Neil Halstead

Last updated

Neil Halstead
2014 WGT 287 Slowdive.jpg
Halstead performing with Slowdive in 2014
Background information
Born (1970-10-07) 7 October 1970 (age 53)
Reading, Berkshire, England
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • singer-songwriter
  • record producer
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Member of Slowdive
Formerly of Mojave 3

Neil Halstead (born 7 October 1970) is an English musician, widely known as singer, primary lyricist, and guitarist of shoegaze band Slowdive. He has been hailed by AllMusic as "one of Britain's most respected songwriters", [1] and Time Out as "one of Britain's greatest songwriters". [2]

Contents

Career

Halstead was born in Reading, Berkshire, England. He is a singer/guitarist and served as frontman and primary songwriter for the shoegaze band Slowdive, formed in 1989 out of his first band, the Pumpkin Fairies. [3] Slowdive released the albums Just for a Day (1991), Souvlaki (1993), Pygmalion (1995), Slowdive (2017) and Everything Is Alive (2023).

Halstead also recorded with a side project called Zurich with members of Seefeel and Knives ov Resistance; the trio's sole album was released in 2014. [4]

After their 1995 breakup, Slowdive morphed into the Halstead-helmed Mojave 3 and released a string of highly celebrated records that merged jangly alt-country with dusky psychedelic dream pop.

In 2006, Mojave 3 went on an indefinite hiatus, prompting Halstead to embark on an acoustic-driven solo career marked by an emphasis on British folk-inspired melody and a love of surfing. An occasional drift into more whimsical territory prompted NME to describe Halstead as "like Syd Barrett if he’d ever set foot on a surf board". Halstead's first solo album, Sleeping on Roads, was released in 2001, [5] [6] [7] followed by Oh! Mighty Engine (2008), released on friend and fellow surfer Jack Johnson's Brushfire Records label. Halstead's third solo album, Palindrome Hunches, was released in 2012; it was described as "an exquisite set of dark folk music" by The Times , [8] while God Is In The TV called it "undoubtedly one of the finest British records released this year". [9]

Halstead formed the project Black Hearted Brother in 2013, [10] releasing one album, Stars Are Our Home. [11]

Slowdive, including Halstead, reformed in 2014, and released their fourth, self-titled, album in 2017. [12]

In 2015, Halstead served as the touring guitarist for Sun Kil Moon on select European dates, including their appearance at the Primavera Sound festival. [13]

Halstead produced Mary Lattimore's 2020 album Silver Ladders . [14]

Solo discography

Studio albums

Guest appearances

Related Research Articles

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<i>Souvlaki</i> (album) 1993 studio album by Slowdive

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chapterhouse (band)</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slowdive</span> British shoegaze band

Slowdive are a British rock band that formed in Reading, Berkshire, in 1989. The band consists of Rachel Goswell on vocals, guitar and keyboard, Neil Halstead on vocals and guitar, Christian Savill on guitar, Nick Chaplin on bass guitar and Simon Scott on drums, all of whom have played on the band's debut studio album Just for a Day (1991). Halstead is the band's primary songwriter.

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Rachel Ann Goswell is an English singer-songwriter and musician who rose to prominence as vocalist and guitarist of the shoegaze band Slowdive, which formed in 1989. Goswell, along with Neil Halstead, Ian McCutcheon and former Chapterhouse member Simon Rowe became Mojave 3 when Slowdive transitioned to a more country/folk rock style. She released a solo album in 2004, titled Waves Are Universal on 4AD Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mojave 3</span> British band

Mojave 3 were a British rock band consisting of former Slowdive members Neil Halstead, Rachel Goswell and Ian McCutcheon (drums) alongside keyboardist Alan Forrester and former Chapterhouse guitarist Simon Rowe.

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<i>Just for a Day</i> 1991 studio album by Slowdive

Just for a Day is the debut studio album by English rock band Slowdive. It was released on 2 September 1991 by Creation Records.

<i>Pygmalion</i> (album) 1995 studio album by Slowdive

Pygmalion is the third studio album by English rock band Slowdive, released on 6 February 1995 by Creation Records. It was the group's final album before their reformation in 2014, and their only album with Ian McCutcheon, who had replaced Simon Scott on drums.

<i>Ask Me Tomorrow</i> 1995 studio album by Mojave 3

Ask Me Tomorrow is the debut album by Mojave 3, released by 4AD on 16 October 1995 in the UK and on 16 January 1996 in the US. The album was released roughly eight months after the release of Pygmalion, the third studio album by Mojave 3 founders Neil Halstead, Rachel Goswell, and Ian McCutcheon's previous band Slowdive.

<i>Outside Your Room</i> 1993 EP by Slowdive

Outside Your Room is the fourth EP by English shoegaze band Slowdive. Its title is taken from the lyrics of the song "Alison", which was also a single from their album Souvlaki. It reached No. 69 in the UK Singles Chart.

<i>Out of Tune</i> (album) 1998 studio album by Mojave 3

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<i>Silver Ladders</i> (album) 2020 studio album by Mary Lattimore

Silver Ladders is the fourth studio album by American harpist Mary Lattimore. It was released on October 9, 2020 under the Ghostly International label. Produced by Slowdive's Neil Halstead, it has been described as the album where Lattimore "sets herself apart as a bright innovator who pushes expectation."

<i>Everything Is Alive</i> (album) 2023 studio album by Slowdive

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References

  1. "Neil Halstead – Biography & History – AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  2. "Richard Winham Interviews Neil Halstead". Wutc.org. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  3. "The Pumpkin Fairies discography". RateYourMusic.com. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  4. "Important Records announces upcoming LPs by Ashley Paul, Zurich, Aidan Baker, and Mugstar + Damo Suzuki". Tinymixtapes.com. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  5. 1 2 Sleeping on Roads – Neil Halstead, AllMusic. "Release Date: January 28, 2002; Duration: 48:20"
  6. Neil Halstead: Sleeping on Roads, Amazon.com. "Release Date: January 28, 2002; Label: 4AD; Copyright: 2002 4AD Ltd; Length: 48:19"
  7. iTunes – Music – Sleeping on Roads by Neil Halstead. "Released: Jul 01, 2001; ℗ 2001 4AD; Length: 48:19"
  8. "Neil Halstead – Palindrome Hunches". Rough Trade. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  9. "Neil Halstead – Palindrome Hunches (Sonic Cathedral) – God Is In The TV". Godisinthetvzine.co.uk. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  10. "Black Hearted Brother: Stars Are Our Home". Popmatters.com. 16 January 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  11. "The Quietus – Reviews – Black Hearted Brother". Thequietus.com. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  12. "New Album Announcement". Slowdiveofficial.com. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  13. Weiss, Dan (14 May 2015). "Stream Another New (Ten-Minute!) Track From Sun Kil Moon's Upcoming Album". Spin.
  14. Interviews, Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews &; Murray, Robin (15 July 2020). "Mary Lattimore Teams With Slowdive's Neil Halstead On New Album". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 17 October 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)