Suckle were an indie pop band formed in Glasgow, Scotland in the mid-1990s by former Vaselines member Frances McKee, along with her sister and co-vocalist in the group Marie McKee and another former Vaselines member James Seenan. [1] [2] After early releases, the line-up was completed by Elanor Taylor (keyboards, flute), Brian McEwan (guitar), his brother Kenny McEwan (drums, formerly of Long Fin Killie), and Vicky Morton (bass). [2] The band's first release was the Hormonal Secretions EP in 1997, followed by "Cybilla" in 1998. They were then signed by Chemikal Underground, who issued "To Be King" in 2000, followed by their debut album, Against Nurture, described as "bringing to mind Nick Cave's Bad Seeds fronted by the vocal duo from Stereolab". [1] [2] After a further EP, The Sun Is God, the band split up. The band were also compared to Belle and Sebastian and Clannad during their time together. [3]
Indie pop is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and subsequently generated a thriving fanzine, label, and club and gig circuit. Compared to its counterpart, indie rock, the genre is more melodic, less abrasive, and relatively angst-free. In later years, the definition of indie pop has bifurcated to also mean bands from unrelated DIY scenes/movements with pop leanings. Subgenres include chamber pop and twee pop.
Glasgow is the most populous city in Scotland, and the third most populous city in the United Kingdom, as of the 2017 estimated city population of 621,020. Historically part of Lanarkshire, the city now forms the Glasgow City council area, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland; the local authority is Glasgow City Council. Glasgow is situated on the River Clyde in the country's West Central Lowlands. Inhabitants of the city are referred to as "Glaswegians" or "Weegies". It is the fourth most visited city in the UK. Glasgow is also known for the Glasgow patter, a distinct dialect of the Scots language that is noted for being difficult to understand by those from outside the city.
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Sharing a border with England to the southeast, Scotland is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, by the North Sea to the northeast and by the Irish Sea to the south. In addition to the mainland, situated on the northern third of the island of Great Britain, Scotland has over 790 islands, including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides.
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While together, the band recorded two sessions for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show, the first in 1997 and the second in 2000. [4]
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft,, known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004.
BBC Radio 1 is a British radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7 pm, including electronica, dance, hip hop, rock and indie. The choice of music and presenting style is entirely that of programme hosts, however those who present in the daytime have to rotate a number of songs a specific number of times per week. It was launched in 1967 to meet the demand for music generated by pirate radio stations, when the average age of the UK population was 27. The BBC claim that they target the 15–29 age group, and the average age of its UK audience since 2009 is 30. BBC Radio 1 started 24-hour broadcasting on 1 May 1991.
Frances McKee later recorded as a solo artist.
