Delusions of Grandeur
  • Released: 1998
  • Label: n/a
  • Formats: CD
A Pyrrhic Victory
  • Released: 2007
  • Label: Xtra Mile Recordings (XMREP120)
  • Formats: CD
War of the Worlds
  • Released: 2007
  • Label: Xtra Mile Recordings
  • Formats: CD

Singles

TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
UK
[37] 		UK
Indie
[38] 		SCO
[39]
"Always/Pieces"1999———Finelines
"Losing Touch"20009115—
"Cemented Shoes"651268
"Pieces"2001561154
"Always: Your Way"31333
"Grounded"29340
"Moodswings/The Gentle Art of Choking"200239539

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breed 77</span> Gibraltarian rock band

Breed 77 is a Gibraltarian rock band. The band was formed in 1996 and perform a combination of alternative metal, rock, and flamenco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed Harcourt</span> Musical artist

Edward Henry Richard Harcourt-Smith is an English singer-songwriter. To date, he has released ten studio albums, two EPs, and thirteen singles. His debut album, Here Be Monsters, was nominated for the 2001 Mercury Prize. Since 2007 he has been writing for other artists, including Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Paloma Faith, and has performed with Marianne Faithfull and the Libertines. His music is influenced by Tom Waits, Nick Cave, and Jeff Buckley, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Raconteurs</span> American rock supergroup

The Raconteurs is an American rock supergroup from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 2005. The band consists of Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence, and Patrick Keeler (drums). Lawrence and Keeler were originally members of the Greenhornes, while White and Lawrence went on to become members of the Dead Weather.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pure Reason Revolution</span> British rock group

Pure Reason Revolution is a British rock group formed at the University of Westminster in 2003. Their music incorporates elements of progressive rock and electronic. Members have a shared appreciation for the work of bands such as Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree, Nirvana, Justice, Kraftwerk and Fleetwood Mac.

<i>Finelines</i> 2001 studio album by My Vitriol

Finelines is the debut studio album by the British rock band My Vitriol. It was released on 5 March 2001 through Infectious Records. Initially consisting of a duo, My Vitriol released their debut EP Delusions of Grandeur (1998), before expanding to a four-piece. They signed to Infectious Records in December 1999, and began recording their debut album at Linford Manor in Milton Keynes, with Chris Sheldon, and frontman Som Wardner co-producing. Described as an alternative rock album, Finelines was compared to acts such as the Smashing Pumpkins, My Bloody Valentine, and Foo Fighters.

This is the discography of The Coral, an English indie rock, psychedelic folk and indie pop band. The Coral have released twelve studio albums, one compilation album, eighteen singles and four extended plays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stereophonics discography</span>

Welsh rock band Stereophonics have released twelve studio albums, one live album, one compilation album, four extended plays (EP), two box sets, forty-seven singles and thirty-nine music videos. In the UK, Stereophonics have been awarded six multi-platinum album certifications, one platinum and six gold; one of their singles has been awarded a multi-platinum certification, three platinum, two gold and eight silver. They have sold over 15 million copies worldwide, which includes 9,000,000 albums, 6,000,000 singles and 100,000 video albums, making them one of the most successful Welsh rock acts. The band released their first studio album, Word Gets Around in 1997 which reached number six in the UK Albums Chart. With the release of "The Bartender and the Thief" and its album Performance and Cocktails (1999), the band achieved mainstream success within the UK. The album was certified 6× platinum and is one of the band's best-selling albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Script</span> Irish rock band

The Script are an Irish rock band formed in 2001 in Dublin, by lead vocalist, keyboardist, guitarist Danny O'Donoghue, lead guitarist Mark Sheehan and drummer Glen Power. The band moved to London after signing to Sony Label Group imprint Phonogenic and released their first album The Script in August 2008, preceded by the debut single "We Cry" as well as other singles such as "The Man Who Can't Be Moved", "Breakeven" and "Before the Worst". The album peaked at number one in both Ireland and the UK. Their next three albums, Science & Faith (2010), #3 (2012) and No Sound Without Silence (2014), all topped the album charts in Ireland and the UK, while Science & Faith reached number two in Australia and number three in the United States. Some of the hit singles from the albums include "For the First Time", "Nothing", "Hall of Fame" and "Superheroes". The band's fifth studio album, Freedom Child, was released on 1 September 2017, and features the UK Top 20 single "Rain". Their sixth studio album, Sunsets & Full Moons, was released on 8 November 2019, and features the single "The Last Time". A Greatest Hits album was released on 1 October 2021.

