Stuart David is a Scottish musician, songwriter and novelist. He co-founded the band
Belle and Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian are a Scottish indie pop band formed in Glasgow in 1996. Led by Stuart Murdoch, the band has released eleven albums. They are often compared with acts such as The Smiths and Nick Drake. The name "Belle and Sebastian" come ...
and was a member from 1996 to 2000, and then went on to front
Looper
Looper may refer to:
Animals
* Cabbage looper (''Trichoplusia ni''), a member of the moth family Noctuidae
* Inchworm, of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies
People
* Looper (surname), a Dutch-language surname with the mean ...
(1998–present).Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 620, 621, 839Williamson, John (2000) "Made of the write stuff; Musician, songwriter, and novelist: Stuart David is under pressure to deliver", ''
Glasgow Herald
''The Herald'' is a Scottish broadsheet newspaper founded in 1783. ''The Herald'' is the longest running national newspaper in the world and is the eighth oldest daily paper in the world. The title was simplified from ''The Glasgow Herald'' in ...
'', 9 June 2000. Retrieved 6 November 2010 He has published five novels – ''Nalda Said'' (IMP, 1999), ''The Peacock Manifesto'' (IMP, 2001), ''Peacock's Tale'' (Barcelona Review, 2011), ''Jackdaw & the Randoms'' (Hotkey, 2015)Lawrence, Jon (2001) Stuart David ''The Peacock Manifesto'' ",
Drowned in Sound
''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums.
History
''D ...
, 1 June 2001. Retrieved 6 November 2010Battista, Anna (2001) Mondo Peacock: Interview with Stuart David , Erasing Clouds, July 2001. Retrieved 6 November 2010 and ''Peacock's Alibi'' (
Polygon
In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two toge ...
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', 1 February 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2019 – and one volume of memoir, ''In The All-Night Cafe'' (
Little, Brown
Little, Brown and Company is an American publishing company founded in 1837 by Charles Coffin Little and James Brown in Boston. For close to two centuries it has published fiction and nonfiction by American authors. Early lists featured Emily D ...
, 2015), chronicling the formation of Belle and Sebastian.
Early life
David grew up in the small town of
Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire
Alexandria ( sco, The Vale, gd, Alexandria) is a town in , on the west coast of Scotland (1975–1995). The son of a toolmaker, he had a traditionally working-class upbringing, attending The Vale of Leven Academy (1981–1987). He began writing songs at the age of 14, and started his first band a year later. In 1989 he attended a year-long course in Electronic Music Recording at Clydebank Technical College, writing his first two unpublished novels when the course ended (''Francis' Point'' and ''The Bleach Field''). In 1994 he joined a course for unemployed musicians in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
called Beatbox, where he met Stuart Murdoch. Together they played in two early bands (Lisa Helps The Blind and Rhode Island) before forming
Belle and Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian are a Scottish indie pop band formed in Glasgow in 1996. Led by Stuart Murdoch, the band has released eleven albums. They are often compared with acts such as The Smiths and Nick Drake. The name "Belle and Sebastian" come ...
to make a single for the Stow College label Electric Honey. The planned single quickly became the album ''
Tigermilk
''Tigermilk'' is the 1996 debut album from Scottish pop group Belle and Sebastian. Originally given a limited release (1,000 copies) by Electric Honey, the album was subsequently re-released in 1999 by Jeepster Records.
The album is name ...
''.Whitelaw, Paul (2005) ''This Is Just A Modern Rock Story'', Helter Skelter Publishing,
Belle and Sebastian
David made four albums with Belle and Sebastian (''
Tigermilk
''Tigermilk'' is the 1996 debut album from Scottish pop group Belle and Sebastian. Originally given a limited release (1,000 copies) by Electric Honey, the album was subsequently re-released in 1999 by Jeepster Records.
The album is name ...
'', ''
If You're Feeling Sinister
''If You're Feeling Sinister'' is the second album by the Scottish indie pop band Belle and Sebastian. It was released in 1996 on Jeepster Records in the United Kingdom and in 1997 by Matador Records in the United States. It is often ranked amon ...
'', ''
The Boy With The Arab Strap
''The Boy with the Arab Strap'' is the third studio album by Scottish indie pop band Belle & Sebastian, released in 1998 through Jeepster Records.
Recording and production
Stuart Murdoch recalled the recording process for this album felt very d ...
'', and ''
Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant
''Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant'' is the fourth album from the Scottish group Belle & Sebastian released in 2000.
Recording and production
Stuart Murdoch recalled that this album felt more difficult to make than prior albums. ...
