Los Campesinos! are a seven-piece
indie pop
Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and su ...
band from
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
, Wales, formed in early 2006 at
Cardiff University. Though the band formed in Wales, none of the members are
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
. The band has gone through several lineup changes during their career, with their current lineup consisting of Gareth Paisey (lead vocals, lyrics, glockenspiel), Neil Turner (guitar), Tom Bromley (guitar), Rob Taylor (guitar, other instruments), Kim Paisey (keyboards, vocals), Matt Fidler (bass) and Jason Adelinia (drums); the members replace their surnames with "Campesinos!" as
stage names. Gareth Paisey, Turner and Bromley are the only remaining original members still in the band.
Influenced by the
twee pop
Twee pop is a subgenre of indie pop that originates from the 1986 '' NME'' compilation '' C86''. Characterised by its simplicity and perceived innocence, some of its defining features are boy–girl harmonies, catchy melodies, and lyrics about lo ...
movement, the band released their debut studio album, ''
Hold on Now, Youngster...'', in February 2008, and followed up with ''
We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed'', in October that year. Both receiving favourable reviews by critics, the former was described by
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
as a "giddy, tuneful love note to individuality, pathos – and everything else indie pop built its name on".
Their third album, ''
Romance Is Boring'', was released in 2010, saw the band receive praise for expanding their "already sizeable instrumental palette". Their fourth release, ''
Hello Sadness
''Hello Sadness'' is the fourth studio album by Welsh indie pop band Los Campesinos!. It was recorded during summer 2011 in a small studio near Figueres, Spain, and was produced by John Goodmanson. It is the band's first release to feature new ...
'', was released in 2011, followed by ''
No Blues'' in 2013 and most recently, ''
Sick Scenes
''Sick Scenes'' is the sixth studio album by Welsh indie rock band Los Campesinos!. The album was released on 24 February 2017 by Wichita Recordings. The album was produced by John Goodmanson and the band's guitarist Tom Bromley at a studio in th ...
'' in 2017.
Among six studio albums, the band has also released a live album – ''Good Night for a Fistfight'' in 2013, and four
EPs, most recently ''Whole Damn Body'' in 2021.
In a 2021 feature, Pitchfork included Los Campesinos! among the 200 most important artists from the site's first 25 years, and described the group as "the 21st century's most endearing
cult band
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
."
History
Formation, signing, and debut singles (2006–2007)
The group was formed at Cardiff University in 2006, originally consisting of Neil Turner on guitar, Ellen Waddell on bass guitar, and Ollie Briggs on drums.
In March 2006, Tom Bromley joined the band, assuming the role of lead guitarist, later followed by Gareth Paisey – who became the band's principal lyricist – on lead vocals and glockenspiel, Harriet Coleman on violin and keyboard, and Aleksandra Berditchevskaia on vocals, keyboards and melodica.
The band's earliest compositions were influenced by
post-rock, though no recordings from this era are known to circulate publicly. The word ''
campesino'' in Spanish translates to "peasant" or "country person". All members of the band refer to their surnames as "Campesinos!"
The band performed their first gig on 8 May 2006 at a student union club night; they went on to play a number of increasingly well-received gigs around Cardiff. An early
demo
Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to:
Music and film
*Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release
* ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes
* ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...
was recorded featuring the songs "Death To Los Campesinos!", "It Started With A Mixx", "Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks", and "You! Me! Dancing!". The songs were posted on the band's
Myspace account which saw their reach and reputation grow, and in August 2006 landed them a slot supporting Canadian
supergroup Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed by Kevin Drew (vocals, guitar) and Brendan Canning (vocals, bass) in 1999. Alongside Drew and Canning, the oth ...
. In November 2006, the band were signed by
Wichita Recordings
Wichita Recordings is an independent record label located in London, founded in 2000 by Mark Bowen and Dick Green. Its most notable signees include Bloc Party, The Cribs, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, Yeah Yeah Ye ...
.