<i>Nights Out</i> 2008 studio album by Metronomy

Nights Out is the second studio album by English electronic music band Metronomy, released on 8 September 2008 by Because Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M83 discography</span>

The discography of French electronic music project M83. It consists of nine studio albums and thirty-four singles. Their debut studio album, M83, was released in April 2001. Their second studio album, Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, was released in April 2003. The album peaked at number 116 on the French Albums Chart. Their third studio album, Before the Dawn Heals Us, was released in January 2005. The album peaked at number 103 on the French Albums Chart. Their fourth studio album, Digital Shades Vol. 1, was released in September 2007. Their fifth studio album, Saturdays = Youth, was released in April 2008. The album peaked at number 173 on the French Albums Chart. Their sixth studio album, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, was released in October 2011. The album peaked at number 38 on the French Albums Chart. Their seventh studio album, Junk, was released in April 2016. The album peaked at number 26 on the French Albums Chart. Their eighth studio album, DSVII, was released in September 2019. The album peaked at number 98 on the French Albums Chart. The group released their ninth studio album, Fantasy, on 17 March 2023.

Nu gaze refers to a form of alternative rock that originated in the 2000s that is directly influenced by the primarily British shoegaze scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s. A renewed interest in shoegaze occurred in the early 2000s when bands such as Maps, My Vitriol, Silversun Pickups, and The Radio Dept. first emerged across both sides of the Atlantic. The origin of the moniker "nu gaze" has been credited to an interview in 2001 with My Vitriol frontman Som Wardner in which he denied his band was shoegaze, instead stating humorously, "I guess you could call us nu gaze".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interpol discography</span>

The discography of American rock band Interpol consists of seven studio albums, seven extended plays (EPs), and fifteen singles. Interpol was formed in 1997 by New York University students Daniel Kessler and Greg Drudy, with Carlos Dengler and Paul Banks joining later. Drudy left the band in 2000, and was replaced with Sam Fogarino.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mumford & Sons discography</span>

British rock band Mumford & Sons have released four studio albums, three live albums, six studio extended plays, seven live extended plays and twenty-one singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kylie Minogue singles discography</span>

The singles discography of Australian singer, songwriter and actress Kylie Minogue consists of ninety-five singles and twenty-four promotional recordings. Referred as the “Princess of Pop” by various media outlets, she has sold more than 80 million records worldwide. In Australia, she has a total of ten number-one singles, twenty-three top-ten hits and forty-seven top-forty entries. In the United Kingdom, with seven number-one singles, eleven singles that peaked at number two, thirty-five top-ten hits and fifty-two top-forty entries, she is the twelfth-best-selling singles artist and the third-best-selling female artist of all time to date, selling over 10.1 million singles.

<i>Bajan Style</i> 2012 studio album by Cover Drive

Bajan Style is the debut studio album from Barbados-based pop group Cover Drive, released on 7 May 2012 through Polydor Records. The band enlisted a variety of producers such as Future Cut, Quiz & Larossi, J.R. Rotem, Aliby, Orange Factory and Steve Mac to work on the record. The album is rooted in R&B, pop, reggae fusion, hip hop and synthpop genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lord Huron</span> American indie folk band

Lord Huron is an American indie rock band based in Los Angeles. The band is composed of Mark Barry, Miguel Briseño, Tom Renaud (guitar) and its founder, Ben Schneider. Following some solo and self-produced EPs, the group's debut album Lonesome Dreams was released in 2012 and their fourth and most recent album Long Lost was released in May 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nothing but Thieves</span> English rock band

Nothing but Thieves are a British rock band, formed in 2012 in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. They consist of lead vocalist and guitarist Conor Mason, guitarist Joe Langridge-Brown, guitarist and keyboardist Dominic Craik, bassist Philip Blake, and drummer James Price. In 2014, they signed to RCA Records and a year later in October 2015, they released their self-titled debut album. Their second album, Broken Machine was released in September 2017, receiving wide acclaim in addition to peaking at No. 2 in the UK Album Charts. They released an EP titled What Did You Think When You Made Me This Way? in October 2018, followed by their third studio album, Moral Panic, in October 2020, which peaked at No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart. This was followed in July 2021 by the album's "second part" with the EP entitled Moral Panic II. In June of 2023 they released their fourth studio album, Dead Club City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trampolene (band)</span> Welsh rock band

Trampolene are a Welsh alternative rock band from Swansea. They are Jack Jones, Wayne Thomas and Kyle "Mr" Williams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Honey (band)</span> British indie rock band

Black Honey is a British four-piece indie rock band formed in Brighton, England in 2014. The band is composed of lead singer and guitarist Izzy Baxter Phillips, guitarist Chris Ostler, bassist Tommy Taylor, and drummer Alex Woodward, who joined the group after the departure of Tom Dewhurst.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolf Alice discography</span>

English alternative rock band Wolf Alice has released three studio albums, four extended plays and twenty singles. The band self-released their first EP, Wolf Alice (2010). The band's second EP, Blush (2013) was released via Chess Club. The band's third EP, Creature Songs (2014) was released via Dirty Hit. The band released their debut studio album, My Love Is Cool, in 2015 via Dirty Hit. Their second studio album Visions of a Life was released under the same label in 2017. Their third studio album, Blue Weekend, was released under the same label in 2021.

