The Delgados
| Company type | Independent record label and band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1994 in Glasgow, Scotland |
| Founder | Alun Woodward, Stewart Henderson, Paul Savage |
| Headquarters | Glasgow , Scotland |
Area served | United Kingdom, international |
Key people | Alun Woodward, Emma Pollock, Stewart Henderson, Paul Savage |
| Products | Indie rock music, albums, singles |
| Owner | The Delgados (band members) |
| Website | www |
The Delgados were an indie rock group originating from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1994. The lineup featured Alun Woodward on vocals and guitar, Emma Pollock also handling vocals and guitar, Stewart Henderson playing bass, and Paul Savage on drums.
Biography
Following their departure from Bubblegum, Woodward, Henderson, and Savage established the band and brought Pollock aboard to complete the ensemble. They chose their name in tribute to Pedro Delgado, the cyclist who won the 1988 Tour de France.
Their initial commercial presence appeared on the compilation Skookum Chief Powered Teenage Zit Rock Angst. Rather than signing to an existing label, they founded their own imprint, Chemikal Underground, through which they released their debut single "Monica Webster"/"Brand New Car". Alongside this, they supported fellow Scottish acts such as Mogwai and Arab Strap. The single attracted the attention of BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, who became a significant advocate for the band, leading to them recording seven sessions for his show.
Due to financial limitations at Chemikal Underground, their single "Lazarwalker" was issued by Radar Records based in London. Although Radar extended a proposal for a five-album contract, the band declined and instead brought Radar's A&R representative Graeme Beattie into Chemikal Underground. Balancing responsibilities at the label with touring commitments, they released their first album Domestiques in 1996. The song "Under Canvas, Under Wraps" achieved third place in John Peel's Festive Fifty that year.
Their sophomore album, Peloton (1998), produced their first single to chart in the UK: "Pull the Wires from the Wall," which peaked at number 69 and topped Peel's Festive Fifty. Their strong connection with Peel continued throughout this period.
In 2000, The Great Eastern, produced by Dave Fridmann, included the track "American Trilogy," reaching number 61 on UK charts. This album also earned a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize.
The band's fourth release, Hate, came out under Mantra Records. Notably, "The Light Before We Land" was selected as the opening theme for the Japanese anime series Gunslinger Girl. Returning to Chemikal Underground, they issued their fifth album, Universal Audio in 2004.
In April 2005, The Delgados dissolved after Henderson left due to dissatisfaction with recognition levels. The remaining members continued overseeing Chemikal Underground; Pollock and Woodward embarked on solo careers while Savage concentrated on production work at Chem19 studio.
Following their split, "I Fought the Angels" from Universal Audio was featured in television series including Grey's Anatomy (2006) and BBC Three's drama Lip Service (2010). A two-disc compilation of their BBC Peel Sessions was released in 2006. Woodward released a solo project under the name Lord Cut-Glass in 2009 with production contributions from Savage.
In June 2022, The Delgados declared a reunion with plans for a UK tour scheduled for January 2023 alongside festival slots such as Primavera Sound and Deer Shed. However, later mentions of Pollock as a former member indicate that the group has since disbanded once again.
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCO |
UK |
UK Indie | ||||||||||||
| Domestiques |
|
97 | – | – | ||||||||||
| Peloton |
|
52 | 56 | 6 | ||||||||||
| The Great Eastern |
|
31 | 72 | 12 | ||||||||||
| Hate |
|
27 | 57 | 5 | ||||||||||
| Universal Audio |
|
49 | 105 | 14 | ||||||||||
| "–" indicates entries that did not chart or were unavailable in that market. | ||||||||||||||
Live albums
| Title | Album information | Highest chart rankings | Additional details | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK Indie | ||||||||||||||
| BBC Sessions |
|
– |
| |||||||||||
| Live at the Fruitmarket |
|
– |
| |||||||||||
| The Complete BBC Peel Sessions |
|
13 |
| |||||||||||
| "–" indicates releases that did not chart or were unavailable in the specified region. | ||||||||||||||
Extended plays
| Year | Title | Tracklist |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Lazarwalker |
|
Singles
| Year | Title | Highest chart positions | Album association | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCO | UK | UK Indie | ||||||||||||
| 1995 | "Monica Webster" | – | – | – | Non-album singles | |||||||||
| 1996 | "Cinecentre" | – | – | – | ||||||||||
| "Under Canvas Under Wraps" | – | 186 | – | Domestiques | ||||||||||
| "Sucrose" | 100 | 155 | – | |||||||||||
| 1998 | "Everything Goes Around the Water" | 62 | 77 | 11 | Peloton | |||||||||
| "Pull the Wires from the Wall" | 57 | 69 | 15 | |||||||||||
| "The Weaker Argument Defeats the Stronger" | 92 | 98 | 19 | |||||||||||
| 2000 | "American Trilogy" | 43 | 61 | 11 | The Great Eastern | |||||||||
| "No Danger" | 68 | 77 | 11 | |||||||||||
| 2002 | "Coming in from the Cold" | "55" | 82 | 19 | Hate | |||||||||
| 2003 | "All You Need Is Hate" | 73 | 72 | 11 | ||||||||||
| 2004 | "Everybody Come Down" | 56 | 67 | 13 | Universal Audio | |||||||||
| 2005 | "Girls of Valour" | – | 98 | 29 | ||||||||||
| "–" indicates singles that did not enter charts or were not released in that market. | ||||||||||||||