![LOS-CAMPESINOS](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/LOS-CAMPESINOS.jpg)
The band's first single, a
double A-side featuring songs "We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives" and "Don't Tell Me To Do The Math(s)", was released on 26 February 2007. In April, the band signed to Canadian label
Arts & Crafts for North American releases. In June 2007, the band released "You! Me! Dancing!" on limited edition 7" coloured
vinyl
Vinyl may refer to:
Chemistry
* Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer
* Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation
* Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry
* Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...
, which later went on to feature in an advertisement for
Budweiser
Budweiser () is an American-style pale lager, part of AB InBev. Introduced in 1876 by Carl Conrad & Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, Budweiser has become a large selling beer company in the United States.
''Budweiser'' may also refer to an unrela ...
. This release was accompanied by a handful of live performances in
Bath,
Newport, Cardiff and London. Around this time they were seen playing with bands like
Sky Larkin
Sky Larkin is an English indie rock band from Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, who formed in 2005.
Early history
In common with many bands from Leeds, Sky Larkin released two singles on the Leeds-based label Dance To The Radio. Songs of their ...
and
Johnny Foreigner
Johnny Foreigner are an indie rock four-piece from Birmingham, UK, consisting of guitarist and lead vocalist Alexei Berrow, bassist and vocalist Kelly Parker (née Southern), drummer Junior Elvis Washington Laidley, and guitarist and visual ar ...
. Both singles, produced by Dave Newfeld, were released in North America on ''
Sticking Fingers Into Sockets'', a
compilation album released in July 2007.
The band embarked on their first full UK tour in October 2007, following the release of "The International Tweexcore Underground" on 15 October.
''Hold on Now, Youngster...'' and ''We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed'' (2008)
![Los Campesinos!](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Los_Campesinos%21.jpg)
Their debut album, ''
Hold on Now, Youngster...,'' was released in the UK on 25 February 2008 and in North America on 1 April 2008. They embarked on a European and North American tour in support of the album. Receiving generally positive reviews, publication ''NME'' specifically praised its musicality but criticised its cohesiveness. Other sources such as
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
and
Drowned in Sound, however, lauded the album.
The band made their TV debut on ''
Tubridy Tonight
''Tubridy Tonight'' is a talk show hosted by Ryan Tubridy that aired on RTÉ One for five seasons between 2004 and 2009. The programme featured guest interviews (usually three per show), audience participation and live music from both a guest mu ...
'' in February 2008.
On 1 August 2008, the band announced that a record titled ''
We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed'' would be released before the end of the year, and the date later confirmed for this was 13 October, although that was later delayed to 27 October 2008. Paisey explained the album would not be a "post-album cash in", but "ten all-new tracks". No singles were released from the record, and its distribution was limited.
In October 2008, the band performed around England, headlining the Shred Yr Face tour with support from
No Age
No Age is an American noise rock duo consisting of guitarist Randy Randall and drummer/vocalist Dean Allen Spunt. The band is based in Los Angeles, California, and was signed to Sub Pop records from 2008 to 2013. No Age's fourth studio album, '' ...
and
Times New Viking
Times New Viking is an American lo-fi indie rock band from Columbus, Ohio. The lineup consists of guitarist Jared Phillips, drummer Adam Elliott, and Beth Murphy on keyboards. Murphy and Elliott share vocal duties.
Their name, "Times New Viking ...
. In April 2009, the band played in
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
,
Colombia and
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
, their first performances in South America.
''Romance Is Boring'' (2009–2010)
On 2 June 2009, it was announced via the band's blog that lead female vocalist Aleksandra planned to leave the band and return to her studies following a US tour in August.
Rob Taylor, whom the band toured with in 2009, later became an official member, performing guitars, keyboards, percussion and glockenspiel.
The band's third studio album, ''
Romance Is Boring'', was released on 26 January 2010. It was preceded by the single "
The Sea is a Good Place to Think of the Future", a free download released in September 2009, which was described by ''
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
'' as a classic of the emo genre, "even if no one really knew what to call it" at the time. "
There Are Listed Buildings" was released as the second single in November, coming with the announcement Gareth's sister, Kim Paisey, would join the band as keyboardist and vocalist.
