Everything about The Zutons totally explained
The Zutons are an
English indie rock band from
Liverpool.
History
The Zutons formed in
Liverpool in 2001, taking their name from
The Magic Band guitarist
Bill Harkleroad, better known as Zoot Horn (or "Zuton") Rollo. Dave McCabe had previously been in
Tramp Attack, and Russ and Sean were in The Big Kids (with Howie Payne of
The Stands). Originally a four-piece, Sean's girlfriend Abi Harding began joining The Zutons on stage for a couple of songs mid-set, playing simple
saxophone lines. She was very popular with the crowd. The other band members liked the way her saxophone enhanced their sound. Abi became a full member, contributing vocals and sax.
At first, the band had to battle comparisons to
The Coral. Both bands were
Merseyside bands prominent members of the
Liverpool music scene, on the same record label, and they shared the same producer,
Ian Broudie. The band's music has proved difficult to categorize, being described as "psychedelic cartoon punk"
(External Link
). McCabe, who is also the lead songwriter, includes amongst his influences
Talking Heads,
Devo,
Sly & the Family Stone,
Dexys Midnight Runners and
Madness.
The first record the band put out was the 3-track CD Devil's Deal, released in September 2002. The following spring they released Creepin' An' A Crawlin', and then the download-only single Haunts Me in November 2003. The band's "Z" logo was changed early in 2004 to avoid confusion with the
Zenith logo.
The Zutons' debut
album,
Who Killed...... The Zutons? was released in April 2004, and initially reached #13 in the UK album chart. However, after nearly a year later, it managed to move up to #9 in early 2005. The LP had a specially printed 3-D cover and came with Zutons 3-D viewing glasses, which many fans then wore to their concerts. Early copies of the album also included a bonus 4-track CD of alternative versions of their songs. The album was critically acclaimed and was a nominee for the 2004
Mercury Music Prize. The band themselves were nominated for the British Breakthrough Act award at the 2005
BRIT Awards. The album was later re-issued following the single Don't Ever Think Too Much, with that song being added as track 13. The track "Confusion" was used in an advert for Peugeots 307 car advert in the UK during 2004-2005.
The new album
Tired of Hanging Around was released on April 17, 2006 and reached #2 in the UK album charts. The first single from the album "Why won't you give me your love" and the second single "Valerie" both peaked at 9 in the charts, a fair achievement considering their highest place previously had been with the single "Don't ever think too much" at 15. The band toured the UK in May 2006 following the release of this album. They played at the Jersey Live Festival on September 2, 2006 before their second UK tour which began in November 2006. In October 2006, they performed at the
The Secret Policeman's Ball. On
New Year's Eve 2006, the Zutons appeared on
Jools Holland's annual
Hootenanny on
BBC television on which they performed their songs Valerie, Why Don't You Give Me Your Love? and It's The Little Things We Do.
As the November tour began, the band gave an
interview to
STV discussing songwriting, making videos and their American dates with
The Killers. In a separate interview, Payne complained about the tendency of music writers and magazines to generalise a particular city as the breeding ground of new 'movements', "A lot of bands get lumped in when they’re in the same neck of the woods and journalists–especially in England–like to make a big deal out of that and make it into a scene, as if the individual bands aren’t good enough to write about."
The Zutons recorded a live session for
Live from Abbey Road on 25th August 2006. Their performance was shown on Channel 4 in the UK and the Sundance Channel in the USA on an episode shared with
Shawn Colvin,
Nerina Pallot and
Ray LaMontagne.
The band announced on
July 13 2007 that guitarist Boyan Chowdury has left The Zutons, citing "musical differences".
The band will release their third album
You Can Do Anything on June 2, 2008. The first single was "Always Right Behind You" which will be released on May 26, 2008. The album was recorded earlier in the year in
Los Angeles, California
On
17 May 2008 The Zutons appeared on
Soccer AM as guest stars. They played one of their singles at the end to celebrate the last show of the season.
Discography
Albums
Singles
Further Information
Get more info on 'The Zutons'.
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