References

  1. ↑ Nelson, Martha (29 October 2008). "My Vitriol @ Stereo, 19 Nov". The Skinny . Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  2. 1 2 Allen, Philip (6 November 2013). "My Vitriol: The Fleece, Bristol – live review". Louder Than War. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "My vitriol | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  4. ↑ Rogers, Jude (27 July 2007). "Nu=Gaze". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
  5. ↑ "The Secret Sessions". Pledgemusic.com. Archived from the original on 13 October 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  6. 1 2 "My Vitriol". Spotify. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  7. ↑ "Phase 9 interview" . Retrieved 1 December 2006.
  8. 1 2 3 26 October, Morgan; Steven. "Whatever Happened To My Vitriol?". DrownedInSound. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. 1 2 "My vitriol | KOKO London". www.koko.uk.com. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  10. ↑ Rockfeedback. "My Vitriol – 'Finelines' & 'Between The Lines' (Infectious) | RFB". www.rockfeedback.com. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  11. ↑ "Album Review: My Vitriol – Finelines / Between The Lines". Archived from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  12. ↑ "Kerrang Weekender 2002". Virtual Festivals. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  13. ↑ "My Vitriol". PledgeMusic. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  14. ↑ "XFM X-List 2002". Archived from the original on 21 June 2006. Retrieved 3 December 2006.
  15. 1 2 "My Vitriol On New Album, Cover Elliott Smith (December 27, 2003) : News : PlugInMusic.com". www.pluginmusic.com. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  16. ↑ Ryder, Shifty. "My Giddy Aunt! It's My Vitriol!!! | Gigwise". gigwise.com. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  17. ↑ "My Vitriol Studio WEBLOG: MV Set List". myvitriolstudio.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  18. ↑ "My Vitriol – Cast In Amber [Selected Live Recordings]". Discogs.com. 20 November 2006. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  19. ↑ Donohue, Alex. "Friday 24/11/06 My Vitriol, The Cinematics @ KOKO, London | Gigwise". gigwise.com. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  20. 1 2 "Manchester Music – Release Review From the Archive". www.manchestermusic.co.uk. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  21. ↑ "My Vitriol at Guilfest 2007 – RoomThirteen – Online Rock Metal Alternative Music Magazine – Reviews Interviews News Tours". www.roomthirteen.com. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  22. ↑ "My Vitriol @ Offset Festival, Hainault Forest by Cat Morley for Thrash Hits" . Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  23. ↑ "My Vitriol talk about album two, the music biz and more..." Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  24. ↑ "BBC Radio 4". BBC News. 16 January 2009. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
  25. ↑ "Astoria's last hurrah: Mansun's Paul Draper to join Get Cape, My Vitriol and more". Archived from the original on 29 July 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  26. ↑ "My Vitriol – Timeline | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  27. ↑ "Facebook update about the 2nd day of the Pledge Music campaign". Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2013– via Facebook.
  28. ↑ "Original My Vitriol Pledge Music campaign page". Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  29. ↑ "Revised My Vitriol Pledge Music campaign page". Archived from the original on 23 June 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  30. ↑ "Drowned In Sound - Whatever Happened To My Vitriol?". Archived from the original on 27 October 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  31. ↑ "My Vitriol - The Secret Sessions Discogs page". Discogs . 28 October 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  32. ↑ "Secret Sessions by My Vitriol on Amazon Music". Amazon. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  33. ↑ "Official Charts My Vitriol UK Albums Chart History". Official Charts . Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  34. ↑ "Official Charts My Vitriol UK Indie Chart History". Official Charts . Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  35. ↑ "Official Charts My Vitriol UK Rock Chart History". Official Charts . Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  36. ↑ "Official Charts My Virtiol Scottish Albums Chart History". Official Charts . Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  37. ↑ "My Vitriol UK Singles Chart positions". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  38. ↑ UK Indie Singles Chart peaks:
  39. ↑ Scottish Singles Chart peaks:
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.