Proxies were a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

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 ...

band Band or BAND may refer to: Places *Bánd, a village in Hungary *Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran *Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania * Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...

that combined many styles of

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

and

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...

, founded in

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

in 2010.

History

''Formation'' (2010)

Proxies was founded in the summer of 2010 by songwriters Jordan Fish and Joseph Todd, initially under the name Loki. When Loki began to gain attention quickly through the use of social media platforms such as

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

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and

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

, Fish they announced that they had changed the name of the band to Proxies and simultaneously released all the demo tracks the band had previously recorded in the form of free downloads. Proxies collaborated with

musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

hacker A hacker is a person skilled in information technology who uses their technical knowledge to achieve a goal or overcome an obstacle, within a computerized system by non-standard means. Though the term ''hacker'' has become associated in popu ...

ytcracker for their first demo under the new alias, in which ytcracker references the name change.

New members (2011–present)

In autumn 2010, it was revealed that Jordan's childhood friend, and drummer, Alex Binnington, had joined the band and Proxies performed their live debut as guests for select dates on English rock band

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

's tour, followed up by acting as direct support for Hadouken!'s concerts scheduled between the band's dates on

Pendulum A pendulum is a weight suspended from a pivot so that it can swing freely. When a pendulum is displaced sideways from its resting, equilibrium position, it is subject to a restoring force due to gravity that will accelerate it back toward the ...

's Immersion Tour. The band have continued to use social media outlets to promote themselves, and have garnered a considerable following online, particularly through Fish's

account, which was often used to make free downloads directly available, bypassing conventional methods. On 2 May 2011, Proxies debuted their current line-up with a live

bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a Bass (instrument), bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboar ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Monto Water Rats The Water Rats is a live music venue at 328 Grays Inn Road, Kings Cross, London, England. Until 1992, it was known as The Pindar of Wakefield and was famous for its regular old time music hall entertainment. Bob Dylan played his first UK gig ...

venue while performing as direct support for

Patrick Stump Patrick Martin Stumph (born April 27, 1984), known professionally as Patrick Vaughn Stump, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Fall Out Boy, originally from Wilmette, I ...

. On 22 May, it was announced that Joshua Rumble had joined as a permanent member of the band. The band's first single, "If I Had A Penny To My Name", featuring vocals from friend of the band Sean Smith of The Blackout, was debuted on BBC Introducing Humberside on 13 November 2011. Shortly afterwards, a video compiled from footage videographer Jordan Green filmed while spending ten days with the band, including clips of the band playing live, behind-the-scenes studio footage of recording the track with Sean Smith and

Gareth McGrillen Pendulum is an Australian electronic rock band founded in 2002. Pendulum originally formed in the city of Perth, Western Australia, by Rob Swire, Gareth McGrillen and Paul "El Hornet" Harding. The band was later expanded to include members Ben ...

, and also brief clips of Fish with British singer-songwriter

Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran (; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...

, was released as the official video for the single. It was announced that "If I Had A Penny To My Name" would be playlisted on

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

as part of the ''

BBC Introducing BBC Music ''Introducing'' is BBC Radio's platform supporting unsigned, undiscovered, and under-the-radar UK music talent. It gives artists the opportunity to be played on Local BBC Radio and nationally on BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2, Radio 3, 6 ...

'' program. It was to receive its debut national airplay on

Fearne Cotton Fearne Wood ( Cotton; born 3 September 1981) is an English broadcaster and author''.'' She began her career in the late 1990s presenting various children's television shows for GMTV, CITV and CBBC. In 2007, she presented '' The Xtra Factor'', ...

's radio show on 19 March 2012, the same day that the track will be released for purchase; however the same day's show included a special

Live Lounge The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio stations BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra. It was originally hosted by Simon Mayo, and later by Jo Whiley on her weekday mid-morning, and later weekend lunchtime radio shows, then by Fearne Cotton ...

for pop singer

Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her Camp (style), campy style, she has been ...

which overran until the end of the show, causing Proxies debut to be rescheduled. The track was finally debuted on

Scott Mills Scott Robert Mills (born 28 March 1973) is an English radio DJ, television presenter and occasional actor. He is best known for presenting the '' Scott Mills'' show on BBC Radio 1 from 2004 to 2022 and since then, on BBC Radio 2. Mills has also ...

' Radio 1 show on 20 March 2012. From 9 May 2013 the band appear to have split up. They shut down their various social media outlets and website and signed off cryptically via their Twitter. Jordan Fish posted the same image of

Harry Houdini Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American escape artist, magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to his spiritual master, French magician ...

hanging upside down as

Gerard Way Gerard Arthur Way (born April 9, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and comic book writer. He is best known as the lead vocalist and co-founder of the rock band My Chemical Romance. He released his debut solo album, ''Hesitant Alien'', i ...

had previously when

My Chemical Romance My Chemical Romance (commonly abbreviated to MCR or My Chem) is an American rock band from Newark, New Jersey. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, lead guitarist Ray Toro, rhythm guitarist Frank Iero, and bassist Mi ...

announced their split. However, another band page a
stopdreaming.co.uk
appeared soon after this, with the linked Stop Dreaming Facebook page indicating Jordan Fish, Alex Partington, and Joe Todd as band members. There have also been numerous tracks on SoundCloud that hint towards the bands, a track called "Chimera (Demo)" released in June 2014 by user joerobot tagged with "#proxies", whilst three new tracks with Stop Dreaming artwork have been posted under a collection titled "whatever, forever" in 2013 by user jmfish.

Live Performances

Proxies have toured and performed with the likes of

Kids In Glass Houses Kids in Glass Houses are a Welsh rock band from Cardiff. The band's name was inspired by the lyrics "not throwing stones at you anymore" from the Glassjaw song "Tip Your Bartender". The band achieved success on the strength of the singles " Gi ...

, Hadouken!, The Blackout and

Metronomy Metronomy are an English electronic music group formed in 1999. As of 2021, the band consists of Joseph Mount (vocals, keyboards and guitar), Oscar Cash (keyboards, backing vocals, guitar and saxophone), Anna Prior (drums and vocals), Olugbenga ...

as well as performing a series of headline shows in Summer 2012. In February 2012 Proxies also performed as part of

HMV Sunrise Records and Entertainment, trading as HMV (for His Master's Voice), is a British music and entertainment retailer, currently operating exclusively in the United Kingdom. The first HMV-branded store was opened by the Gramophone Company ...

's Next Big Thing. In April 2012, NME Magazine announced that Proxies would play Club NME at London's Koko in June. Proxies joined the festival circuit in 2012, completing a series of festivals around the UK including

Reading and Leeds Festival The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Festiv ...

, Boardmasters,

Redfest Redfest was an annual music festival at Robins Cook Farm, Kings Mill Lane, Nutfield, Redhill, Surrey, England. It was established in 2007 as a small (5,000 capacity) independent music festival geared toward youth, with over 70 per cent of its ...

, Y Not Festival, Merthyr Rock, Underground Festival and Takedown Festival.

Band members

*Joseph Todd –

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

– (2010–present) *Jordan Fish –

ztar A guitar synthesizer is any one of a number of musical instrument systems that allow a guitarist to access synthesizer capabilities. Overview Today's guitar synths are direct descendants of 1970s devices from manufacturers (often in partnersh ...

electronics The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

synthesizers A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

– (2010–present) *Alex James Binnington –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

, programming,

– (2010–present) *Greg T Brown –

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

– (2012–present) *Alex James Partington –

– (2012–present)

Discography

EPs

Singles

Proxies Remixed

* "If I Had A Penny To My Name (ft. Sean Smith)" - Eyes Remix * "If I Had A Penny To My Name (ft. Sean Smith)" - Preyfour Remix

Proxies Remixes

* The Blackout - Start The Party (Proxies Remix) * Canterbury - Ready Yet (Proxies Remix) * Pegasus Bridge - Heartstrings (Proxies Farewell Remix)

Other songs

* "

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

ft. Laura Hayden" ( Brand New cover) for Proxies 'In Session' featuring singer/mode
Laura Hayden
released as a free download. * "Arc Of Time" - ( Bright Eyes cover) for Proxies 'In Session', released as a free download. * "Baby Blackout" (

Black Cards Black Cards was an American electronic music band that formed in July 2010 as Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz's new main project following the band's indefinite hiatus. Originally conceived as a four-piece electropop band, Wentz played bass guit ...

cover) released as a free acoustic session download. * "Vampire Smile" - (

Kyla La Grange Kyla La Grange (born 25 July 1986) is an English singer and songwriter from Watford, England. Career Early life She studied at Rickmansworth School in Croxley Green, Hertfordshire. Her mother is South African, while her father is from Rhodesi ...

cover) for Proxies 'In Session', released as a free download. *"

Maps A map is a symbolic depiction emphasizing relationships between elements of some space, such as objects, regions, or themes. Many maps are static, fixed to paper or some other durable medium, while others are dynamic or interactive. Although ...

" (

Yeah Yeah Yeahs The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an American indie rock band formed in New York City in 2000. The group is composed of vocalist and pianist Karen O (born Karen Lee Orzolek), guitarist and keyboardist Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase. They are complem ...

cover) for Proxies 'In Session' release as a free download for

Valentines Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thro ...

2013. * " Teenage Dream" (

cover) leaked as a secret download on

April Fools' Day April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day is an annual custom on 1 April consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fools!" at the recipient. Mass media can be involved in these pranks, which may ...

2011. * "Tonight In Red and White" (Demo) released as a free demo download. * "Strange Times (You & I)" (Demo) released as a free demo download. * "Game/Winner" (Demo) released as a free demo download. * "Everytime 1989" (Demo) released as a free demo download.

Videography

* If I Had A Penny To My Name (ft. Sean Smith) * Jesus Christ (ft. Laura Hayden) - ( Brand New cover) * Arc Of Time - ( Bright Eyes cover) * Trojan (Inside Your Chest) * Vampire Smile - (

cover) * Maps - (

cover)

References

External links

*
Proxies Tour Dates
{{DEFAULTSORT:Proxies (Band) Musical groups established in 2010 English alternative rock groups Music in Yorkshire British electronic music groups 2010 establishments in England