Band Of Skulls Meeting at college and forming in Southampton in 2008 where the three-piece took their name from a sign outside the live music venue, Talking Heads (a sign which represents Hamlet by showing a hand holding a skull). Band Of Skulls have become somewhat of a word of mouth phenomenon, which even led to iTunes naming one of their songs, I Know What I Am, as their prestigious and much coveted Single Of The Week in early March 2009. Entrenched with a hailstorm of grinding / rampant riffs and tranquil acoustic laments, anchored by a pair of male and female singers who have heart-tugging gravitas in their unforgettable voices. One review spumed: This gritty English trio craft bluesy and ballsy slabs of atmospheric indie rock that echo the work of contemporaries like The Kills, The Duke Spirit and The Black Keys. Band Of Skulls are also musicians who allow their organic songs space to breathe and masterfully plough a furrow between commerciality + credibility, helping the group to not only carve out a signature sound that fits them like a glove, but also, enabling them to create music which will ensure that they have staying power! Comprised of Russell Marsden (guitar / vocals), Emma Richardson (bass / vocals) and Matt Hayward (drums), they quickly discovered that having two lead singers and three songwriters in a band, was always going to present unlimited possibilities. A rare working relationship amongst many of todays groups, their bio continues, With their creative process and sonic path fully intact, the band quickly established themselves in the music and art community with a series of culturally inspired club nights in Southampton, London and further afield in Moscow and Tokyo. Their first long player, Baby Darling Doll Face Honey (You Are Here), was produced by Ian Davenport (Supergrass, Badly Drawn Boy), who recorded the tracks at Radiohead's Courtyard Studios in Oxfordshire, then mixed them at the House Of Blues Studio in Los Angeles.Rush-released digitally on March 20 due to their erstwhile iTunes success and popularity at the time, the groups bio stated: Music fans around the world will get the first taste of the band's driving guitar force, heartbreaking duets and sun-kissed, Wall Of Sound harmonies of their powerful debut album. It has been an extraordinary and heady last few months for the band, and the swift turnaround of the digital album, is surely a taster of the way the modern digital world is now driving the changing landscape of an industry undergoing radical changes. It also means that an unknown band are being thrust into the limelight with very little known about them.
With a melange of classic Americana, blues, folk
and good old-fashioned rock n roll permeating many of the
groups soulful and seductive songs + plenty of treasures waiting
to be uncovered. The wonderfully titled Baby Darling Doll Face Honey,
is easy to fall in love with and will most certainly be a worthy addition
to your record collection, not to mention, finding a special place in
your heart
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1.When Band Of Skulls first began, did you all have a common goal,
and what was it that you took from the artists / bands that you most
admired?
A very special thanks to Russell, and to Jade @ Media Junction, for all of their time and help.
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