Toy | |
|---|---|
 Toy performing at Waves Vienna in 2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Brighton, England |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2010–2021 |
| Labels | Heavenly (2011-2018), Tough Love Records (2018-2021) |
| Past members |
|
Toy (stylised as TOY) were an English indie rock band from Brighton, East Sussex. [1] They released five albums, an EP and a number of singles. [2] In 2015, the band collaborated with Natasha Khan on the Sexwitch project. [3]
The band was formed in 2010 in Brighton by school-friends and former Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong band members, singer/guitarist Tom Dougall (younger brother of Rose Elinor Dougall, formerly of The Pipettes), guitarist Dominic O'Dair and bassist Maxim "Panda" Barron along with Gloucester born drummer Charlie Salvidge and Spanish keyboard player [4] Alejandra Diez. [5] Salvidge had previously presented "The Sixties Show" on Bristol radio station BCFM, and played with punk band Mudfite. [6] Shortly after, the band moved to London and six months later signed to Heavenly Records.
The band's first live performance was at London venue, The Lexington, in support of The Heartbreaks in December 2010. The band played at festivals in 2011 including Field Day and supported The Horrors on their UK autumn tour. [7] [8] The Horrors played a big role during the band's first years, supporting and helping them, as Diez stated. [9] The band's debut single, "Left Myself Behind", was released in 2011 by Heavenly Records, the initial pressing of 100 selling out in a day. [10] It was reissued in January 2012. The single was described by The Guardian as "excellent...recalls some kind of late-80s/early-90s jam session between Stereolab, Felt and Pulp". [11]
The band were picked as one of NME 's "100 New Bands You Have to Hear" in January 2012, with Rhys Webb of The Horrors describing them as "the most exciting band to come out last year" and "my favourite band for 2012". [12]
The band's debut album, Toy , was released on 10 September 2012, to critical acclaim. The album was recorded and mixed in two weeks. [4]
The band supported the indie rock band The Vaccines on their UK Tour in May 2013, which included a date at the 20,000 capacity O2 Arena in London.
They announced the release of their second album, Join the Dots on 14 October 2013. It was released on 9 December in Europe and the UK, and the 17th in the USA. [13]
In 2014, the band toured Europe in a nine-week trip including a lot of places outside the usual tour scheme like Ljubljana and Bratislava. At the end of April, they played their biggest show in the UK so far, the Shepherd's Bush Empire. [9] During the summer of 2014 the band played a number of European festivals. [9] The following year, the band continued to perform live sporadically while they continued work on their third record. [14] At the end of August 2015 the band were part of a collaboration with Natasha Khan of Bat for Lashes and producer Dan Carey entitled Sexwitch. [15] It consists of a six-track cover album that was recorded in day by Carey and set for release on 25 September. [3]
Alejandra Diez announced her departure from the band via their official Facebook page on 23 September 2015, stating personal reasons. [16] Max Oscarnold of The Proper Ornaments (who have previously supported the band on tour) has since joined the band.
In August 2016, the band announced their third album and made the song "Fast Silver" available on streaming services. [17] [18] It was followed by the song "I'm Still Believing" supported by a video directed by Bunny Kinney in September. [19] The band's third album Clear Shot appeared on 28 October 2016 and was produced by David Wrench. [20] The Guardian called the album "another fine effort from a band who are gradually building up an absorbing catalogue". [21] The LP release included the EP "Spellbound", [22] was followed by a tour in support in November through to December. [19] [23]
The band left Heavenly Records in 2018. [24]
The band's sound has been described as a combination of psychedelic rock, krautrock, shoegaze and post-punk. [7] [8] [25]
Temples are an English rock band, formed in Kettering, England in 2012 by singer and guitarist James Bagshaw and bassist Tom Walmsley. The band's lineup was later completed with the addition of keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Adam Smith and drummer Rens Ottink.
Sea Power, previously known as British Sea Power and initially as British Air Powers, are an English alternative rock band. The group's original lineup consisted of Jan Scott Wilkinson, known as Yan; Martin Noble, known as Noble; and Alison Cotton. By the time the band had begun its recording career, Cotton had departed, and two new members had joined: Neil Hamilton Wilkinson, known as Hamilton, and Matthew Wood, known as Woody. Eamon Hamilton joined the band in autumn 2002. He left in 2006 and was replaced by Phil Sumner, with Abi Fry joining the band in 2008.
John Foxx is an English singer, musician, artist, photographer, graphic designer, writer, teacher and lecturer. He was the original lead singer of the new wave band Ultravox, before leaving to embark on a solo career in 1980 with the album Metamatic.
Heavenly Recordings is a London-based independent record label founded by Jeff Barrett in 1990. Heavenly released the first albums from Saint Etienne, Beth Orton and Doves, and early singles by Manic Street Preachers. Current Heavenly artists include Stealing Sheep, Mattiel, The Orielles, Confidence Man, audiobooks, Pip Blom, H. Hawkline, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Gwenno Saunders, Amber Arcades, Tapir!, Working Men's Club, Katy J Pearson, CHAI and Kneecap.
Biffy Clyro are a Scottish rock band that formed in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, composed of Simon Neil and twin brothers James and Ben Johnston. Currently signed to 14th Floor Records, they have released nine studio albums, and following their first three albums, the band expanded their following significantly in 2007 with the release of their fourth album Puzzle, which peaked at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart and was awarded a Platinum certification by the BPI.
The Horrors are an English rock band formed in Southend-on-Sea in 2005 by lead vocalist Faris Badwan, guitarist Joshua Hayward, keyboardist and synthesizer player Tom Furse, bassist Rhys Webb, and drummer and percussionist Joe Spurgeon. Their music has been classified as garage rock, garage punk, gothic rock, shoegaze and post-punk revival.
Neils Children are an English rock band, formed in 1999 in Harlow, Essex, England, by lead singer and guitarist John Linger, drummer Brandon Jacobs and bassist Tom Hawkins.
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La Roux is an English synth-pop act formed in 2008 by singer Elly Jackson and record producer Ben Langmaid. The act's debut album La Roux (2009) was a critical and commercial success, winning a Grammy Award and producing hit singles such as "In for the Kill" and "Bulletproof". Recording of a follow-up album was marred by unsuccessful collaborations, the cancellation of two planned release dates, and reported conflict between the duo.
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Toy is the debut studio album by English indie rock band Toy, released on 10 September 2012 by Heavenly Recordings.
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Join the Dots is the second studio album by British psychedelic rock band TOY, released on 9 December 2013 in Europe and the UK through Heavenly Recordings. The band recorded the album with Dan Carey, who also produced their debut album, and it took twice as long as their first album to record and master. The first single to be released from the album was "Join the Dots", released in October, 2013, as a download and limited hand-stamped seven-inch vinyl. A limited edition of the album included the EP Join the Dubs containing five dub remixes.
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