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Brakes (band)

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For the U.S. band, see The Brakes.
Brakes
Background information
Also known asbrakesbrakesbrakes
OriginBrighton, England
GenresIndie rock, post-punk revival, country
Years active2003–present
LabelsRough Trade Records
MembersEamon Hamilton
Thomas White
Marc Beatty
Alex White
Websitebrakesbrakesbrakes.com

Brakes (known as Brakesbrakesbrakes in the United States) is a four member band from Brighton, England. The group formed in 2003. It consists of Eamon Hamilton (vocals, guitar), Thomas White (lead guitar), Marc Beatty (bass), and Alex White (drums, percussion).

Biography

Brakes formed in 2003,[1] when Thomas White and Alex White of The Electric Soft Parade saw Eamon Hamilton perform a solo gig supporting The Lonesome Organist in Brighton. Marc Beatty of Mockin' Bird Studio[2] and The Tenderfoot (who also worked with British Sea Power, engineering their debut single and recording tracks for their debut album) was also soon recruited, and the band set about recording their debut single, "Pick Up the Phone", which was released on Tugboat Records in 2004. Shortly after forming Brakes, Eamon was asked by British Sea Power to play keyboards with them, a position he held for three years.

Brakes toured extensively, and, in early 2005, recorded their debut album, Give Blood, for Rough Trade Records, at Metropolis Studio, with producer Iain Gore. The album was released in July of the same year. They recorded and mixed the 16 track album in seven days. The album was released by Rough Trade Records to great critical acclaim, achieving five stars from The Observer Music Monthly, Time Out and from many websites, and was voted the best album of 2005 by the influential Rough Trade Shops.[3]

Brakes toured with Belle & Sebastian in January and February 2006, Editors in February/March 2006 and The Killers in November 2006, as well as playing several European and UK headline tours of their own. The touring commitments of Brakes made it impossible for Eamon to continue playing with British Sea Power, and he amicably left the band in 2006.

Brakes recorded their second album, The Beatific Visions at House Of David Studio in Nashville, co-producing the record with Grammy Award winning producer Stuart Sikes. Whilst recording the album, the band convinced the studio's owner, David Briggs, who had played with Elvis Presley between 1965–1977, to play piano on their song "If I Should Die Tonight". It was the first time Briggs had played on an album for three years.

The album was released in the UK in November 2006. BBC Radio 1's Colin Murray hailed it as his album of the year, Rough Trade Shops voted it number four in their Best Albums of 2006, and it received four and five star reviews from many publications and websites. The album was released in the United States in February 2007 by Worlds Fair Records. The band were forced to change their name to "BrakesBrakesBrakes" in the U.S. due to a Philadelphian funk rock band using the name The Brakes. While the album was released under the name BrakesBrakesBrakes in the U.S., the band will continue to use their original name throughout the rest of the world.[4]

Brakes returned to North America in May and June 2007 for a sold out headline tour of the U.S. and Canada. Whilst they were on tour, their song "All Night Disco Party" was used in the hit television show Ugly Betty which gained them a wider audience.

Brakes recorded their third studio album, Touchdown, at Chem 19, Hamilton, with Paul Savage (formerly of Glaswegian band The Delgados). It was released by Fat Cat Records on 20 April 2009.

Discography

Albums

Singles

  • "Pick Up the Phone" - 20 September 2004 on Tugboat Records - UK #82[5]
  • "All Night Disco Party" - 13 June 2005 on Rough Trade Records - UK #67[6]
  • "Ring a Ding Ding" - 17 October 2005 on Rough Trade Records - UK #86[5]
  • "All Night Disco Party" (remixed) - 17 April 2006 on Rough Trade Records - UK #76[5]
  • "Hold Me in the River" - 4 December 2006 on Rough Trade Records
  • "Cease and Desist" - 5 March 2007 on Rough Trade Records
  • "Beatific Visions" - 20 August 2007 on Rough Trade Records
  • "Hey Hey" - 2 March 2009 on Fat Cat Records

References

  1. ^ "In Eamon's won words". Brakes. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
  2. ^ Mockin' Bird Studio, Brighton
  3. ^ Rough Trade Shops Top 100 of 2005
  4. ^ Rough_Trade_Inks_North_American_Licensing_Deal Pitchfork Media Jan 10, 2007
  5. ^ a b c d "Chart Log UK: Darren B - David Byrne". zobbel.de. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
  6. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). Guinness World Records Limited. p. 75. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.

Interviews

Reviews

Live video

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