Proxies (band)

Last updated

Proxies
Proxies-reading.jpg
Proxies at Reading Festival in August 2012.
Background information
Origin Yorkshire, England
Genres
Years active2010–2013
LabelsUnsigned
Members
  • Joseph Todd
  • Jordan Fish
  • Alex James Binnington
  • Greg T Brown
  • Alex James Partington
Past members
  • Joshua Rumble
Website proxiesmusic.com

Proxies were a British alternative rock band that combined many styles of rock and electronica, founded in Yorkshire, England in 2010.

Contents

History

Formation (2010)

Proxies was founded in the summer of 2010 by songwriters Jordan Fish and Joseph Todd, initially under the name Loki. When Loki began to gain attention quickly through the use of social media platforms such as Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook, Fish they announced that they had changed the name of the band to Proxies and simultaneously released all the demo tracks the band had previously recorded in the form of free downloads. Proxies collaborated with musician/hacker YTCracker for their first demo under the new alias, in which ytcracker references the name change.

New members (2011–present)

In autumn 2010, it was revealed that Jordan's childhood friend, and drummer, Alex Binnington, had joined the band and Proxies performed their live debut as guests for select dates on English rock band Canterbury's tour, followed up by acting as direct support for Hadouken!'s concerts scheduled between the band's dates on Pendulum's Immersion Tour. The band have continued to use social media outlets to promote themselves, and have garnered a considerable following online,[ citation needed ] particularly through Fish's Twitter account, which was often used to make free downloads directly available, bypassing conventional methods.

On 2 May 2011, Proxies debuted their current line-up with a live bassist at London's Monto Water Rats venue while performing as direct support for Patrick Stump. On 22 May, it was announced that Joshua Rumble had joined as a permanent member of the band. [1]

The band's first single, "If I Had A Penny To My Name", featuring vocals from friend of the band Sean Smith of The Blackout, was debuted on BBC Introducing Humberside on 13 November 2011. Shortly afterwards, a video compiled from footage videographer Jordan Green filmed while spending ten days with the band, including clips of the band playing live, behind-the-scenes studio footage of recording the track with Sean Smith and Gareth McGrillen, and also brief clips of Fish with British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, was released [2] as the official video for the single.

It was announced that "If I Had A Penny To My Name" would be playlisted on BBC Radio 1 as part of the BBC Introducing program. [3] It was to receive its debut national airplay on Fearne Cotton's radio show on 19 March 2012, the same day that the track will be released for purchase; [4] however the same day's show included a special Live Lounge for pop singer Katy Perry which overran until the end of the show, [5] causing Proxies debut to be rescheduled. The track was finally debuted on Scott Mills' Radio 1 show on 20 March 2012.

From 9 May 2013 the band appear to have split up. They shut down their various social media outlets and website and signed off cryptically via their Twitter.

However, another band page at stopdreaming.co.uk appeared soon after this, with the linked Stop Dreaming Facebook page indicating Jordan Fish, Alex Partington, and Joe Todd as band members. There have also been numerous tracks on SoundCloud that hint towards the bands, a track called "Chimera (Demo)" released in June 2014 by user joerobot tagged with "#proxies", whilst three new tracks with Stop Dreaming artwork have been posted under a collection titled "whatever, forever" in 2013 by user jmfish.

Live performances

Proxies have toured and performed with the likes of Kids in Glass Houses, Patrick Stump, [6] Hadouken!, [7] The Blackout and Metronomy [8] as well as performing a series of headline shows in summer 2012. [9] In February 2012, Proxies also performed as part of HMV's Next Big Thing. [10]

In April 2012, NME magazine announced that Proxies would play Club NME at London's Koko in June. [11]

Proxies joined the festival circuit in 2012, completing a series of festivals around the UK, including Reading and Leeds Festival, [12] Boardmasters, [13] Redfest, [14] Y Not Festival, Merthyr Rock, [15] Underground Festival and Takedown Festival. [16]

Band members

Discography

Proxies headlining Newcastle's O2 Academy in 2010. PROXIESLIVENEWCASTLE.jpg
Proxies headlining Newcastle's O2 Academy in 2010.

