Skint & Demoralised

Last updated

Skint & Demoralised
S&D by Kerry Harrison 4 -Web- (33737304168).jpg
Background information
Origin Wakefield and Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
GenresPop, indie, spoken word
Years active2007 (2007)–2013 (2013), 2019 (2019)–present
Labels Mercury (2008–10), Heist Or Hit (2011–2013), Fierce Panda (2019–present)
MembersMatt Abbott
David Gledhill
Website skintanddemoralised.net

Skint & Demoralised are a British alternative indie/pop act, fronted by lyricist Matt Abbott from Wakefield, West Yorkshire and produced by David Gledhill from Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Formed in 2007, the band released several records and toured the UK between 2007 and 2013. After spending six years pursuing individual projects, Skint & Demoralised announced a new single, which was released on Fierce Panda in spring 2019. [1]

Contents

Early years and formation

Skint & Demoralised began when Wakefield teenager Matt Abbott started doing stand-up performance poetry in late 2006. [2] With themes such as tales from seaside towns [3] and tragic nights-out, [4] he was often a hit with a pleasantly surprised audience. [5] These included support slots for Reverend and the Makers, [6] Last Gang and The Research. Abbott also performed for Love Music Hate Racism and was later to take part in a House of Commons press conference on racism. [7] [5]

In 2007, Abbott was contacted on MySpace by producer MiNI dOG, with whom he began to write. MiNI dOG began to turn Abbott's poetry into songs by chopping them apart and laying them over backing tracks before the two had even met. However, after meeting the pair developed a strong songwriting partnership, with Abbott writing lyrics and MiNI dOG writing the music and producing demos. [6] In 2008 they released a debut single, "The Thrill Of Thirty Seconds". [6]

After uploading demos onto MySpace, free download sites and also posting CDs out to DJs, the band were played and interviewed on various radio shows including Steve Lamacq on BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6 Music, [8] Shamir Masri's 'Raw Talent' on BBC Radio Sheffield and on Yorkshire Radio. [9] The band also received airplay on BBC Radio 1 from Colin Murray and Huw Stephens and, in March 2008, recorded a live session at Maida Vale Studios for Steve Lamacq. [10]

The band signed to Mercury Records in March 2008 (part of the Universal Music Group) and released three singles, however, after recording an album in New York, the act parted company with the label in 2010. [11]

Live performances

Video still from 43 Degrees 43 Degrees video still - Andrew Little.png
Video still from 43 Degrees

Skint & Demoralised's first headline UK tour was in February 2009 and included dates across the UK. One distinguishing feature of the live sets is Abbott's spoken word poems. During early live performances, he would recite the anti-racism poem BNP: Nazis on the Doorstep and often climbed on top of a nearby monitor or fixture to do so. [12] He has supported and performed with Love Music Hate Racism since his early career and has often spoken of his support for the organisation in interviews. [13]

In addition to supporting one of Abbott's main influences, poet John Cooper Clarke, at The Duchess in York, the band performed at several new music festivals in 2009 such as Camden Crawl in London and The Great Escape in Brighton as well as major festivals such as Glastonbury Festival, Wireless Festival in Hyde Park, London, Latitude Festival in Suffolk, Leeds and Reading Festival and Bestival on the Isle of Wight. Over the summer of 2010, Abbott also performed several spoken word/stand-up comedy gigs which included dates at Latitude Festival and Leeds Festival. [14]

2011 saw them tour the UK to promote the release of their first two albums, with headline shows alongside support slots for Art Brut, The Crookes and John Cooper Clarke. They ended the year headlining the Full English Christmas festival in Berlin and Dresden, alongside other English acts including The Lovely Eggs. [15] Their 2019 comeback show took place at London indie venue The Social in Fitzrovia. [16]

Debut album, Love, And Other Catastrophes

Whilst signed to Mercury, Skint & Demoralised recorded their debut album Love And Other Catastrophes in 2008 with funk/soul session band The Dap-Kings at The Daptone Studios in Brooklyn, New York. [7] [6] [2] The second half of the session was at RAK Studios in St John's Wood, London, produced by Gledhill, credited as MiNI dOG. MiNI dOG also mixed eight of the tracks, with the other four being mixed by Jeremy Wheatley.

