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radio stations, and playlisted by a number of BBC presenters including
Meursault are a Scottish
'',
''indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
band from Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, formed in 2006. Led by singer-songwriter Neil Pennycook, the band's musical style has been categorised as folktronica
Folktronica is a genre of music comprising various elements of folk music and electronica, often featuring uses of acoustic instruments – especially stringed instruments – and incorporating hip hop, electronic or dance rhythms, although ...
, alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
and indie folk
Indie folk is a music genre that arose in the 1990s among musicians from indie rock scenes influenced by folk music. Indie folk hybridizes the acoustic guitar melodies of traditional folk music with contemporary instrumentation.
The genre has its ...
. The band themselves have described their latest work as "epic lo-fi
Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate choice. The ...
". The name of the band is a reference to the main character of '' L'Etranger'', the absurdist novel by Albert Camus
Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His work ...
.
Their releases to date have been generally well received by the music and entertainment media, both in Scotland and on a nationwide level.
In 2009 '' The Skinny'' placed the band's debut album, '' Pissing On Bonfires / Kissing With Tongues'', at No. 16 in their "Scottish Albums of the Decade" list;
while their second full-length release, ''All Creatures Will Make Merry
''All Creatures Will Make Merry'' is the second studio album by Scottish indie folk band Meursault, released on 24 May 2010. A limited edition, hand-printed version of the album was released in April 2010. Songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Neil ...
'', has been reviewed favourably by several notable media outlets, among them The ''BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...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 th ...
'',
'' Bearded'',
'' Clash'',
'' The List''
and '' The Skinny''.
During 2009 and 2010, the band were included in regular rotation on local and national BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...Gideon Coe
Gideon Jon Quantrill Coe (born 22 September 1967 in Canterbury, Kent) is a radio DJ, presenter, sportscaster, voiceover artist and journalist.
Early career
He began his broadcasting career in 1976 as a child presenter on the BBC One TV program ...
, Marc Riley
Marc Riley (born 10 July 1961 in Manchester) is an English radio DJ, alternative rock critic, musician, and former music businessman. He currently presents on BBC Radio 6 Music.
Formerly a member of the Fall, he co-owned a record label, In-Ta ...
, Vic Galloway
Michael "Vic" Galloway (born 4 August 1972) is a DJ on BBC Radio Scotland. Galloway presents a self-titled show on Radio Scotland every Monday from 9pm to 11pm and also the BBC Introducing Scotland Thursday evenings/Friday mornings from 11pm to ...
and Nemone
Nemone Metaxas (born 3 November 1972 in Chester, Cheshire), often billed simply as Nemone, is an English DJ, radio presenter and television presenter/producer. She is also a trained psychotherapist practising in West and Central London. She is ...
.
They made appearances in many music festivals, including RockNess, T in the Park
T in the Park festival was a major Scottish music festival that was held annually from 1994 to 2016. It was named after its main sponsor, Tennents. The event was held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire, until 1996. It then moved to the disused ...
, Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construction ...
, End of the Road and Glastonbury
Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury ...
.
In May 2013, Meursault's third studio album, ''Something for the Weakened
''Something for the Weakened'' is the third studio album by Scottish indie rock band Meursault, released on 16 July 2012 on Song, by Toad Records. Regarding the album, songwriter Neil Pennycook noted, "This album makes more sense to me, and I thi ...
'', was shortlisted for the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) award. In 2017, they were once again recognised as the album 'I Will Kill Again' was longlisted for that award.
The band's latest full album, ''Crow Hill'', was released in mid 2019.
History
Meursault were formed when singer-songwriter Neil Pennycook began performing with friends from his hometown of Penicuik
Penicuik ( ; sco, Penicuik; gd, Peighinn na Cuthaig) is a town and former burgh in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the west bank of the River North Esk. It lies on the A701 midway between Edinburgh and Peebles, east of the Pentland Hills.
Na ...
, on the outskirts of Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
in Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. Pennycook noted, "I was into basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
, and only into basketball, until I was 21. I was as passionate about that as I am about music now. But I hurt my knee and had to take six months off, so I started playing guitar. And that was that."
In 2006, a then 3-piece Meursault released an EP, ''Making the Most of the Raw Materials of Futility'', via Glasgow indie label Struck Dum Records.
The band self-released their debut album, '' Pissing On Bonfires / Kissing With Tongues'', in 2008, before a second run was released on the Edinburgh-based independent label, Song, by Toad Records
Song, by Toad is an independent record label and music blog based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 2008 by Matthew Young, and has released a number of critically acclaimed albums by acts including Meursault, Rob St John and Sparrow and ...
, in 2009.
In 2009, Phillip Quirie and Pete Harvey joined the band, with Pennycook stating that "the highlight f the yearwould have to be Phil and Pete joining the band. I've followed both of them, in their various projects, for what feels like years, and can't believe how lucky I am to have the chance to work them both".
In 2012, Pennycook elaborated, "I was a huge fan of Pete through Khaya, and Desc, and The Leg
The Leg are an alternative rock band based in Edinburgh made up by Daniel Mutch (Vocals, Guitar), Pete Harvey (Cello, Piano) and Alun Scurlock (previously Thomas, Drums). The band formed from members of ''Khaya'' and ''Desc'', following the bre ...
, and then he came in to do the Cold Seeds album. I told him I really liked his stuff, and he said the same, and he actually asked to join the band. I was quite flattered by that. I got to record with King Creosote
Kenny Anderson (born January 1967), known primarily by his stage name King Creosote, is an independent singer-songwriter from Fife, Scotland. To date, Anderson has released over forty albums, with his latest full length, '' Astronaut Meets Apple ...
that day too – I'd been buying his records since I was at college. That was a good day".
In late 2009, Neil Pennycook and Peter Harvey contributed to the '' Cold Seeds'' collaborative album along with Frances Donnelly ( Animal Magic Tricks) and Kenny Anderson (King Creosote
Kenny Anderson (born January 1967), known primarily by his stage name King Creosote, is an independent singer-songwriter from Fife, Scotland. To date, Anderson has released over forty albums, with his latest full length, '' Astronaut Meets Apple ...
). Anderson, Donnelly and Pennycook all wrote songs for the project, which all four performers then recorded together.
The band have played numerous concerts in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and in 2009 embarked on their first nationwide tours. In early 2010, the band announced that their first European tour would take place during April and May of that year.
The band's second album, ''All Creatures Will Make Merry
''All Creatures Will Make Merry'' is the second studio album by Scottish indie folk band Meursault, released on 24 May 2010. A limited edition, hand-printed version of the album was released in April 2010. Songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Neil ...
'' was released on Song, by Toad Records
Song, by Toad is an independent record label and music blog based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 2008 by Matthew Young, and has released a number of critically acclaimed albums by acts including Meursault, Rob St John and Sparrow and ...
as a limited edition handmade CD available to guests at launch events in Glasgow and Edinburgh in early April 2010, prior to a full national release on 24 May 2010.
In 2012, the band released their third studio album, ''Something for the Weakened
''Something for the Weakened'' is the third studio album by Scottish indie rock band Meursault, released on 16 July 2012 on Song, by Toad Records. Regarding the album, songwriter Neil Pennycook noted, "This album makes more sense to me, and I thi ...
''. It was nominated for the 2013 Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) award.
In 2014 the band released a mini-album titled ''The Organ Grinder's Monkey'', which was compiled using a Kickstarter
Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...
campaign to fund the band's appearance at SXSW
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Te ...
in Austin, Texas.
In July 2014 after Meursault's south by southwest tour (SXSW), it was announced that they would be officially disbanding. A number of things contributed, but two of the main reasons were that band members had personal family priorities and also because Pennycook wanted to perform as a solo artist. Later that year he released the first Supermoon EP (Supermoon vs Black Friday).
Pennycook continued as Supermoon until July 2016, where he then reactivated all of his Meursault accounts and posted "Hi". Pennycook realised while working as Supermoon that a lot of the themes and music that he was producing was what he'd been doing as Meursault - he had always written and arranged his own music.
The major difference in the new Meursault to the previous version of Meursault is that it is now essentially a solo project with a rotating cast of people that perform with Pennycook. A Meursault show alternates between a six piece, or just Pennycook himself. The current lineup is Neil Pennycook, Robyn Dawson, Reuben Taylor, Calum Macleod, Fraser Calder and Jayson Turner.
In 2016 Meursault released the ''Simple is Good'' EP, and in 2017 released the album ''I Will Kill Again.'' In 2017, the album was shortlisted to the Top 10 in the Scottish Album of the Year Awards, as was his previous 2013 album ''Something for the Weakened
''Something for the Weakened'' is the third studio album by Scottish indie rock band Meursault, released on 16 July 2012 on Song, by Toad Records. Regarding the album, songwriter Neil Pennycook noted, "This album makes more sense to me, and I thi ...
''.
In 2018 Meursault released a digital album ''Fuck Off Back to Art School & Other Stories'', which was part of a year long album campaign.
The new album (which was prefaced by ''Fuck Off Back to Art School & Other Stories)'', will be called ''Crow Hill''. First making its live debut as part of the Made in Scotland event during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...
, it is now slated for release in early 2019.
''Crow Hill'' was recorded in Chamber Studio, and co-produced by the owner of the studio - Graeme Young. The album was mastered by Mandy Parnell
Mandy Parnell is a British audio mastering engineer, founder and senior mastering engineer at Black Saloon Studios in London, England. Parnell has worked on projects with a wide variety of artists including Aphex Twin, The XX, Feist (singer), Feis ...
(who has worked with Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass) ...
, Bjork, The XX
The xx are an English indie rock band from Wandsworth, London, formed in 2005. The band consists of Romy Madley Croft (guitar, vocals), Oliver Sim (bass guitar, vocals), Jamie Smith, also known as Jamie xx (beats, MPC, record production), a ...
), and the artwork is produced by Pablo Clark. The album was released through Common Grounds Records, a new label established by Graeme Young. This was the first full length physical album not released by Song, by Toad Records
Song, by Toad is an independent record label and music blog based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 2008 by Matthew Young, and has released a number of critically acclaimed albums by acts including Meursault, Rob St John and Sparrow and ...
.
In September 2018, Meursault released the digital album ''Archive'' - a collection of demos & sketches drawn from the first 10 years of Meursault's existence.
During 2020, Pennycook released three solo EPs under his own name (Neil Scott Pennycook), titled "Meursault Vol. 1", "Meursault Vol. 2" and "Meursault Vol. 3". They were available for a limited time via the band's Bandcamp page and are still available on streaming services.
In 2022, Pennycook announced on Twitter that a new album had been recorded with a full band on The Isle of Skye.
Band members
*Neil Pennycook (2006–present) *Calum MacLeod (2008–2014; 2016–present) *Fraser Calder (2006–2011; 2016–present) *Robyn Dawson (2016–present) *Reuben Taylor (2016–present) *Jayson Turner (2016–present) *Pete Harvey (2009–2014) * Rob St. John (2011–2014) *Kate Miguda (2011–2014) *Sam Mallalieu (2011–2014) *Lorcan Doherty (2011–2014) *Ben Fletcher (2012–2014) *Philip Quirie (2009–2011) *Chris Bryant (2006–2011) *Gavin Tarling (2008–2011)Discography
Albums
*'' Pissing On Bonfires / Kissing With Tongues'' (2008) *''All Creatures Will Make Merry
''All Creatures Will Make Merry'' is the second studio album by Scottish indie folk band Meursault, released on 24 May 2010. A limited edition, hand-printed version of the album was released in April 2010. Songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Neil ...
'' (2010)
*''Something for the Weakened
''Something for the Weakened'' is the third studio album by Scottish indie rock band Meursault, released on 16 July 2012 on Song, by Toad Records. Regarding the album, songwriter Neil Pennycook noted, "This album makes more sense to me, and I thi ...
'' (2012)
*''The Organ Grinder's Monkey'' (Mini-album, 2014)
*''I Will Kill Again'' (February 2017)
*''Fuck Off Back To Art School & Other Stories'' (Digital Release 2018)
*''Archive'' (Digital Release 2018)
*''Crow Hill'' (2019)
*''Meursault'' (2023)
EPs
* ''Making the Most of the Raw Materials of Futility'' (2006) *''Nothing Broke'' (2009) *''Simple Is Good'' (2016) *''Meursault'' Vol. 1, 2, 3 (2020) - under the name Neil Scott PennycookSingles
*"William Henry Miller Pt.1" / "The Dirt & The Roots" (2009) *"William Henry Miller Pt.2" / "A Few Kind Words" (2009) *"Flittin'" (2012) *"Dull Spark" (2012) *"Laugh Track" (2023)Contributions
*''Christmas in Kirkcaldy'' (cover ofPhil Ochs
Philip David Ochs (; December 19, 1940 – April 9, 1976) was an American songwriter and protest singer (or, as he preferred, a topical singer). Ochs was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, political activism, often alliterative lyrics, and ...
' ''No Christmas in Kentucky'') - ''Avalanche Records Alternative Christmas
''Avalanche Records Alternative Christmas'' is a Christmas album, in CD-R format, made up of contributions from Scottish bands and musicians. Released by Avalanche Records in Edinburgh, it raised money for charities Street Invest and the Royal ...
'' (2009); ''No Christmas in Kentucky'' by Meursault appeared on Shelter Scotland's 2016 charity Christmas album
References
External links
Artist page on Song, By Toad Records
BBC Music Artists Reference
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meursault (Band) Scottish indie rock groups Musical groups from Edinburgh Musical groups established in 2006