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Athlete was an English indie rock band formed in
Deptford Deptford is an area on the south bank of the River Thames in southeast London, within the London Borough of Lewisham. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne. From the mid 16th century to the late 19th it was home to Deptford D ...
, London, comprising
Joel Pott Joel Laslett Pott (born 20 January 1979 in Spilsby, Lincolnshire, England) is an English musician. He was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the indie band Athlete between 2000 and their split in 2013 and a songwriter. Biography While a child ...
(lead vocals and guitar),
Carey Willetts Carey Willetts (born January 1976 in Crewe, Cheshire, England) is an English musician, songwriter and producer. He has released work under the name "Boxes", and was the bassist in the English indie band Athlete, with whom he has won an Ivor Nove ...
(bass and backing vocals), Stephen Roberts (drums and backing vocals), Tim Wanstall ( keyboards) and Alexander PJ Elkins (backing vocals). The band had a brief period of high-profile domestic success in which their debut album '' Vehicles & Animals'' (2003) was a platinum seller in 2005 and
Mercury Music Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...
nomination. It was followed up by ''
Tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
'' (2005) which reached No. 1 and sold over 500,000 copies allowing this album to also go platinum. Athlete's subsequent two albums, '' Beyond the Neighbourhood'' (2007) and ''
Black Swan The black swan (''Cygnus atratus'') is a large waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. Within Australia, the black swan is nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon cl ...
'' (2009), saw the band exploring different styles, influenced by the works of artists such as
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian rock band formed in 1983 by vocalist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and guitarist-vocalist Blixa Bargeld. The band has featured international personnel throughout its career and pres ...
. The band has been on hiatus since anniversary tours in 2012 and 2013. Joel Pott has been working since then as songwriter and producer for other artists. Carey Willets released a solo album in 2012, called ''Stickers'' and has another project called "Boxes". Stephen Roberts and Tim Wanstall have been working on production with other bands. In 2011, Stephen Roberts stated that they set aside plans for a fifth record, have no plans to make a new album, and are exploring different careers. Since then, they have been relatively quiet.


History


Debut releases and development (2000–2002)

Friends since the age of fourteen, Athlete took their wide ranging influences such as
Grandaddy Grandaddy is an American indie rock band from Modesto, California. The group was formed in 1992, and featured Jason Lytle, Aaron Burtch, Jim Fairchild, Kevin Garcia and Tim Dryden, until Garcia's death in 2017 following a stroke. After severa ...
and
The Flaming Lips The Flaming Lips are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band currently consists of Wayne Coyne (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steven Drozd (guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, vocals), Derek Brown (keybo ...
and started jamming and practising in the basement of The Bear, a pub which was converted into a church and sandwich bar, on Deptford High Street in 1999. They began recording there, before sending
demos Demos may refer to: Computing * DEMOS, a Soviet Unix-like operating system * DEMOS (ISP), the first internet service provider in the USSR * Demos Commander, an Orthodox File Manager for Unix-like systems * plural for Demo (computer programming ...
out. Signing with Regal Recordings, the band released their first single " Westside" in February 2002, which was a hit, garnering airplay on BBC Radio 1 and paving the way for another single, "
You Got the Style ''Vehicles & Animals'' is the debut studio album by British rock band Athlete. It was released on 7 April 2003 through Parlophone. After changing their music style from Britpop, Athlete released a self-titled extended play (EP) in early 2002; it ...
" which cracked the Top 40 in June. Parlophone took notice and promptly signed the musicians, who entered the studio with producer Victor Van Vugt (
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian rock band formed in 1983 by vocalist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and guitarist-vocalist Blixa Bargeld. The band has featured international personnel throughout its career and pres ...
,
Beth Orton Elizabeth Caroline Orton (born 14 December 1970) is an English musician, known for her "folktronica" sound, which mixes elements of folk and electronica. She was initially recognised for her collaborations with William Orbit, Andrew Weatherall, ...
) in late 2002 to record their first studio LP.