The single "Red Lipstick" was released July 2009 by Mercury. [7] As well as a TV appearance and performance on Loose Women , they enjoyed national airplay over the summer of 2009 with the single "Red Lipstick", spending several weeks on the BBC Radio 1 B-List and being chosen as the "Weekend Anthem" by Sara Cox. This single was also included in the playlist for the long running BBC TV series Waterloo Road series 5, episode 7 [17] and features alongside debut single "The Thrill of Thirty Seconds" in the series 3 soundtrack for BBC TV series Gavin & Stacey . National broadsheet and tabloid press followed from Q Magazine, Clash Magazine , [18] The Independent , [19] and The Sunday Times' Culture magazine [7] and The Guardian . [2]

However, the album was leaked online months before it was due to be released, which included full-length promotional copies being sold on eBay and large numbers of downloads through illegal file sharing. It was never officially released by Mercury Records, but was eventually released by indie label Heist Or Hit alongside the band's second album This Sporting Life in summer 2011. [20] The album was also released on 12" vinyl with bonus tracks, by German indie label Firestation Records in 2011. [21]

Second album, This Sporting Life

On 21 September 2010, Abbott announced via his Twitter and Facebook pages that the band would be reforming, after it was initially announced over a year ago that they had split up in favour of a solo project from Abbott. A second album was written and recorded in the last few months of the year at MiNI dOG's home studio in Sheffield.

Videos were made for demo tracks from the second album, setting the songs to stills from Abbott's favourite films including A Taste of Honey , Saturday Night and Sunday Morning , L'Appartement , [22] Amélie and Trainspotting . [23]

With a new line up the band played several live dates over spring 2011 and announced that they'd signed a deal with Indie label Heist Or Hit Records. [20] Both the band's new album This Sporting Life and their previously unreleased debut Love And Other Catastrophes were released as a 2CD Bonus Edition on 2 August 2011.

The new album was named after the 1963 Wakefield based kitchen-sink drama of the same name.

Third album, The Bit Between The Teeth

In August 2012, the third album, The Bit Between The Teeth, was announced in an interview on a Canadian music site, [24] with an official announcement detailing the band's single release on the record label's website in 2013. [25] In the same announcement, the release date for the album was given as 8 April 2013. The band announced later in July that this album would be their last as Skint & Demoralised.

Fourth album, We Are Humans

In March 2019, Skint & Demoralised announced that they had reformed following a six-year hiatus. [26] Their single, "Boro Kitchen 4am", was released by Fierce Panda Records on 29 March [27] and received its first national radio airplay on Steve Lamacq's BBC Radio 6 Music show on 2 April. [28] This was followed-up by "#RefugeesWelcome", which was released on 14 June, [29] which was also premiered by Lamacq on BBC 6 Music (on 20 June). [30] A third single "Superheroes" was released on 16 August, [31] a fortnight before the album's digital release, and fourth single "Slim Jim's Liquor Store" fronted an EP release [32] to coincide with the vinyl release of the album.

Fourth album We Are Humans was released digitally on 30 August, and on limited edition white vinyl on 25 October. [33] The first three tracks from the album were written following a conversation between Abbott and Gledhill about Sleaford Mods, [34] a band which Abbott had opened for as a poet [35] and whose Sleaford Mods: Invisible Britain documentary he featured in as a political poet in 2015, [36] and also Idles, who Gledhill introduced to Abbott for inspiration.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Related Research Articles

Rosita was an English band formed by Marie Du Santiago and Emmy-Kate Montrose, formerly one-half of the band Kenickie, in the immediate aftermath of Kenickie's split in October 1998. Although mainly remembered as a Kenickie offshoot, they received regular coverage in their own right in the weekly UK music press, their second single, "Santa Poca's Dream" was a UK Independent Singles Chart Top 20 hit, and one of its bonus tracks, "Demon", was used as the soundtrack to a television advertisement for Leyland DAF Vans.

<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.

Hatcham Social are an English indie pop band. The group first met and formed in New Cross, London in 2006 and have since released a string of singles on indie labels, followed by three studio albums. With the debut album, they made headway in the mainstream media with The Guardian describing them as "irrestistible" and Tim Burgess calling them "a wonderful pop group with the world's coolest drummer."

Silvery are a London-based 4-piece indie rock band, signed to Blow Up Records.

Grammatics were a British alternative rock band from Leeds, England, predominantly influenced by British bands of the 1990s such as Blur, Pulp, and Suede. The band also quotes the following musical influences: Cursive, My Bloody Valentine, Nirvana, Radiohead, Elliott Smith, Queens Of The Stone Age, David Bowie, Arcade Fire, Idlewild, Björk, and Kate Bush.

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

The Heartbreaks are a British alternative rock band formed in Morecambe, Lancashire in 2009. The band consists of singer Matthew Whitehouse, songwriter and drummer Joseph Kondras, guitarist Ryan Wallace and bassist Christopher 'Deaks' Deakin.

