Pete and the Pirates

Last updated

Pete and the Pirates
Pete&thePirates 013 Tilburg.jpg
Performing live at 013, Tilburg in 2009
Background information
Origin Reading, Berkshire, England
Genres Indie pop, indie rock, post-punk revival
Years active20042012
Labels Stolen Recordings
Little Teddy Recordings
MembersThomas Sanders
Pete Hefferan
David Thorpe
Pete Cattermoul
Jonny Sanders
Website www.peteandthepirates.co.uk/

Pete and the Pirates were an English indie rock band from Reading, Berkshire, England. [1] The band consisted of Thomas Sanders (vocals), Peter Hefferan (vocals and guitar), David Thorpe (guitar), Peter Cattermoul (bass) and Jonny Sanders (drums). [2]

Contents

History

Beginnings and Get Even EP (2004-2005)

Brothers Tommy Sanders and Jonny Sanders grew up playing music together at home in their early teens. Jonny later played in a band with Guitarist David Thorpe while attending Maiden Erlegh School in Reading. It was not until they all left school that they met with Bassist Peter Cattermoul and Guitarist Peter Hefferan, who had also played music together in their late teens, that the band was formed. Initially, the lineup did not include Tommy Sanders and was fronted by Peter Hefferan.

After playing just a few shows around Reading, the band were invited on a short tour with all-girl punk band Wetdog, who took them to play at The Spitz in Spitalfield Market. It was here that the band was picked up by a new indie label, Stolen Recordings, and where they would begin to build their reputation as an exciting live act. Just a few months later, the bands was in a studio in Hornsey making their first EP.

The band's first release, the Get Even EP, was limited to 500 numbered CDs, all with handmade covers.

Rough Trade wrote of the EP "The six tracks have folk bits, byrdsy harmony bits, kraut-rock frug-outs, punk blasts of power and superb pop moments all segued and strewn together carelessly but precisely. It's oddball and charming and would sit perfectly next to the englishness of the Mystery Jets or Wire, although they sound like neither." [3]

Wait, Stop, Begin EP (2006-2007)

After the release of their first EP, the band came to the notice of Jason Lamont of CMO Management. The band continued to play more shows around London and the UK and Tommy Sanders joined the group in 2006. Sometime after this the band were approached by Lamont for management and also by William Morris Endeavor for live bookings. Songs from Wait, Stop Begin would appear later on the debut album Little Death.

On 25 August 2007 the band played in the Carling Tent at Reading Festival. They also played guerilla gigs in the campsite later that day, which came to the attention of the NME who featured an article in their magazine. [4]

Little Death (2008-2010)

In June 2007 they released their debut single "Come On Feet" on Stolen Recordings and were championed by Steve Lamacq on his In New Music We Trust radio show on BBC Radio 1. [3] It also featured in EA Sports game, UEFA Euro 2008 .

Their first album Little Death, produced by Gareth Parton and the band, was released on 17 February 2008. It was described by NME as "perfect pop without the pretence". [5] Pitchfork gave Little Death 8 out of 10 saying "Even if you'd be loathe[ sic ] to admit it to your friends, "Dry Wings", with lines like, "Time for bed / Find a girl and go to bed / Close your eyes / Stars are falling from the sky," is mighty affecting—a winking galaxy of jangled wist, sweet, staggered harmonies and a gawky, yearning sense of wonder." [6] The Guardian gave the album 3 out of 5 stars saying, "this eclecticism does make Little Death feel like the work of several different bands. No matter. There is imagination to spare here, as well as the occasional winning lyric." [7] Conversely, in a review by Vice Magazine, Little Death was given 0 out of 10 and winner of the "worst album of the month" category. [8] In this review, written by Stewy Matterson, the album was described as "jangly guitar music that doesn't actually sound like it wants to be heard by anybody apart from [the band's] mothers".

The band played several support dates with Maxïmo Park, Vampire Weekend, Pigeon Detectives and Gossip and were the headline act at Club NME at London's KOKO in September 2008. Pete and the Pirates also performed BBC 6 Music sessions on shows with Stephen Merchant (co-creator of The Office ), George Lamb and more frequently Marc Riley.