The band made their American network television debut on ''
Last Call with Carson Daly
''Last Call with Carson Daly'' is an American late-night television series that was broadcast by NBC from 2002 to 2019. Hosted by former MTV personality Carson Daly, the series was initially formatted as a late-night talk show in line with ''T ...
,'' in which they performed "Romance Is Boring", pre-recorded from their show at the
El Rey Theatre
The El Rey Theatre is a live music venue in the Miracle Mile area of the Mid-Wilshire region in Los Angeles, California.
This art deco building was designed by Clifford A. Balch (who designed over twenty classic art deco movie theatres aroun ...
in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
in May 2010.
In June, drummer Ollie Briggs announced that he had left the band.
''All's Well That Ends'', the band's second EP, was released on 19 July 2010 – the first to release Rob Taylor, featuring alternative versions of four songs from ''Romance Is Boring''. Jason Adelinia, who had been the band's road manager since 2007 and previously a member of
The Ghost Frequency
The Ghost Frequency were a British rock band signed to the City Rockers label.
History
The Ghost Frequency formed in Spring 2005 and began writing songs and recording demos on a four-track recorder.True, ChrisThe Ghost Frequency Biography, Allm ...
and
The Pipettes
The Pipettes were a British indie pop girl group formed in 2003 in Brighton by Robert "Monster Bobby" Barry. The group has released two albums, '' We Are The Pipettes'', and '' Earth vs. The Pipettes'' and released numerous singles to suppor ...
' backing group, The Cassettes, joined Los Campesinos! not long after.
''Heat Rash'' and ''Hello Sadness'' (2010–2012)
On 9 December 2010, the band announced the launch of a quarterly
magazine, ''Heat Rash,'' and released a new Christmas song, "Kindle a Flame in Her Heart" as a free download through
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming s ...
. Each ''Heat Rash'' release included a magazine, a limited edition 7" vinyl record, and downloads of new music. The first ''Heat Rash'' release included tracks "Light Leaves, Dark Sees" and "Four Seasons".
The band's fourth studio album, ''Hello Sadness'', was released on 14 November 2011. Described by Gareth as having a more pop-oriented sound, it was preceded by "By Your Hand", released as a free download in September, and title track "Hello Sadness" in October. To promote the album the band played several tour dates across the UK, the US and Japan. In 2012, the band performed "By Your Hand" on the ''
Late Show with David Letterman.''
In an interview with the ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'', frontman Gareth also confirmed that they would begin work on their fifth album in early 2013.
''A Good Night for a Fistfight'' and ''No Blues'' (2013–2015)
On 7 December 2012, founding member Ellen Waddell announced she would be leaving the band to "try something new" following their show of 15 December at London's
Islington Assembly Hall
Islington Assembly Hall is a live music venue and events space on Upper Street, Islington, London. It forms part of the Islington Town Hall complex. It has a capacity of 890 for live events, including seating for 200 in its balcony. Events other ...
. Her final show also featured former member Aleksandra providing guest vocals during the encore. The show was recorded, and later released the band's first live album, ''A Good Night for a Fistfight''.
In August 2013, the band released a teaser trailer for their fifth album, ''
No Blues''. Lead single "What Death Leaves Behind" was released as a free download through SoundCloud. This was followed by a second single, "Avocado, Baby", released in October, accompanying a
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
directed by
Craig Roberts
Craig Haydn Roberts (born 21 January 1991) is a Welsh actor and director. He is best known for lead roles as Oliver Tate in the coming-of-age comedy-drama film ''Submarine'' (2010) and David Meyers in the series ''Red Oaks'' (2014–2017), and f ...
. ''No Blues'' was released on 29 October 2013.
The band released a six-song Christmas EP, ''
A Los Campesinos! Christmas'', on 8 December 2014.
''Sick Scenes'' (2016–present)
Matt Fidler was announced as the band's seventh member in June 2016.
On 24 February 2017, the band released their sixth studio album ''
Sick Scenes
''Sick Scenes'' is the sixth studio album by Welsh indie rock band Los Campesinos!. The album was released on 24 February 2017 by Wichita Recordings. The album was produced by John Goodmanson and the band's guitarist Tom Bromley at a studio in th ...
.
'' It was preceded by singles "I Broke Up in Amarante" and "5 Flucloxacillin" and was accompanied by the announcement of the band's first North American tour in four years.
In 2018, the band announced that their first two albums would be
remastered and reissued on vinyl on 12 October, with an additional EP featuring unreleased tracks.
The band also announced that they would perform a concert in commemoration of both albums' tenth anniversary show on 13 October at the
London Forum
The O Forum Kentish Town is a concert venue in Kentish Town, London, England owned by MAMA & Company, and originally built in 1934.
History
The venue was built in 1934 and was originally used as an art deco cinema. After the cinema was close ...
.
''Romance Is Boring'' also received a limited edition remaster and a zine documenting its creation was released. In February 2020, the band performed the album's full track listing at two sold-out shows at Islington Assembly Hall.
The 2021 animated film ''
The Mitchells vs. the Machines'' incorporates two songs by the band, both from ''Hold on Now, Youngster...''.
On 7 May 2021, the band released ''Whole Damn Body'', an EP of remastered tracks from the ''Hello Sadness'' era, via
Bandcamp
Bandcamp is an American online audio distribution platform founded in 2007 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with headquarters in Oakland, California, US. On March 2, 2022, Bandcamp ...
.
In November 2021, Gareth confirmed in an interview that the band was working on their seventh album.
Band sound and influences
When the band first emerged on the
indie pop
Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and su ...
scene, they were pigeonholed with the '
twee pop
Twee pop is a subgenre of indie pop that originates from the 1986 '' NME'' compilation '' C86''. Characterised by its simplicity and perceived innocence, some of its defining features are boy–girl harmonies, catchy melodies, and lyrics about lo ...
' movement, as a result of their lively, joyous music. The band have worked hard since their 2008 debut, ''Hold On Now, Youngster'', to shake this image. With their second recording, ''
We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed'', critics generally applauded the band for adopting a new, darker guise. This continued through their following two albums, though whilst expanding the band's instrumental sounds.
As a band, they have before claimed to be heavily influenced by
Pavement,
Modest Mouse,
Guided By Voices,
Blur,
The Beautiful South
The Beautiful South were an English pop rock group formed in 1988 by Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway, two former members of the Hull group The Housemartins, both of whom performed lead and backing vocals. Other members throughout the band's exi ...
,
Xiu Xiu
Xiu Xiu ( ) is an American experimental band, formed in 2002 by singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart in San Jose, California. Currently, the line-up consists of Stewart (the only constant member since formation) and Angela Seo. The band's name co ...
,
Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed by Kevin Drew (vocals, guitar) and Brendan Canning (vocals, bass) in 1999. Alongside Drew and Canning, the oth ...
,
Built To Spill,
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo (YLT; Spanish for "I have her") is an American indie rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan (guitars, piano, vocals), Georgia Hubley (drums, piano, vocals), and James M ...
,
Sonic Youth,
Pulp
Pulp may refer to:
* Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit
Engineering
* Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture
* Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper
* Molded pulp, a packaging material
...
,
Belle & Sebastian,
The Magnetic Fields
The Magnetic Fields (named after the André Breton/Philippe Soupault novel '' Les Champs Magnétiques'') are an American band founded and led by Stephin Merritt. Merritt is the group's primary songwriter, producer, and vocalist, as well as fr ...
,
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris.
Sumner and Hook formed the band after atte ...
and
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to eme ...
, amongst others. They also cite the literature of
B. S. Johnson
Bryan Stanley William Johnson (5 February 1933 – 13 November 1973) was an English experimental novelist, poet and literary critic. He also produced television programmes and made films.
Early life
Johnson was born into a working-class family, ...
, obsessions with death, and
football as their non-musical influences.
Gareth has cited
Paul Heaton
Paul David Heaton (born 9 May 1962) is an English singer-songwriter. He was the frontman of the Housemartins, who had success with the singles " Happy Hour" and the UK number one "Caravan of Love" in 1986 before disbanding in 1988. He then form ...
, the frontman of
The Housemartins
The Housemartins were an English indie rock group formed in Hull who were active in the 1980s and charted three top-ten albums and six top-twenty singles in the UK. Many of their lyrics conveyed a mixture of socialist politics and Christianit ...
and
The Beautiful South
The Beautiful South were an English pop rock group formed in 1988 by Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway, two former members of the Hull group The Housemartins, both of whom performed lead and backing vocals. Other members throughout the band's exi ...
, as his biggest influence as a songwriter. He told ''
Stereogum'', "It's safe to say, if it were not for Paul Heaton, I would never have wanted to write lyrics."
Gareth's lyrics regularly feature references and allusions to football; Jeff Rueter of ''
The Athletic
''The Athletic'' is a subscription-based sports website that provides national and local coverage in 47 North American cities as well as the United Kingdom. ''The Athletic'' also covers national stories from top professional and college sports ...
'' wrote, "Few bands incorporate football parlance into their lyrics quite like Los Campesinos! — it's become a sort of Easter egg hunt for their fans written by
arethDavid. '
Béla Guttmann of love. Curse all my exes to a life of celibacy,' he sings on 'Let It Spill.' 'Dreamt I'm anchoring that midfield, like the anchor in my midriff,' he offers on 'I Broke Up in Amarante.'"
As of 2020, Gareth is the vice-chairperson of
Welton Rovers F.C., a
Western Football League
The Western Football League is a football league in South West England, covering Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, western Dorset, parts of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. The league's current main sponsor is Toolstation, so it is also known as ...
club based in
Midsomer Norton.
Members
* Gareth Paisey – vocals, glockenspiel
(2006–present)
* Neil Beale – guitars
(2006–present)
* Tom Bromley – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals, string arrangements
(2006–present)
* Kim Paisey – keyboard, flute, vocals
(2009–present)
* Rob Taylor – keyboards, additional guitars, percussion, backing vocals
(2010–present; touring musician 2009–2010)
* Jason Adelinia – drums, percussion, programming
(2010–present)
* Matt Fidler – bass, backing vocals
(2014–present; touring musician 2014–2016)
Former members
* Aleksandra Berditchevskaia – keyboards, melodica, vocals
(2006–2009; 2012 (one show))
* Ollie Briggs – drums
(2006–2010)
* Harriet Coleman – violin, keyboards, string arrangements, backing vocals
(2006–2011)
* Ellen Waddell – bass, backing vocals
(2006–2012)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
Hold on Now, Youngster...'' (2008)
* ''
We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed'' (2008)
* ''
Romance Is Boring'' (2010)
* ''
Hello Sadness
''Hello Sadness'' is the fourth studio album by Welsh indie pop band Los Campesinos!. It was recorded during summer 2011 in a small studio near Figueres, Spain, and was produced by John Goodmanson. It is the band's first release to feature new ...
'' (2011)
* ''
No Blues'' (2013)
* ''
Sick Scenes
''Sick Scenes'' is the sixth studio album by Welsh indie rock band Los Campesinos!. The album was released on 24 February 2017 by Wichita Recordings. The album was produced by John Goodmanson and the band's guitarist Tom Bromley at a studio in th ...
'' (2017)
Extended plays
* ''
Sticking Fingers into Sockets'' (2007)
* ''
All's Well That Ends'' (2010)
* ''
A Los Campesinos! Christmas'' (2014)
* ''Whole Damn Body'' (2021)
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Los Campesinos! on Wichita RecordingsLos Campesinos! on Arts & Crafts
{{Authority control
Welsh rock music groups
British indie pop groups
Musical groups established in 2006
Arts & Crafts Productions artists
Noise pop musical groups
Musical groups from Cardiff
Wichita Recordings artists
Welsh indie rock groups