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

The Crookes were a British indie rock band who formed in Sheffield in 2007. They released their first single "A Collier's Wife" in 2009 as part of the Too Pure singles club, followed by single "Bloodshot Days" that was released on Heist or Hit Records in 2010. Signed to London independent record label Fierce Panda Records, they have subsequently released four albums, Chasing After Ghosts (2011), Hold Fast (2012), Soapbox (2014), and Lucky Ones (2016) along with an extended EP Dreams Of Another Day (2010).

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

The Skints are an English reggae punk band from London, described by Clash Music as "the torchbearers for modern British reggae music." The Skints mix reggae, ska, dub, punk rock, dancehall, soul, and rap, touring extensively across the UK, Europe and the United States. Their album Swimming Lessons (2019) debuted at number 1 on the Billboard reggae chart. Their original style of music has been described as "tropical punk".

Hawk Eyes are a rock band from Leeds, England. They formed in late 2004 and released their official debut album Modern Bodies on 1 November 2010 through Brew Records.

Films of Colour are an English alternative rock band, formed in 2008 at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford, Essex, England. They originally started gigging under the name of Spires but as there were other bands already established by this name, they later changed their name to Films of Colour. After seeing them at their second gig, they were taken under the wing of Phil Catchpole where he developed their sound and put them in the studio and finally on tour with Cage the Elephant. Paul Carey joined the band as a Co-Manager in 2009, but when Phil Catchpole left in 2010, Paul Carey continued on and took command as their sole manager. On 4 October 2010, the band released their first single "Actions" with the B-side "Circles" (both produced/mixed by Duncan "Pixie" Mills. The single was released digitally and on limited edition 7" Vinyl by Fierce Panda’s sister label – Label Fandango. The band's sound were compared to acts such as Radiohead, Muse, Coldplay, early Bloc Party and Swedish act – Miike Snow. Simon Williams, head of Fierce panda described the band "as the best band he's signed since Radiohead and Coldplay". Picked up as The Guardian’s New Band of the Day, Best of Myspace Winners, The Independent newspaper’s Barometer: One to Watch and Steve Lamacq’s Favourite New Band. There was radio support from 6 Music, Absolute Radio, BBC Radio 2 as well as holding the number 1 spot for two weeks on Amazing Radio

<i>Love and Other Catastrophes</i> (album) 2011 studio album by Skint & Demoralised

Love And Other Catastrophes is the debut studio album by the Wakefield band, Skint & Demoralised. The album was written in 2007, recorded in 2008 and planned for release in 2009. Full-length promotional copies leaked heavily on the internet over the summer of 2009 and the band were dropped by their old label at the expense of the planned release. However, it was officially released on 2 August 2011 on Heist or Hit Records alongside the band's follow-up.

<i>This Sporting Life</i> (Skink and Demoralised album) 2011 studio album by Skint & Demoralised

This Sporting Life is the second studio album by Wakefield band Skint & Demoralised. The album was and recorded in 2010 and officially released on 2 August 2011 on Heist or Hit Records alongside the band's debut.

Zulu Winter were a five piece indie rock band formed in London in 2011. The band consisted of Will Daunt, Iain Lock, Dom Millard (keyboards), Henry Walton (guitar) and Guy Henderson (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Blackout (band)</span> British post-hardcore band (2003–2015)

The Blackout are a post-hardcore band from Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, formed in 2003. They released their EP The Blackout! The Blackout! The Blackout! In October 2007 the band released their debut album, We Are the Dynamite. Their second record, The Best in Town, was released on 25 May 2009 in Europe and 23 June 2009 in the US, both via Epitaph Records. The band's third album - titled Hope, was released on 4 April 2011, and charted at number 27 in the UK album chart. Their fourth studio album, titled Start the Party, was released on 21 January 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 on Saturday 28 March 2015.

<i>Chasing After Ghosts</i> 2011 studio album by The Crookes

Chasing After Ghosts was the first full-length studio album released by Sheffield based indie pop group The Crookes. Produced by Matt Peel, the album was released by Fierce Panda Records on 28 March 2011. The album was supported by the release of four singles and received generally positive reviews in the media. Chasing After Ghosts marked the last recording involvement with the Crookes for founding member and guitarist Alex Saunders.