EPs

YearAlbum
Release Date
2012Lost Tapes Vol. 121 June 2012
2012Lost Tapes Vol. 26 September 2012

Singles

YearTitleLabel
Release Date
2012"If I Had A Penny To My Name (ft. Sean Smith)"Theia Mania Recordings19 March 2012
2012"Trojan (Inside Your Chest)"Theia Mania Recordings9 May 2012
2012"Guillotine"Theia Mania RecordingsTBA

Proxies Remixed

Proxies Remixes

Other songs

Videography

Related Research Articles

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

The Strokes are an American rock band formed in New York City in 1998. The band is composed of lead singer and primary songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti. They were a leading group of the early-2000s garage rock revival and post-punk revival movements.

The Others are an English rock band. They signed to Poptones in July 2004 and their eponymous debut album was released on 31 January 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penny Broadhurst</span> Musical artist

Penny Broadhurst, is a British pop singer, songwriter, writer and spoken word artist from the north of England. She listed Kate Bush, Doctor Who, Prefab Sprout, Lloyd Cole, Belle & Sebastian, Kirsty MacColl and The Smiths among her many influences. She ceased all use of this name for creative work in late 2009 and has changed her name in private life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Automatic</span> Welsh rock band

The Automatic were a Welsh rock band. The band's last-known lineup was composed of Robin Hawkins on vocals, bass and synthesisers, James Frost on guitar, synthesisers, backing vocals and occasional bass, Iwan Griffiths on drums and Paul Mullen on vocals, guitar and synthesiser. Mullen joined after the departure of Alex Pennie, who provided synthesiser, percussion and vocals.

<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 Twilight Sad</span> Scottish post-punk/indie rock band

The Twilight Sad are a Scottish post-punk/indie rock band, comprising James Graham (vocals), Andy MacFarlane (guitar), Johnny Docherty (bass), Brendan Smith (keyboards) and Grant Hutchison (drums). They have released five studio albums, as well as several EPs, live recordings and singles. Their 2007 debut album, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters, drew widespread acclaim from critics, who noted Graham's thick Scottish accent and MacFarlane's dense sonic walls of shoegazing guitar and wheezing accordion. The Twilight Sad's notoriously loud live performances have been described as "completely ear-splitting", and the band toured for the album across Europe and the United States throughout 2007 and 2008. Sessions inspired by stripped-down and reworked live performances yielded the 2008 mini-album, Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hadouken! (band)</span> British dance-punk band

Hadouken! were a British dance-punk band formed in London in 2006 by singer, songwriter and producer James Smith and synth player Alice Spooner along with guitarist Daniel "Pilau" Rice, bassist Christopher Purcell and drummer Nick Rice. The band took its name from the special attack of the same name from the Street Fighter video game series. It was in Leeds that Hadouken! began their own record label, Surface Noise Records.

<i>The Zone</i> (Enter Shikari album) 2007 compilation album by Enter Shikari

The Zone is the first compilation album by British rock band Enter Shikari. It was announced on 1 October 2007 by one of the members of Ambush Reality and was released on 12 November 2007. The compilation features b-sides, demos and a remix by Rou's side-project, Routron 5000. The first few released have 2 hidden tracks, these were put on by mistake. Three tracks are from the BBC Radio 1 Zane Lowe Session performance.

<i>Not Here to Please You</i> 2007 EP by Hadouken!

Not Here to Please You is an EP by British band Hadouken! released in USB form and digital download only.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Late of the Pier</span> English dance-punk band

Late of the Pier was an English four-piece dance-punk band from Castle Donington, signed to Parlophone. Their debut album Fantasy Black Channel, produced by Erol Alkan, was released in 2008 by Parlophone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redfest</span> Music festival

Redfest was an annual music festival at Robins Cook Farm, Kings Mill Lane, Nutfield, Redhill, Surrey, England. It was established in 2007 as a small independent music festival geared toward youth, with over 70 per cent of its initial attenders expected to be under 17, and promised to be safer than its competitors such as GuilFest and Reading. The 2014 event took place over three days, from 24 to 26 July 2012. It featured a main stage, the Total Uprawr Stage, the Introducing Stage and two dance tents. The headliners on the main stage were Peace and Skindred.

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

Haunts were a British rock band based in north London. Described as 'Noirists', their musical style combined elements of punk, new wave, dance, prog rock, indie and Britpop. The band referred to themselves simply as 'new wave'. Haunts' line-up consisted of Banks, Alex Woodcock, Gareth Grover and Mitch Mitchener. Haunts disbanded in 2009.

