Rooster (band)
| Company type | Rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Nick Atkinson, Luke Potashnick, Ben Smyth, Dave Neale |
| Defunct | 2007 |
| Headquarters | Eastbourne, East Sussex , United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Number of employees | 4 (band members) |
Rooster was a rock group originating from Eastbourne, East Sussex, established in late 2003. The ensemble consisted of former 50.Grind frontman Nick Atkinson, guitarist Luke Potashnick, bassist Ben Smyth, and drummer Dave Neale. They were signed to Brightside Recordings, a Sony subsidiary, and launched their debut album Rooster in 2005, which climbed to number 3 on the UK Albums Chart. Their sophomore effort, Circles and Satellites, appeared in 2006 before the band dissolved in 2007.
2003–2005: Formation and debut release
Following the dissolution of 50.Grind, Nick Atkinson teamed up with his childhood companion Luke Potashnick on guitar to form Rooster. The group was completed by adding drummer Dave Neale and bassist Ben Smyth toward the end of 2003. They secured a deal with Hugh Goldsmith’s Sony BMG imprint Brightside Recordings and recorded their first album with producers such as Steve Robson and Pete Woodroffe.
Their initial single, "Come Get Some", which dropped on 11 October 2004, reached number 7 on the UK Singles Chart. In a pioneering move that year, Rooster became the first band to stream a live show over a 3G mobile network. The next single, "Staring at the Sun", peaked at number 5 in January 2005.
The eponymous debut album was released on 24 January 2005, achieving a peak position of number 3 on the UK Albums Chart, trailing only behind releases by The Chemical Brothers and The Killers. By mid-2006, global sales had surpassed 500,000 copies, with roughly half sold within the UK. Later singles such as "You're So Right for Me" and "Deep and Meaningless" reached numbers 14 and 29 respectively. Throughout 2005, the band supported the album with an extensive schedule of over 150 live performances.
2005–2007: Follow-up album and dissolution
After their initial success, Rooster recorded their second album in Los Angeles, California, collaborating with producer Matt Wallace. The album Circles and Satellites was initially released in Japan in June 2006, where it entered the top ten on the Oricon Albums Chart. The lead single from this album, "Home", reached number 33 on the UK Singles Chart. Although originally set for release on 24 July, the UK launch was postponed until 2 October, when it peaked at number 192 on the UK Albums Chart.
To promote this release, Rooster embarked on an extensive tour that included support from GetAmped as well as local bands selected through fan nominations. The second single, "Good to Be Here," featured on the soundtrack for Stormbreaker but failed to chart.
In 2007, Rooster publicly announced their split via Myspace. Following the breakup, Atkinson became part of The Ya Ya Boys and pursued songwriting for artists such as Boyzone and Gabrielle Aplin, while Potashnick joined The Temperance Movement and collaborated with performers including Olly Murs and One Direction.
Band members
- Nick Atkinson – lead singer
- Luke Potashnick – guitarist
- Ben Smyth – bass player, backing vocals
- Dave Neale – drummer
Studio albums
| Album title | Release information | Highest chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | IRL | JPN | SCO | ||
| Rooster |
|
3 | 57 | 26 | 130 | 3 |
| Circles and Satellites |
|
192 | — | — | 10 | — |
| "—" indicates releases that did not chart or were not available in that market. | ||||||
Singles
| Single title | Year released | Top chart positions achieved | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | UK Downloads | UK Phys. | UK Rock | AUS | IRL | NZ | |||
| "Come Get Some" | 2004 | 7 | 19 | 7 | 1 | 38 | 46 | 22 | Rooster |
| "Staring at the Sun" | 2005 | 5 | 11 | 5 | — | — | 33 | — | |
| "You're So Right for Me" | 2005 | 14 | 38 | 14 | — | — | 39 | — | |
| "Deep and Meaningless" | 2005 | 29 | — | 27 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Home" | 2006 | 33 | 59 | 25 | — | — | — | — | Circles and Satellites |
| "Good to Be Here" | 2006 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" signifies singles that did not chart or were unavailable in that territory. | |||||||||
Video albums
| Title | Release details | Chart ranking |
|---|---|---|
| JPN | ||
| Debut Live in Japan at Budokan |
|
173 |