The Chevin are an English post-punk revival band, based in Leeds who formed in 2010 by Your Vegas members and childhood friends, Coyle Girelli, Mat Steel, Jon Langford and Mal Taylor (drums). The band took their name from The Chevin, a ridge overlooking their home town of Otley, West Yorkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Hazels</span>

High Hazels are an English band made up of singer and guitarist James Leesley, lead guitarist Scott Howes, Anthony Barlow (drums) and Paul Musgrave. The band hail from Handsworth, a suburb of Sheffield where three of the members became friends in primary school and then later bonded over their shared passion for music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleaford Mods</span> English electronic punk music duo

Sleaford Mods are an English post-punk music duo, formed in 2007 in Nottingham. The band features vocalist Jason Williamson and, since 2012, musician Andrew Fearn. They are known for their abrasive, minimalist musical style and embittered explorations of austerity-era Britain, culture, and working class life, delivered in Williamson's East Midlands accent. The duo have released several albums to critical praise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ibiza (song)</span> 2015 single by the Prodigy feat. Sleaford Mods

"Ibiza" is the twenty-fourth single released by English electronic dance music band the Prodigy. It was released through the band's official YouTube channel in March 2015 as a single from their sixth album The Day Is My Enemy. The song features English hip hop duo Sleaford Mods.

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

The Sherlocks are an indie rock band from South Yorkshire.

References

  1. ↑ "Featured artist: Skint & Demoralised". Fierce Panda. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 Lester, Paul (12 January 2009). "New band of the day: Skint & Demoralised". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 12 January 2009.
  3. ↑ "S&D – Seaside Shenanigans aka Barbara from Scarborough". YouTube. Retrieved 15 January 2009.
  4. ↑ "S&D – Only Lust Ignores Violence Involving Ambulances (Spoken Word)". YouTube. Retrieved 15 January 2009.
  5. 1 2 "Skint & Demoralised, Interview". Contact Music. 9 July 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Cochrane, Greg. "Introducing...Skint & Demoralised". BBC Radio 1 (Newsbeat). Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Cairns, Dan. "Yorkshire poet/musician Skint & Demoralised". The Times. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  8. ↑ "The Cribs in session for Steve Lamacq". BBC Radio 6 Music. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  9. ↑ "Skint & Demoralised Interview". BBC Yorkshire. 21 December 2007. Retrieved 21 December 2007.
  10. ↑ Lamacq, Steve. "17/08/2011". BBC Radio 6 Music. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  11. ↑ "Music Interview: Skint And Demoralised". Yorkshire Evening Post . Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  12. ↑ "S&D – BNP: Nazis on the Doorstep". YouTube. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  13. ↑ "Skint and Demoralised". Clash. 1 December 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2008.
  14. ↑ "Biog". Matt Abbott Poet (blog). 13 February 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  15. ↑ "Skint & Demoralised playing UK tour". AAA Music. 7 October 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  16. ↑ "Skint & Demoralised + Laurie Bolger (Poet) + Grim Chip (Poet)". The Social. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  17. ↑ "BBC One – Waterloo Road, Series 5, Episode 7". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  18. ↑ "'Ones To Watch': Skint & Demoralised". Clash Magazine Music. 1 December 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2008.
  19. ↑ Gill, Andy (2 January 2009). "Highlights of 2009: Pop". The Independent . London. Archived from the original on 3 January 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  20. 1 2 "'New Heist Signing!'". Heist Or Hit Records. 28 June 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  21. ↑ "'FST 092 Skint & Demoralised – Love, And Other Catastrophes'". Firestation Records. 28 June 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  22. ↑ "Skint & Demoralised – Fireworks [Demo Video]". YouTube. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  23. ↑ "Skint & Demoralised – Voluntary Confinement [Demo Video]". YouTube. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  24. ↑ "'Gimme Your Answers: An Interview w/ Skint & Demoralised'". A Music Blog, Yea?. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
  25. ↑ "'Skint & Demoralised Announce New Single, "Breakfast at Sylvia's"'". Heist Or Hit Records. 11 February 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  26. ↑ "New single 'Boro Kitchen 4am' OUT NOW on Fierce Panda". Skint & Demoralised. 2 March 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  27. ↑ "Fierce Panda Records". www.fiercepanda.co.uk. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  28. ↑ "Steve Lamacq – Mobile Discos! – BBC Sounds". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  29. ↑ "Fierce Panda Records". www.fiercepanda.co.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  30. ↑ "BBC Radio 6 Music – Steve Lamacq, More of Steve's favourite tracks of the year so far". BBC. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  31. ↑ "New single 'Superheroes' available to pre-order". Skint & Demoralised. 2 August 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  32. ↑ "new digital EP 'Slim Jim's Liquor Store' OUT NOW". Skint & Demoralised. 25 October 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  33. ↑ "New album 'We Are Humans' available to pre-order on digital and coloured vinyl". Skint & Demoralised. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  34. ↑ "EXCLUSIVE: Matt Abbott Interview – LeedsUtdMAD". www.leedsunited-mad.co.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  35. ↑ "Sleaford Mods". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  36. ↑ "Sleaford Mods: Invisible Britain – Portrait of a Country on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown | Unofficial Britain" . Retrieved 16 April 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.