Commercial success, but mixed critical reception (2003–2006)

The band came to prominence in 2003 with their debut album, ''
Vehicles and Animals ''Vehicles & Animals'' is the debut studio album by British rock band Athlete. It was released on 7 April 2003 through Parlophone. After changing their music style from Britpop, Athlete released a self-titled extended play (EP) in early 2002; it ...
'', producing popular singles such as "
You Got the Style ''Vehicles & Animals'' is the debut studio album by British rock band Athlete. It was released on 7 April 2003 through Parlophone. After changing their music style from Britpop, Athlete released a self-titled extended play (EP) in early 2002; it ...
" and " El Salvador". The album earned a
Mercury Music Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...
nomination and went on to sell over 250,000 copies. They played their first live session on UK radio on the ''Dermot O'Leary Show'' on BBC Radio 2. Following the release of the album in April 2003, the summer of that year was a particularly fruitful time. Shortly after Glastonbury and T in The Park festivals, the band were nominated for the Mercury Award. After nomination, the album went from silver (60,000 sales) to gold (100,000) in the space of two weeks. "I think there's an underdog waiting to be discovered by the Mercury every year," said Steve. "And that year it was us." "By the time we played V at the end of the summer it seemed like everybody there knew the record,' said Joel Pott, 'There was 20,000 people, all singing along.' Their second album, ''
Tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
'', reached Number One in the UK Album Charts in its first week, following the huge success of single " Wires". The song was written about Pott's newborn baby who was rushed to intensive care after a premature birth, and in 2006 it won them the Ivor Novello Award for "Best Contemporary Song". In the UK charts, the band has frequently been frustrated by singles just missing out on top 40 placings, due to inconsistent support by music television channels and radio stations. For instance, certain songs, such as " Wires" and " Half Light", were played up to 10 times a day on larger UK radio stations, yet other singles such as " Westside" and "
Tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
" received little radio play. ''Tourist'' had a mixed critical reception, with some suggesting that Athlete had failed to sustain the unique style of their previous album, while others saw the new album as a logical progression from their old sound. Allmusic wrote that "Its art direction is a winning tribute to the striking cover art of Britpop past, but musically, ''Tourist'' settles for complacent." The supporting tour took place between 2005 and mid-2006.


Development with subsequent releases (2007–2009)

On 10 June 2007, it was announced that the title of their third album would be '' Beyond the Neighbourhood''. The album was recorded by the band themselves in their own studio, and mixed by Ben Allen and Michael Brauer, who had worked on ''Tourist''. Released on 3 September 2007, ''Beyond the Neighbourhood'' was a self-produced collection of low-key songs, viewed as a disappointment by some, and an interesting sidestep by others. Jonny Pilcher contributed additional guitar on 7 tracks. Pilcher then played live with the band on the subsequent tour. It entered at No. 5 on the UK album chart. Singles included Beach Boys-influenced "
Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
", charting disappointingly at number 31, also " Tokyo" which missed the Top 100 (number 198) and " The Outsiders EP", which didn't chart at all. They embarked on tours of the UK in late 2007 and early 2008 in support of the album. They also played during the 2008 TT motorcycle racing festival on the Isle of Man. ''
Black Swan The black swan (''Cygnus atratus'') is a large waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. Within Australia, the black swan is nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon cl ...
'' is the fourth studio album produced by the band. Athlete recorded this album while temporarily unsigned. American producer Tom Rothrock collaborated with the group long distance after hearing only a few acoustic demos. In April they announced a 29 date tour of the UK to promote their new album. The tour took place throughout June and July. On 2 June 2009 it was announced that the band had parted ways with Parlophone Records and signed up with Fiction Records, who released "
Black Swan The black swan (''Cygnus atratus'') is a large waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. Within Australia, the black swan is nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon cl ...
" on 24 August 2009. The first single from the album " Superhuman Touch" was released on 17 August 2009, entering the UK charts at No. 74, climbing to No. 71 a week later. On 12 June 2009, Athlete released the song "Summer Sun" as a free download for email-subscribers. The song is not included in the track listing confirmed by band member Carey Willetts, and is likely to be considered as a
b-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...
from the upcoming album. The first single to be released in
America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
is "The Getaway". On 9 November 2009, Athlete released " Black Swan Song" as a single.