"Mr Understanding" was the band's biggest track to date and featured on many TV shows including The Inbetweeners and also in the trailer for the film Hamlet 2 starring Steve Coogan.

One Thousand Pictures (2011-2012)

The band's second album, One Thousand Pictures , produced by Brendan Lynch, was released in the UK on 23 May 2011 to much critical acclaim - the Sunday Express and Artrocker both gave the Album 5 star reviews and Mark Beaumont from NME gave the Album an 8/10 score, describing the music as "Pop in a tar-pit – black and sticky but wonderfully pure at heart". It was also reviewed in The Guardian , Q and many other magazines and broadsheets. The band had become known for their straight-up accented vocal delivery, as noted by Johnny Dee for The Guardian, "you can practically smell the Thames on every word".[ citation needed ]

The first single from the album, "Come to the Bar", was released on 14 March 2011. The promo video was directed by Rohan Thomas and Tylie Cox and was shot at The Lexington in Angel, London. The video features an interpretive dance performance from Daniela Neugebauer and colour grading from Reuben Sutherland. The song later appeared during the end credits of the Channel 4 show Sirens .

To promote the record the band toured the UK in April and May 2011 with a sold-out show at Heaven, London on 26 May. The Fly reviewed "Celebrating the release of new album 'One Thousand Pictures', the band have refined their audience, marking out a clear divide between their work and that of countless indistinguishable landfill indie bands". [9] They also played an in-store show at Rough Trade East on 2 June 2011.

The second single "United" was released on 16 May 2011. The band requested footage of cats from fans through their website and mailing list to include in the video for the song. The video also features the band hanging around with various cats. [10]

Marc Riley of BBC 6 Music has been one of the band's most prominent enthusiasts, inviting them to perform on his show on numerous occasions. The band have achieved playlists on BBC 6 Music and XFM as well as spot plays on BBC Radio 1, where Zane Lowe gave "Come To The Bar" his "Hottest Record in the World" for the song's first radio play. [11]

"Blood Gets Thin" was used in an episode of The Protector and of American Horror Story , and in a trailer for the fourth season of Breaking Bad .

A large number of CD and vinyl copies of the album were scorched in a fire at Sony's distribution warehouse during the 2011 England riots. [12]

The band toured the UK and Europe from September to November 2011, with a headline show at the Scala in London on 4 October and a 9,000 capacity show with Kaiser Chiefs at Kirkstall Abbey on 10 September. [13] However, their activity was minimal during 2012, and in late October 2012, Marc Riley, on his BBC 6 Music radio show, confirmed the rumours that the band had split up. No official statement has been released.

Tommy, Jonny and Peter Cattermoul have reformed under the name Teleman. [14]

Peter Hefferan now fronts a band called The 3.1419 Wonders, and recently toured with Dan le Sac, [15] as well as singing on a track on his latest album Space Between the Words.

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
UK
[16]
UK
Indie

[16]
Little Death 716
One Thousand Pictures
  • Released: 23 May 2011 [17]
  • Label: Stolen Recordings
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download
7510

EPs

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album
TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
UK
Sales

[16]
UK
Indie

[16]
SCO
[18]
"Come On Feet"200726Little Death
"Knots"851082
"Mr. Understanding"200845556
"She Doesn't Belong To Me"596
"Jennifer / Blood Gets Thin"Non-album single
"Come To The Bar"2011One Thousand Pictures
"United"
"Half Moon Street"
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Solo projects

Some members of the band have worked on solo projects including Tommy Sanders' Tap Tap.