'') and a series of four EPs ('' Dog on Wheels'', '' Lazy Line Painter Jane'', '' 3.. 6.. 9.. Seconds of Light'', and '' This Is Just a Modern Rock Song''). His main role throughout his period with the band was bass player, although he also performed electric and acoustic guitar, as well as piano and vocals on a number of tracks. He was responsible for establishing the band's initial web presence, building their first website in 1996, and he wrote the songs "Winter Wooskie", "A Space Boy Dream", "Paper Boat" and "A Century of Elvis". He also published two books documenting the band's early days: ''Ink Polaroids: Of Belle and Sebastian''David, Stuart (1997) ''Ink Polaroids'', Treehouse Books, and ''Little Ink Movies: Of Belle and Sebastian in New York''.David, Stuart (1997) ''Little Ink Movies'', Treehouse Books, He left Belle and Sebastian in 2000 to concentrate on his novels and the band
Looper
Looper may refer to:
Animals
* Cabbage looper (''Trichoplusia ni''), a member of the moth family Noctuidae
* Inchworm, of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies
People
* Looper (surname), a Dutch-language surname with the mean ...
.
Looper
Looper
Looper may refer to:
Animals
* Cabbage looper (''Trichoplusia ni''), a member of the moth family Noctuidae
* Inchworm, of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies
People
* Looper (surname), a Dutch-language surname with the mean ...
initially began as a side-project to Belle and Sebastian, a place for David to further explore the spoken-word style he had developed in the songs "A Century of Elvis" and "A Spaceboy Dream". The first Looper release was on
Subpop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are often ...
in 1998, a 7" vinyl containing two spoken word songs, "Impossible Things" and "Spaceboy Dream #3". To date, David has recorded four albums with Looper – ''Up A Tree'' (
Subpop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are often ...
, 1999), ''
The Geometrid
''The Geometrid'' is the second studio album by Looper, released in 2000. It peaked at number 22 on the UK Independent Albums Chart.
Critical reception
'' Exclaim!'' called ''The Geometrid'' "a beautiful, modern pop record." ''The Guardian
...
'' (
Subpop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are often ...
, 2000), ''The Snare'' (
Mute
Muteness is a speech disorder in which a person lacks the ability to speak.
Mute or the Mute may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Mute'' (2005 film), a short film by Melissa Joan Hart
* ''Mute'' (2018 film), a scien ...
, 2002) and ''Offgrid:Offline'' (
Mute
Muteness is a speech disorder in which a person lacks the ability to speak.
Mute or the Mute may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Mute'' (2005 film), a short film by Melissa Joan Hart
* ''Mute'' (2018 film), a scien ...
, 2015) – and a series of three EPs, all of which mixed the original spoken-word style with more conventional pop songs and instrumentals. Mute released the entire back catalogue of Looper's recordings as a five CD boxset in 2015, entitled ''These Things''.Tuffrey, Laurie (2015) ''Looper Announce Box Set & New Album '' ,
The Quietus
''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics.
Content
''The Quiet ...
, 22 January 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2018
Novels
''Nalda Said''
''Nalda Said'' was David's first published novel. The story concerns the nameless son of a jewel thief, brought up by his aunt Nalda, who convinces the boy that he carries one of his father's hidden jewels inside his stomach. The fantasy-like narrative details his subsequent terror of and interaction with society, who he fears will discover his secret and steal his jewel. The book was originally published in the UK by IMP Fiction in 1999, and has since been translated into ten languages. It was described by Dana Kennedy of the ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' as "At once riveting and sad...uncomfortably true to life".TBR Interview with Stuart David , ''The Barcelona Review'', September–October 2002. Retrieved 6 November 2010Kennedy, Dana (2003) , ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', 8 June 2003. Retrieved 6 November 2010 ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' added "Nalda Said is a stunning insight into reclusion, a sideways glance at conservatism and an allegory of the way the business world treats art...It's a fabulous novel."Simpson, Dave (1999) , 22 November 1999. Retrieved 4 February 2013
Glasgow Herald
''The Herald'' is a Scottish broadsheet newspaper founded in 1783. ''The Herald'' is the longest running national newspaper in the world and is the eighth oldest daily paper in the world. The title was simplified from ''The Glasgow Herald'' in ...
'', 12 April 2001. Retrieved 6 November 2010 The character Peacock Johnson also appeared in
Ian Rankin
Sir Ian James Rankin (born 28 April 1960) is a Scottish crime writer, best known for his Inspector Rebus novels.
Early life
Rankin was born in Cardenden, Fife. His father, James, owned a grocery shop, and his mother, Isobel, worked in a schoo ...
's novel ''
A Question of Blood
''A Question of Blood'' is a 2003 crime novel by Ian Rankin. It is the fourteenth of the Inspector Rebus novels.
The book was a finalist for the ''Los Angeles Times'' Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller.
Plot summary
DI John Rebus, freshly t ...
'', after David won an auction for a fan to have a character named after themselves, with David entering under the 'Peacock Johnson' pseudonym.Musician dupes novelist Rankin , ''
Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...
'', 27 December 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2010
Peacock Johnson returned in 2018 in David's novel ''Peacock's Alibi'' in which the protagonist is attempting to escape charges for several crimes he has not committed.