Compilation releases, touring and split (2010–2013)

''Singles 1–10'' was the first compilation album released by the band. Many of the bands big hits, including " El Salvador" and " Wires" appear on this album. The selection of tracks spans the past 10 years. There is one previously unreleased song on the album entitled "Back Track." After the release Athlete completed a tour of Britain, Europe and North America from March till December 2010, performing the hits from the non-bonus edition. The band toured in July across Britain, and in August headlined Union Chapel, and also took the stage at Bingley Music Live and Brownstock Festival in 3 and 4 September 2011. In 2011 the band toured some of their biggest songs, but in a "stripped back" fashion. The idea was that the band took some of their songs and reworked them completely to be played in an acoustic style. The tour came around after the band played a small gig at London's Canary Wharf. After the gig was highly successful, they announced the tour which included 18 dates across the U.K with two dates at London's Union Chapel. The second of which was recorded for a live album "Live at Union Chapel" released early in 2012. The album has 12 songs including the singles "Wires" and "Half Light" and includes the band talking to the audience between songs. This was Athlete's fourth live EP after two iTunes Festival EPs and the " Tokyo EP" recorded at Camden Koko. In a September 2011 interview, keyboardist Tim Wanstall said "it's been every two years (releasing an album) on the odd numbers since 2003 so this is the first year to break that cycle. Actually we're all exploring individual paths at the moment so the if/how/when of another album is a pretty open book." In 2012 the band performed at several festivals including
Hop Farm Festival Hop Farm Music Festival was an annual music festival at The Hop Farm Country Park in Paddock Wood, Kent, England, first created by John Vincent Power of Festival Republic. After its first year it was nominated at the UK Festival Awards with " ...
, Shindig Festival and
Lakefest Lakefest is a festival, which began as a music and cider festival, yet in its second year has booked big UK bands, propelling it to the status of a full-blown music festival. Origins Lakesfest grew out from when Croft Farm Waterpark hosted i ...
. In May 2013, the band embarked on ''Vehicles & Animals'' 10th Anniversary Tour, with dates at Bristol Academy, Cambridge Junction and
Shepherd's Bush Empire Shepherd's Bush Empire (currently known as O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the BBC Television Theatre) is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, West London, run by the Academy Music Group. It was originally ...
. Since this tour, the band became dormant and later split. Pott turned to songwriting and production duties for other artists, forging working relationship with
George Ezra George Ezra Barnett (born 7 June 1993) is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. After releasing two EPs, ''Did You Hear the Rain?'' (2013) and '' Cassy O (2014), Ezra rose to prominence with the release of his hit single, "Budapest", ...
, co-writing and producing his first two studio albums: '' Wanted on Voyage'' (2014) and '' Staying at Tamara's'' (2018), as well as co-writing
Shura Shura ( ar, شُورَىٰ, translit=shūrā, lit=consultation) can for example take the form of a council or a referendum. The Quran encourages Muslims to decide their affairs in consultation with each other. Shura is mentioned as a praisewor ...
's debut effort '' Nothing's Real'' (2016). He referred to his time in the band in the past tense in a 2015 interview with
M Magazine ''M Magazine'' was a monthly print teen magazine and website. It was published by Bauer Publishing, the United States division of the German firm Bauer Verlagsgruppe. The first issue was released in January 2000. Bauer Media announced in Novembe ...
. Stephen Roberts and Tim Wanstall have been working on production with other bands. Carey Willets released his first solo album in 2012, called ''Stickers'', while also working on production and on a project called "Boxes".


Discography

;Studio albums *'' Vehicles & Animals'' (2003) *''
Tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
'' (2005) *'' Beyond the Neighbourhood'' (2007) *''
Black Swan The black swan (''Cygnus atratus'') is a large waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. Within Australia, the black swan is nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon cl ...
'' (2009)


Band members

*
Joel Pott Joel Laslett Pott (born 20 January 1979 in Spilsby, Lincolnshire, England) is an English musician. He was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the indie band Athlete between 2000 and their split in 2013 and a songwriter. Biography While a child ...
– lead vocals and guitar *
Carey Willetts Carey Willetts (born January 1976 in Crewe, Cheshire, England) is an English musician, songwriter and producer. He has released work under the name "Boxes", and was the bassist in the English indie band Athlete, with whom he has won an Ivor Nove ...
– bass and backing vocals * Stephen Roberts – drums and backing vocals * Tim Wanstall – keyboards and backing vocals


References


External links

* {{Authority control Astralwerks artists English indie rock groups English Christian rock groups Post-Britpop groups Fiction Records artists Musical groups established in 2000 Musical groups from the London Borough of Lewisham Parlophone artists Ivor Novello Award winners People educated at the BRIT School