Related Research Articles

Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. They comprise Thom Yorke ; the brothers Jonny Greenwood and Colin Greenwood (bass); Ed O'Brien ; and Philip Selway. They have worked with the producer Nigel Godrich and the cover artist Stanley Donwood since 1994. Radiohead's experimental approach is credited with advancing the sound of alternative rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard Butler</span> Musical artist

Bernard Joseph Butler is a British musician and record producer. He is best known as guitarist with Suede, until his departure in 1994. He has been hailed by some critics as the greatest guitarist of his generation; BBC journalist Mark Savage called him "one of Britain's most original and influential guitarists". He was voted the 24th greatest guitarist of the last 30 years in a national 2010 BBC poll and is often seen performing with a 1961 cherry red Gibson ES-355 TD SV with a Bigsby vibrato tailpiece.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Doherty</span> English musician, actor and poet (born 1979)

Peter Doherty is an English musician, songwriter, actor, poet, writer and artist. He is best known for being co-frontman of the Libertines, which he formed with Carl Barât in 1997. His other musical projects are indie band Babyshambles and Peter Doherty and the Puta Madres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The La's</span> English rock band

The La's were an English rock band from Liverpool, originally active from 1983 until 1992. Fronted by singer, songwriter and guitarist Lee Mavers, the group are best known for their hit single "There She Goes". The band was formed by Mike Badger in 1983 and Mavers joined the next year, although for most of the group's history, the frequently changing line-up revolved around the core duo of Lee Mavers and John Power along with numerous other guitarists and drummers including Paul Hemmings, John "Timmo" Timson, Peter "Cammy" Cammell, Iain Templeton, John "Boo" Byrne, Chris Sharrock, Barry Sutton and Neil Mavers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elbow (band)</span> English alternative rock band

Elbow are an English rock band formed in Bury, Greater Manchester in 1997. The band consists of Guy Garvey, Craig Potter, Mark Potter and Pete Turner. They have played together since 1990, adopting the name Elbow in 1997. Drummer Alex Reeves replaced Richard Jupp in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloc Party</span> English indie rock band

Bloc Party are an English rock band that was formed in London in 1999 by co-founders Kele Okereke and Russell Lissack. They are joined in the band's current iteration by Louise Bartle and touring bassist Harry Deacon. Former members Matt Tong, Gordon Moakes and Justin Harris left the band in 2013, 2015 and 2023 respectively. Their brand of music, whilst rooted in rock, retains elements of other genres such as electronica and house music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Babyshambles</span> English rock band

Babyshambles were an English rock band established in London. The band was formed by Pete Doherty during a hiatus from the Libertines. As of 2013 the band included Mick Whitnall, Drew McConnell and Adam Ficek. Babyshambles have released three albums—Down in Albion (2005), Shotter's Nation (2007) and Sequel to the Prequel (2013)—three EPs and a number of singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biffy Clyro</span> Scottish rock band

Biffy Clyro are a Scottish rock band that formed in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, composed of Simon Neil, James Johnston, and Ben Johnston. Currently signed to 14th Floor Records, they have released nine studio albums, six of which reached the top five in the UK Albums Chart, with their sixth studio album, Opposites claiming their first UK No. 1 album. Three consecutive studio albums peaked at number one in the UK official albums chart. After their first three albums, the band expanded their following significantly in 2007 with the release of their fourth album, Puzzle, creating more mainstream songs with simpler rhythms and distancing themselves from the more unusual dissonant style present in their previous three albums. Puzzle peaked at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart on 16 June 2007. The album went platinum in the UK in 2012, having sold over 300,000 copies. In the early 2010’s, they built up a reputation of being one of the biggest rock bands in the UK.

<i>Up the Bracket</i> 2002 studio album by The Libertines

Up the Bracket is the debut album by English indie rock band The Libertines, released in October 2002. It reached #35 in the UK Albums Chart. The album was part of a resurgence for the British indie/alternative scene and received widespread praise from critics and has quickly become considered one of the greatest albums of the 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Kooks</span> English indie rock band

The Kooks are an English pop-rock band formed in 2004 in Brighton. The band consists of Luke Pritchard, Hugh Harris and Alexis Nunez (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boy Kill Boy</span>

Boy Kill Boy were an English rock band based in Leytonstone, East London. The band produced two studio albums and six singles before splitting in 2008. Their highest charting single was "Suzie", which reached #17 in the UK singles chart in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The View (band)</span> Scottish indie rock band

The View are a Scottish indie rock band that formed in Dundee, Angus in 2005. They incorporate various styles such as punk, pop, alternative rock, and folk in their music. They are best known for their 2007 single "Same Jeans" which reached number 3 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Maccabees (band)</span> Indie rock band

