Late of the Pier
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Headquarters | Castle Donington , England, United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
| Parent | Parlophone (record label) |
Late of the Pier was a quartet from Castle Donington, England, known for their role in the dance-punk revival movement. They were signed to Parlophone and debuted with the album Fantasy Black Channel, which was produced by Erol Alkan and released in 2008 under the Parlophone label.
Origins, Zarcorp Demo and Fantasy Black Channel (2004–10)
The band formed in 2004, although some tracks originated as early as 2001.[1] Their initial single, "Space and the Woods", was released through WayOutWest Records and appeared on the Zarcorp Demo EP in March 2007. Following this, they issued "Bathroom Gurgle" in September 2007 via Moshi Moshi Records, with production handled by Erol Alkan. The third single, "The Bears Are Coming", was made available on 12" vinyl and digital formats, while exclusive 7" editions were sold during their February 2008 tour under their own Zarcorp label.[2] Their fourth release was a double A-side featuring a reworked "Space and the Woods" alongside "Focker", which followed their headline performance on the Levi's Ones To Watch tour.
Late of the Pier performed as the opening act on the NME/Radio One stage at the 2007 Reading and Leeds Festivals, returning to play on the Republic stage in 2008.[3] They also supported various artists including Hadouken!,[4] Soulwax,[5] Justice[6] and U.N.K.L.E., as well as joining Kaiser Chiefs on their UK tour in 2008.
Their first full-length album, Fantasy Black Channel, was released by Parlophone on 11 August 2008.[7] It earned the Neptune Music Prize on the Drowned in Sound platform on 7 September 2009.[8]
On 17 December 2009, "Blueberry" was issued as a digital single, followed by a double A-side release featuring "Best in the Class" in February 2010. Subsequently, members concentrated on individual projects and side ventures, suggesting that further group material was improbable.[9]
Side projects (2010–2015)
Sam Eastgate, the lead vocalist, contributed vocals to Filthy Dukes' track "This Rhythm" from their first album Nonsense in the Dark and took on production duties for the Manchester-based indie pop group Egyptian Hip Hop's initial double A-side single "Wild Human Child"/"Heavenly". Additionally, he joined New Zealand indie musician Connan Mockasin on tour during the 2010 album promotion.
Sam Potter collaborated in songwriting for Franz Ferdinand's 2018 release Always Ascending and established a tribute band named A Tribute to February Montaine, celebrating the lo-fi pop artist February Montaine. He also curated Blackout, a music event held at London's Oval Space featuring performances by anonymous artists in complete darkness. Ross Dawson engaged in session work and became a member of the London band Zibra in summer 2014 but departed early in 2015.
In early 2015, Eastgate launched the album Inji along with its leading single "Oino" under his solo project LA Priest.
On 21 May 2015, former record label Parlophone announced the passing of drummer Ross Dawson after an unexpected accident on 15 May. His family remembered him as a "monumental force," highlighting his diverse talents and generosity, and expressed how deeply he was mourned by everyone who knew him.
Fantasy Black Channel reissue (2015–present)
The band resurfaced in August 2018 by posting enigmatic messages on a new Instagram profile. By December, they revealed plans for a vinyl re-release of Fantasy Black Channel through Phantasy, which would be accompanied by a digital compilation of unreleased demos and outtakes. This reissue became available on 19 January 2019.
Musical style
Late of the Pier’s sound is frequently likened to artists such as Gary Numan, Brian Eno, Stephen Dubrich, Bill Nelson from Be-Bop Deluxe, as well as modern groups like Metronomy and Klaxons, largely due to their distinctive use of synthesisers within an unconventional pop framework.
Albums
| Title | Album details | Highest chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | BEL | BEL Alt. |
SCO | ||
| Fantasy Black Channel |
|
28 | 68 | 30 | 70 |
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart rankings | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | UK Indie |
SCO | ||||||
| "Space and the Woods" | 2007 | — | — | — | Zarcorp Demo | |||
| "Bathroom Gurgle" | — | — | 74 | Fantasy Black Channel | ||||
| "The Bears Are Coming" | 2008 | — | — | — | ||||
| "Space and the Woods / Focker" | — | — | — | |||||
| "Heartbeat" | 98 | — | 22 | |||||
| "Bathroom Gurgle" (re-issue) | — | — | 44 | |||||
| "Blueberry" | 2009 | — | 42 | — | Non-album single | |||
| "Best in the Class" | 2010 | — | — | — | Non-album single | |||
| "—" indicates the release did not enter the charts. | ||||||||
Music videos
| Year | Title | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Bathroom Gurgle" | Daniel Brereton |
| 2008 | "The Bears Are Coming" | Saam Farahmand |
| 2008 | "Space and the Woods" | Ian Emes |
| 2008 | "Focker" | Daniel Brereton |
| 2008 | "Heartbeat" | MEGAFORCE |
| 2009 | "Blueberry" | Andrew Faley & Fred Glenister |
| 2010 | "Best in the Class" | Sam Potter & Steve Glashier |
Demos
- 2005: Refill Men Twist & The Zarcorp Legacy
- 2007: Zarcorp Demo
External links
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- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ ADateZ Inc. | Justice, Late Of The Pier at Somerset House, London Archived 24 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).