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

The Big Pink are an English electronic rock band from London, consisting of multi-instrumentalists Robertson "Robbie" Furze, Akiko Matsuura and Charlie Barker. Initially a duo, they signed to independent record label 4AD in 2009 and won the NME Philip Hall Radar Award for best new act. To date, they have released five singles, with their debut album A Brief History of Love released in September 2009 and its follow-up, Future This released in January 2012.

<i>Mixtape</i> (Hadouken! EP) 2007 compilation album by Hadouken!

Mixtape is a collection of tracks merged by Leeds-based grindie band Hadouken! to create a mixtape. The tracks include Hadouken! remixes of other songs, and a demo version of the band's debut single, "That Boy That Girl". The mixtape was released as a free digital download following the band's previous single, "Liquid Lives".

Foxes Faux were an English band that play a mixture of folk, punk and rock music. They formed in Keighley, West Yorkshire, England and played their first gig at Victoria Hall in their home town in January 2009. Originally, they choose to busk or play acoustically over traditional gigs. They also have become well known for playing additional acoustic sets after their typical PA gigs have finished. Since adding a rock rhythm section, they have almost exclusively played pub and club gigs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beady Eye</span> 2010s English rock band

Beady Eye were an English rock band formed in London in 2009 by Oasis member Liam Gallagher (vocals), and former members Gem Archer (guitar), Andy Bell (guitar), and Chris Sharrock (drums). The band was created when Oasis' lead guitarist and primary songwriter Noel Gallagher quit in August 2009, after which the remaining members decided to rename themselves and continue making music. Jeff Wootton joined as bassist until his departure in 2013; former Kasabian guitarist Jay Mehler replaced him.

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

Tribes are a British four-piece indie rock band, based in Camden Town, London, England, that formed in 2010. The group consists of former Operahouse members Johnny Lloyd, Dan White (guitar) and Jim Cratchley (bass), along with White's childhood friend, Miguel Demelo (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Blackout (band)</span> British post-hardcore band

The Blackout are a Welsh post-hardcore band from Merthyr Tydfil, formed in 2003. In 2007, the band released their debut album, We Are the Dynamite. Their second record, The Best in Town, was released in 2009. The band's third album, Hope, was released in 2011 and charted at number 27 in the UK album chart. Their fourth studio album, Start the Party, was released in 2013. The Blackout's final release was a five-track EP entitled Wolves, with their farewell tour held in early 2015, finishing in their hometown of Merthyr Tydfil in March 2015.

Swiss Lips were a five-piece electropop band from Manchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Fish</span> British keyboardist

Jordan Keith Attwood Fish is a British musician. He was the keyboardist and producer of the rock band Bring Me the Horizon from 2012 until his departure in 2023. Fish appeared on five studio releases with the band, Sempiternal (2013), That's the Spirit (2015), Amo (2019), Post Human: Survival Horror (2020) and Post Human: Nex Gen (2024). Before joining the group, he was in the bands Proxies and Worship from 2010 to 2013.

References

  1. Proxies announce new member Joshua Rumble, May 2011
  2. "ROCKSOUND: Proxies release new video".{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  3. "BBC – BBC Introducing: Proxies".{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  4. "Fearne Cotton to debut Proxies first single on BBC Radio 1".{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  5. "Proxies Radio 1 debuted delayed by Katy Perry's tardy live lounge".{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  6. "Patrick Stump's debut UK show with support from Proxies". Glasswerk.
  7. "Hit The Floor Blog – Proxies Hadouken Tour News". Hit The Floor Magazine.
  8. "Proxies and Metronomy live at Thekla" . Retrieved 15 April 2011.
  9. "Proxies profiled with show listings at NME". NME Magazine.
  10. "HMV Official Updates: Next Big Thing with Hadouken & Proxies". HMV.
  11. "NME – Missing Andy & Proxies to play Club NME". NME.
  12. "NME – BBC Introducing line up for Reading & Leeds announced". NME. 23 July 2012.
  13. "Relentless Energy Sessions line up announced for Boardmasters".
  14. "Proxies to play Redfest 2012". Redfest.
  15. "BBC – Merthyr Rock stages announced". BBC. 26 July 2012.
  16. "Rock Industry News: Proxies". Rock Industry. 8 March 2012.