The Maccabees were an English indie rock band, formed in 2004 in London. They released four albums: Colour It In in 2007, followed by Wall of Arms in 2009, Given to the Wild which was released on 9 January 2012 and their last album Marks to Prove It released on 31 July 2015. The band announced that they decided to disband in August 2016, with farewell gigs in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip</span> Band

dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip were a hip-hop duo, combining electronic beats with sung, spoken, and rapped lyrics. The pair are Daniel Stephens, and David Peter Meads (b.1981). The name "Scroobius Pip" is an intentional misspelling of the Edward Lear poem, The Scroobious Pip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bombay Bicycle Club</span> English indie rock band

Bombay Bicycle Club are an English indie rock band from Crouch End, London, consisting of Jack Steadman, Jamie MacColl, Suren de Saram, and Ed Nash. They are guitar-fronted and have experimented with different genres, including folk, electronica, world music and indie rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Lies (band)</span> English post-punk band

White Lies are an English post-punk revival band from Ealing, London. Formerly known as Fear of Flying, the core band members are Harry McVeigh, Charles Cave, and Jack Lawrence-Brown (drums). The band performs live as a four-piece, when they are joined by Tommy Bowen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The King Blues</span>

The King Blues are a British punk rock band from London credited for fusing punk and hip hop together with influences from ska and spoken word. Tariq Ali described the band's sounds as "rough, radical music that should unsettle the rulers of this country. A new generation of musicians are challenging war-monger politicians and their courtiers". Influences include Public Enemy, The Clash and The Specials. Lead singer Jonny "Itch" Fox describes the band's sound as 'rebel street music.'

General Fiasco are an indie rock group from Bellaghy, Northern Ireland. Since their formation in 2006, they have toured with Little Comets, Fighting With Wire, The Wombats, One Night Only, The Pigeon Detectives, The Enemy, Jet and Kids in Glass Houses. They released their debut album Buildings on 22 March 2010 on Infectious Records and released their second album Unfaithfully Yours on 30 July 2012 on Dirty Hit.

Tap Tap were a British band fronted by Thomas Sanders, former lead singer of Pete and the Pirates and current frontman of Teleman.

Teleman are an English indie pop band formed in London in 2011. The group consists of Thomas Sanders, Pete Cattermoul (bass) and Hiro Ama (drums).

References

  1. "Pete and the Pirates | Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos". Myspace.
  2. "Stolen Recordings". Archived from the original on 16 May 2008.
  3. 1 2 "Independent purveyors of great music, since 1976". Rough Trade. Archived from the original on 22 August 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  4. "Pete And The Pirates plan festival guerrilla gigs". NME . 16 March 2008. Archived from the original on 16 March 2008. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  5. "Pete and the Pirates | NME". NME . 15 February 2008.
  6. "Pete & the Pirates: Little Death: Pitchfork Record Review". 5 April 2008. Archived from the original on 5 April 2008. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  7. "CD: Pete and the Pirates, Little Death". the Guardian. 15 February 2008.
  8. "Vice Magazine - RECORDS - Music Reviews - v15n2". Archived from the original on 3 December 2008.
  9. "Pete & The Pirates / Live Reviews / Music News". Archive.today. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  10. "Pete and the Pirates - United". YouTube. 5 May 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  11. Zane Lowe. "Zane Lowe's Hottest Records blog: Hottest Record - Pete & the Pirates - Come to the Bar". BBC . Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  12. Lindvall, Helienne (11 August 2011). "Behind the music: How the Pias fire affects labels, artists and record stores". The Guardian. London.
  13. "TOUR | Pete and the Pirates". Archived from the original on 25 August 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  14. "Teleman". Telemanmusic.com. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  15. "dan le sac & Friends SUPPORTS Announced! | dan le sac, here lies the idiot". Danlesac.co.uk. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  16. 1 2 3 4 "PETE & THE PIRATES | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  17. "Pete and the Pirates announce new album details". NME. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  18. Peaks in Scotland: