Goldheart Assembly | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Indie pop, indie rock, indie folk |
| Years active | 2007–2017 |
| Labels | Fierce Panda |
| Members | Jake Bowser James Dale Nicky Francis Kyle Hall John Herbert |
| Past members | Thomas Hastings Dominic Keshavarz |
| Website | goldheartassembly |
Goldheart Assembly were an English indie pop/rock band from London, England.
Goldheart Assembly formed in 2007, naming themselves after a Guided By Voices song, The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory. [1] They quickly found a lifelong fan in DJ Steve Lamacq, who, in February 2009, made them the first unsigned band to record a Radio 1 Maida Vale Session in over a decade. [2] In the same year, the band performed on the BBC Introducing Stage at the Glastonbury Festival, [3] as well as slots at the Camden Crawl, [4] Isle of Wight, [5] Wychwood, [6] Middlesbrough Music Live, [7] Reading & Leeds [8] and V festival.
Goldheart Assembly’s debut single, a double A-side featuring the tracks "So Long St. Christopher" and "Oh Really", was released on 15 June 2009 on the independent label Heron Recordings, set up by Pat Long the then assistant editor of the NME. [9] [10]
In late 2009, Goldheart Assembly signed to the independent UK label Fierce Panda Records, who had previously launched the career of Coldplay. [11] Their debut album, Wolves and Thieves , was released to digital download on 8 March 2010, with CD release on 15 March. The majority of the album was recorded at Forncett Industrial Steam Museum in Norfolk, England, and several tracks feature the sound of live Victorian steam engines. [12] The remaining tracks were recorded at Jools Holland's Helicon studios with British producer Laurie Latham. [13] The album received widespread critical praise.
The band started working on their second album, Long Distance Song Effects , in 2011. Twenty five tracks initially recorded in London were gradually whittled down during trips back and forth to Lucerne where they recorded with Swiss musician Tobi Gmür, who they had met on an earlier European tour. [1]
In October 2011, the band appeared on Last Call with Carson Daly performing 4 songs from their debut album. Ed Sheeran, Kasabian, Dr Dog, Father John Misty and The Decemberists all made appearances on the show in the same season. [14]
Long Distance Song Effects, their second album, was released in July 2013. The Allmusic journalist, Heather Phares, noted that "the control and variety they display throughout Long Distance Song Effects shows that Goldheart Assembly have come into their own here". [15]
The band signed to Faber Music on 7 May 2013. [16]
In 2017, the band signed to LGM Records, [17] a newly founded label run by former EMF and VP of A&R for Epic Records Ian Dench, James Dale, Kaziu Gill and Felix Matthews. [18]
In December 2017, the band announced that they would be reuniting with original members, Dominic Keshavarz and Thomas Hastings, to perform one final show in London. [19] Goldheart Assembly's Last Waltz was on 7 December 2017 at ULU. The band were joined on stage by members of The Magic Numbers, Starsailor, EMF, The Bluetones, Treetop Flyers, as well as, Lyla Foy, Ren Harvieu and Michelle Stodart. [20]
The band has recently picked up much favourable press, including a double-page article in NME magazine on 3 April 2010 [21] and a feature in The Guardian 's First Sight column. [22] They were also awarded the front cover of XYZ Magazine, with the interviewer claiming "Sometimes bands come along and make you remember why you love music. Goldheart Assembly are one of those bands." [12]
Since its release, Wolves and Thieves has received universal acclaim from the music and UK national press, with positive reviews in publications including Mojo , Uncut and NME magazines as well as The Sun and The Independent newspapers.
Mike Diver of the BBC stated that "Such is the inherent sweetness of Goldheart Assembly’s debut that the listener can’t fail to be touched by its charms." [23]
The second album, Long Distance Song Effects, also received widespread critical acclaim with publications such as The Guardian, [24] Metro, [25] Allmusic and NME [26] all awarding the album 4-star reviews.
A popular live act, Goldheart Assembly have toured multiple times with Band of Horses [27] [28] and The Magic Numbers, and have also travelled extensively with acts such as The Civil Wars, [29] The Low Anthem, [30] We Are Scientists [31] and Black Mountain. [32]
The band has sold out legendary London venues such as the Dublin Castle, The Lexington, The Borderline, Bush Hall, the ICA, King's College London Students' Union and Scala. [33] [34] [4]
They have performed at festivals such as Austin's SXSW, [35] Vienna's Frequency Festival, [36] Reading & Leeds, [8] Glastonbury Festival, [3] Isle of Wight, [5] the Camden Crawl, [4] Wychwood, [6] Middlesbrough Music Live, [7] Hard Rock Calling and V festival. [37]
In March 2014, as part of Fierce Panda’s 20th anniversary celebrations, the band played Wolves and Thieves live in its entirety at a sell-out show at The Lexington in King's Cross. [38]
Goldheart Assembly's sound has been described as organic [3] and characterised by pastoral west-coast style vocal harmonies. [22]
Initially compared to Seattle folk group The Fleet Foxes, journalists have since drawn comparisons with The Beatles, [25] Television, Traffic [13] and Dr Dog, [39] with Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens stating "Live, they succeed in being lovely and rousing, and have melodies to make Fleet Foxes back off and rethink their tunes." [40]
Band members John Herbert, Jake Bowser, Nicky Francis and Kyle Hall went on to collaborate on new project Mono Club. [41] Nicky Francis has also released music with the orchestral-folk band The Quill.
Goldheart Assembly were: [42]
Capdown is an English punk rock band from Milton Keynes. Originally known as Soap, their songs have political themes as alluded to by their name, which is short for Capitalist Downfall. Mixing ska, punk, hardcore, dub, drum and bass, and reggae, Capdown built a reputation around their independent releases and numerous tours.
Biffy Clyro are a Scottish rock band that formed in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, composed of Simon Neil, James Johnston, and Ben Johnston. Currently signed to 14th Floor Records, they have released nine studio albums, six of which reached the top five in the UK Albums Chart, with their sixth studio album, Opposites claiming their first UK No. 1 album. Three consecutive studio albums peaked at number one in the UK official albums chart. After their first three albums, the band expanded their following significantly in 2007 with the release of their fourth album, Puzzle, creating more mainstream songs with simpler rhythms and distancing themselves from the more unusual dissonant style present in their previous three albums. Puzzle peaked at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart on 16 June 2007. The album went platinum in the UK in 2012, having sold over 300,000 copies. In the early 2010’s, they built up a reputation of being one of the biggest rock bands in the UK.
Kasabian are an English rock band formed in Leicester in 1997 by lead vocalist Tom Meighan, guitarist and second vocalist Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist Chris Karloff and bassist Chris Edwards. Drummer Ian Matthews joined in 2004. Karloff left the band in 2006 and founded a new band called Black Onassis. Jay Mehler joined as touring lead guitarist in 2006, leaving for Liam Gallagher's Beady Eye in 2013, to be replaced by Tim Carter, who later became a full-time band member in 2021. Meighan left the band in July 2020, with Pizzorno stepping up as full-time lead vocalist.
Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who originally formed in 1997 as Runston Parva, before reforming as Parva in 2000, and releasing one studio album, 22, in 2003, before renaming and establishing themselves in their current name that same year. Since their formation, the band has consisted of lead vocalist Ricky Wilson, guitarist Andrew "Whitey" White, bassist Simon Rix, keyboardist Nick "Peanut" Baines and since 2013 drummer Vijay Mistry, who replaced founding drummer Nick Hodgson following his departure from the band in late 2012.
Fierce Panda Records is a London-based independent record label, with its first release in February 1994. It also produced a small number of releases that year by now famous artists such as Ash, The Bluetones, Baby Bird and Supergrass. Fierce Panda is also credited with releases by Acres of Lions, Air Traffic, Art Brut, The Blackout, Boy Kill Boy, Coldplay, Death Cab for Cutie, Desperate Journalist, Embrace, Goldheart Assembly, Kenickie, Seafood, Keane, Placebo, The Polyphonic Spree and Shitdisco.
The Cribs are a British indie rock band originally from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, that formed in 2001. The band consists of twins Gary and Ryan Jarman and their younger brother Ross Jarman. They were subsequently joined by ex-The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr who was an official member of the group from 2008 until 2011.
The Music were an English alternative rock band, formed in Kippax, Leeds in 1999. Comprising Robert Harvey, Adam Nutter, Stuart Coleman (bass) and Phil Jordan (drums), the band came to prominence with the release of their self-titled debut album in 2002. The band released two further studio albums, Welcome to the North (2004) and Strength in Numbers (2008), before parting ways in 2011.
Boy Kill Boy were an English rock band based in Leytonstone, East London. The band produced two studio albums and six singles before splitting in 2008. Their highest charting single was "Suzie", which reached #17 in the UK singles chart in 2006.
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.
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.
The Pigeon Detectives are an English indie rock band from Rothwell in Leeds, West Yorkshire, who formed in 2004. The band have released six albums from 2007 to present.
Ian Alec Harvey Dench is an English songwriter and musician. He was the guitarist and principal songwriter for EMF, who scored a major international hit reaching number 1 in the United States with "Unbelievable" in 1991. It was voted one of BBC Radio 2's 'Greatest Guitar Riffs'.
Hadouken! were a British 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.
Bombay Bicycle Club are an English indie rock band from Crouch End, London, consisting of Jack Steadman, Jamie MacColl, Suren de Saram, and Ed Nash. They are guitar-fronted and have experimented with different genres, including folk, electronica, world music and indie rock.
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.
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).
Wolves and Thieves is the first studio album by Goldheart Assembly, released in 2010. The first single from the album was "King of Rome".
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
Long Distance Song Effects is the second studio album by Goldheart Assembly, released on 1 July 2013 by EMI / New Music Club.
James Dale is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and entrepreneur, best known as the frontman for Goldheart Assembly.
| International | |
|---|---|
| Artists | |
