Window Seats are an alternative rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland.[1] They are the first unsigned Northern Ireland artists to be featured on MTV Rocks.[2] The band has self-produced seven music videos, single single releases and an EP under its own record label, Get Out Records.[3] The band was formed in 2007 and currently consists of members Jude McCaffrey (lead vocal, guitar), Elliot Russell (bass guitar) and Tony Furnell (drums, backing vocal).[4]
Jude McCaffrey, Tony Furnell and bassist Ryan Lilley formed Window Seats in 2007.[5] Writing and performing together, the band also recorded their music themselves. In 2008 this culminated in the release of a 3-track demo named "Local Superhero".[6] The title track received support from UK radio stations during 2008 and 2009, including BBC Radio 1[7] and BBC Radio Ulster.[8]
Lilley left the band in 2009 and was replaced by Ryan 'Didsy' Bradley,[2] whom McCaffrey and Furnell had initially met while attending college together in the early 2000s.[4]
2010 single "No Show"
2009–2010: Early singles and videos
After Bradley's addition to the lineup, Window Seats began self-producing new single releases and a number of music videos.[2]
In 2010, CD singles "No Show" and "Miss Midnight / Awake" received critical acclaim from the Irish press.[9] As music journalist Jackie Hayden described in Hot Press, "No Show bursts from the traps and runs riot all over your hi-fi before going into stop-start mode driven by demented, rasping drums."[1]AU Magazine described the first track of double A-side "Miss Midnight / Awake" as "featuring some lovely, atmospheric production, a strident vocal performance from Jude McCaffrey."[10] The band produced two music videos for "No Show" (both directed by Bryan Stewart[11][12]) and one for "Miss Midnight" (directed by Jonathan Beer[13]).
2011–2013: Frozen Bones EP
In May 2011 Window Seats made their back catalogue available to download for free, alongside a new song, "Rat" and an accompanying video.[14][15] In a live review BBC producer Steven Rainey described the song as "head and shoulders above the rest of the set, possessing an effervescent guitar and bass melody that really causes the audience to pay attention, perhaps pointing the way forward for this band of indie-rock adventurers."[16] In August the group performed a live session on BBC Radio, which they filmed and made available online.[17][18]
2011 single "Local Superhero"
"Local Superhero" video
In October 2011, after ten months of preparation, Window Seats released their next video and single, a reworking of "Local Superhero".[19] The video production was a collaboration between the band and more than 30 other contributors,[20] notably director Marty Stalker and prop builder Ciaran Larkin, and featured actor Denis Halligan, who had appeared in Game of Thrones and the film Killing Bono.[21][22] The video was filmed in a set entirely built by the band and their team of volunteers, in the style of a comic book store with props and references from sci-fi and fantasy films and comic book series including Iron Man, Star Wars, Spider-Man and X-Men.[23] Many of the props and costumes (including arc reactors, light sabres, a proton pack and an Inception totem) were created by Ciaran Larkin.[24][25] Filming took place during summer 2011 and included pyrotechnics on the set, with visual effects added to the footage later.[26]
The music video for "Local Superhero" was nominated for Best Production Effects at the Irish Music Television Awards.[27]BBC Radio 1 presenter Rory McConnell described the video as "the most awesome video ever".[19] Like the band's previous singles, "Local Superhero" was released as a free download via their website.[20]
EP release
Debut EP Frozen Bones
In December 2011 the group released their debut EP Frozen Bones, which featured both "Local Superhero" and "Rat".[28] The EP was mixed and mastered by Neal Calderwood (General Fiasco, Fighting with Wire).[21][27] Songs from the EP received comparisons with Joyrider and west coast American rock bands Tad and Far.[29]
In January 2012, the "Local Superhero" video was picked up for broadcast on international music television channels MTV Rocks and Kerrang! TV. This made Window Seats the first ever unsigned band from Northern Ireland to have a video shown on MTV Rocks.[2] The video was also named BBC Big Screens 'National Film of the Week' and playlisted on all 22 BBC Big Screens in cities across the UK.[31] It received further support from national television, including in Ireland on TG4's magazine show PONC XL in February 2012.[32] In March 2013, it was showcased on Channel 4's short film programme The Shooting Gallery.[33]
"Juliette's Letter" video
By February 2012, Window Seats had begun working on their sixth music video.[31] This time the crew was much smaller, with the band taking on full responsibility as writers, directors, editors and producers.[5][34] Throughout the year the band worked on the video, in between live appearances across Ireland including Forfey Festival in County Fermanagh,[35][36] Belly Bang festival in County Tipperary[37] and Belfast support slots with Duke Special and Delorentos.[38][39] The "Juliette's Letter" video and single were launched in November 2012 with a 16-date tour across the UK and Ireland,[40] concluding with a showcase at the 100 Club in London.[34]
Band members
Jude McCaffrey – lead vocals, guitar (2007–present)
Elliot Russell – bass (2015–present)
Tony Furnell – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2007–present)
"Local Superhero" was nominated for Best Production Effects at the 2011 Irish Music Television Awards.[45] The video was directed by Marty Stalker.[26]
Year
Nominee / work
Award
Result
2011
"Local Superhero"
Best Production Effects
Nominated
IOV Awards
"Local Superhero" was awarded second place in the Best Music Video category at the 2012 Institute of Videography Awards.[46] The video was directed by Marty Stalker.[26]
Year
Nominee / work
Award
Result
2012
"Local Superhero"
Best Music Video
2nd
References
1 2 Hayden, Jackie (25 August 2010). "First Cuts". Hot Press. 34 (16): 28. Window Seats, from Belfast, pack a wallop from the off. 'No Show' bursts from the traps and runs riot all over your hi-fi before going into stop-start mode driven by demented, rasping drums.
1 2 McCreary, Matt (8 March 2012). "One to Watch: Window Seats". Belfast Telegraph. Going Out. What's the lineup? Jude McCaffrey (vocals/guitar) from Fermanagh, Tony Furnell (drums) from London and Elliot Russell. The band first met in college in Belfast in the early 2000s.
1 2 Roy, David (2 March 2012). "Shared Views [interview with Tony Furnell]". Irish News. Scene, p. 10. Jude (singer/guitarist) and I met at college. We started playing together in 2007 with our friend Ryan Lilley, but he eventually decided to leave – though we're still friends and still play a lot of the songs he wrote with us. We knew Didsy (bass) from college as well... We're proud to be the first Northern Ireland band without label, promotion or management to get on MTV Rocks. It's fantastic that we've reached a whole new audience. We've started work on the next video and the pressure certainly is on. This time it's a much smaller production team, but the video is no less ambitious.
↑ McCallion, Claire (5 May 2011). "Entertainment". Community Telegraph. p.14. In 2010, previous releases 'No Show' and 'Miss Midnight / Awake' received much critical acclaim from the Irish Press.
1 2 Roy, David (29 July 2011). "Noise Annoys: From a window". Irish News. Scene, p. 10. Rat is currently available for listening and free downloading purposes at windowseats.bandcamp.com, along with their previous two singles Miss Midnight/Awake and No Show. They're a generous bunch, these Window Seats boys. It seems they are hard at work on an ambitious music video for forthcoming tune Local Superhero.
↑ McCusker, John (14 April 2011). "The Scene". Ulster Herald. p.9. The video for their new single 'Rat' will be released online on Monday, April 25.
1 2 Presenters: Rory McConnell and Phil Taggart (10 October 2011). "Robb Murphy in session!". BBC Introducing. 36 minutes in. BBC. Retrieved 10 October 2011. (RMcC) It is the most awesome video ever ... (PT) This week I went to see Window Seats in the Menagerie in Belfast ... They've spent ten months getting a video together.
1 2 McCallion, Claire (13 October 2011). "Window Seats – Local Superhero video". Community Telegraph. p.13. Combining the efforts of 36 Northern Ireland-based contributors over the course of 10 months, it is the band's largest production to date, and one of the most ambitious videos undertaken by a DIY band in Ireland.
↑ Presenter: Colmán Mac Séalaigh (21 February 2012). "PONC XL". Cúla 4 (in Irish). Event occurs at 6:51. TG4. Retrieved 24 February 2012. [Translation] Music for story 2 this week, as we look at the band Window Seats. This is a band from Belfast, who came together in 2007. During December 2011, they released the EP 'Frozen Bones' and last month they released the video 'Local Superhero'. A great video and great music coming from the lads from Window Seats and this video was to be seen on the channels MTV Rocks and Kerrang! TV. Here's a small taste... You can get more info on this brilliant band from their website 'windowseatsofficial.com'. They're on Twitter and Facebook as well, check out those pages soon.
1 2 3 "Window Seats include Bogan's on extensive tour". Ulster Herald. 1 November 2012. The Scene, p. 2. The unsigned trio... have announced a clutch of dates, including a showcase at London's legendary 100 Club... The video for their next release 'Juliette's Letter' promises to be just as special. This time the band not only produced, but also wrote and directed the video.
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