Folk Devils
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Founder | Ian Lowery |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
| Products | Music recordings, live performances |
Folk Devils emerged as a post-punk group from the West London area of Notting Hill during the 1980s.
History
Ian Lowery, who established the band, had previously fronted the late 1970s punk outfit The Wall and led Ski Patrol under the Malicious Damage label associated with Killing Joke. Due to conflicts within that environment, Lowery departed Ski Patrol and in 1983 assembled Folk Devils alongside drummer Alan Cole, guitarist Kris Jozajtis, and bassist Mark Whiteley. Active within both London and Welsh music circles, Mark had experience with punk bands such as Anrhefn and Hack Hack. He eventually exited the group abruptly during a live show at The Fridge in Brixton, citing dissatisfaction with the band's direction.
Folk Devils combined elements of punk and blues with a raw intensity that mirrored the socio-political atmosphere of Thatcher-era Britain, touching on issues like the miners' strike, widespread unemployment, and heroin addiction. Both Whiteley and Ray Gange became heavily entwined in the drug culture prevalent in early 1980s Britain.
Initially managed by Ray Gange—known for his role in The Clash's film Rude Boy—the band’s first single "Hank Turns Blue" was recorded on a modest £180 budget sourced from pooled unemployment benefits. Released on Ganges Records via Rough Trade, it climbed to number three on the indie charts for six consecutive weeks, trailing only behind acts like New Order and Depeche Mode.
They quickly completed three sessions for John Peel. Following releases such as the Beautiful Monster E.P. (1985), produced by Richard Mazda, and the 1986 Fire and Chrome EP received widespread critical praise across Europe. Nevertheless, struggles with substance abuse contributed to their dissolution soon after issuing their only album, Goodnight Irony, on Situation Two. Brian Taylor, manager of Killing Joke, remarked that while Folk Devils possessed an electrifying live presence rarely matched on recordings, their studio output did not fully capture their energy. Ian Lowery continued his musical pursuits into the early 1990s through projects like King Blank and the Ian Lowery Group before his passing in 2001. Mark Whiteley worked with groups including Shredder—formed within Dartmoor prison—Big Black Cloud, and Subliminal before transitioning into academia as a criminology researcher at Cardiff University, specializing in heroin use in Wales.
In November 2015, a digital compilation titled The Best Protection and the BBC Sessions was released. The following year, September 2016 saw the release of Beautiful Monsters on Optic Nerve, coinciding with Folk Devils’ return to live performances featuring David Hodgson (vocals), Mark Whiteley (bass), Kris Jozajtis (guitar), Nick Clift (guitar), and John Hamilton (drums). They planned several shows for July 2017 and have since issued new recordings including the Forever EP as well as a live album from March 2024 at the 100 Club called BrokenHeads.
Discography
Positions listed correspond to placements on the UK Indie Chart.
Singles
- "Hank Turns Blue" (1984) Ganges (no. 9)
- "Beautiful Monster" (1984) Ganges (no. 4)
- Fire & Chrome EP (1985) Karbon (no. 10)
- "It Drags On" (1985) (withdrawn)
- "The Best Protection" (1987) Situation 2 (no. 22)
Albums
- Goodnight Irony (1987) released by Situation 2
- The Best Protection and the BBC Sessions (2015) available digitally through Beggars Banquet
- Beautiful Monsters (2016) issued by Optic Nerve