Mohair (band)
Encyclopedia
Mohair was a British rock band
from Watford, England, that formed in 2001 and split after a final gig at The Horn in St Albans
on 28 September 2007.
, brass
), Tom Billington (guitar
, vocals
), Alex Richards (keyboards
, vocals
), and Tim Slade (bass
, vocals
). The members of this rock quartet had played in various bands since their early teens, most notably a Commitments
cover band. In 1998 the band started gigging locally in various line-ups, going by the name of Trooper. By 2001, they had changed their name to Mohair and the four childhood friends were eager to make their rock and roll dreams a reality.
A deal with M1 Records in October 2001 put Mohair on a seemingly never-ending UK tour, and nearly every UK festival stage by summer 2004. Their first 2 'official' releases (discounting their promo CD 'Octopus Chunks') arrived to little fanfare, resulting in the group parting ways with M1 Records in June 2004.
However, Mohair went on to form their own Ear Candy imprint in 2005; singles such as "End of the Line" and "Stranded (in the Middle of Nowhere)" arrived before the year's end. In spring 2006, Mohair made their American performance debut at the annual South By Southwest
Convention in Austin, Texas
. Their debut album, Small Talk (produced by Mark Wallis and Dave Ruffy) was released in the UK on April 24, 2006, and in the US on September 19, 2006. They had toured as the support act for Boy Kill Boy
on their 2006 UK tour and with Razorlight
on their 2007 UK and US tours. They also co-headlined with The Holloways
in Germany.
On the 31 August 2007, Mohair announced that after nine years they had reached the end of the line.
In 2010, Billington recorded his first solo album 'Make No Bones' released on 24 May 2010.
Pete Baker went on to play for Emmy The Great
, and currently lives in London where he works as a freelance drummer and producer.
Alex Richards toured with The Bluetones
from 2008–2010, also playing on their final studio album A New Athens
. He currently plays for Andy Lewis
.
Tim Slade now lives in Brighton
and works as a freelance bass player - most notably for Fields Of The Nephilim
and Gary Numan
.
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
from Watford, England, that formed in 2001 and split after a final gig at The Horn in St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
on 28 September 2007.
History
Mohair featured Pete Baker (drumsDrum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
), Tom Billington (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
), Alex Richards (keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
), and Tim Slade (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
). The members of this rock quartet had played in various bands since their early teens, most notably a Commitments
The Commitments
The Commitments is a novel by Irish writer Roddy Doyle, and is the first episode in The Barrytown Trilogy. It is a tale about a group of unemployed young people in the north side of Dublin, Ireland, who start a soul band.-Plot summary:...
cover band. In 1998 the band started gigging locally in various line-ups, going by the name of Trooper. By 2001, they had changed their name to Mohair and the four childhood friends were eager to make their rock and roll dreams a reality.
A deal with M1 Records in October 2001 put Mohair on a seemingly never-ending UK tour, and nearly every UK festival stage by summer 2004. Their first 2 'official' releases (discounting their promo CD 'Octopus Chunks') arrived to little fanfare, resulting in the group parting ways with M1 Records in June 2004.
However, Mohair went on to form their own Ear Candy imprint in 2005; singles such as "End of the Line" and "Stranded (in the Middle of Nowhere)" arrived before the year's end. In spring 2006, Mohair made their American performance debut at the annual South By Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
Convention in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. Their debut album, Small Talk (produced by Mark Wallis and Dave Ruffy) was released in the UK on April 24, 2006, and in the US on September 19, 2006. They had toured as the support act for Boy Kill Boy
Boy Kill Boy
Boy Kill Boy were an English rock band based in Leytonstone, East London. Perhaps Best known for their highest charting single "Suzie", the band produced two studio albums and six singles before splitting in 2008.- History :...
on their 2006 UK tour and with Razorlight
Razorlight
Razorlight are a UK based indie rock band formed in 2002. They are primarily known in the UK, having topped the charts with the 2006 single "America" and its parent self-titled album, their second...
on their 2007 UK and US tours. They also co-headlined with The Holloways
The Holloways
The Holloways are a four-piece indie-rock band from North London.-Formation:David Jackson and Bryn Fowler established the beginnings of the band, finding Rob Skipper at a local live music venue. They would meet later to jam together, playing in future drummer Dave Danger's room...
in Germany.
On the 31 August 2007, Mohair announced that after nine years they had reached the end of the line.
In 2010, Billington recorded his first solo album 'Make No Bones' released on 24 May 2010.
Pete Baker went on to play for Emmy The Great
Emmy the Great
Emma-Lee Moss , known by her stage name Emmy the Great, is a London-based singer-songwriter. She has released two albums, First Love and Virtue.-Early life:Moss was born in Hong Kong to an English father and a Chinese mother...
, and currently lives in London where he works as a freelance drummer and producer.
Alex Richards toured with The Bluetones
The Bluetones
The Bluetones were an English indie rock band, formed in Hounslow, Greater London, in 1993. The band's members were Mark Morriss on vocals, Adam Devlin on guitar, Scott Morriss on bass guitar, and Eds Chesters on drums. A fifth member, Richard Payne, came on board between 1998 and 2002...
from 2008–2010, also playing on their final studio album A New Athens
A New Athens (album)
A New Athens is the sixth album by The Bluetones. It was released on May 31, 2010 on CIA Recordings.Despite largely positive reviews by fans and critics alike, the album failed to chart in the Top 200 UK Albums Chart after its first week on release....
. He currently plays for Andy Lewis
Andy Lewis (producer)
Andy Lewis is an English soul record producer, solo artist and bassist. He has released two albums as a solo artist: Billion Pound Project in September 2005 and You Must Be Hearing Something Now! in October 2007...
.
Tim Slade now lives in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
and works as a freelance bass player - most notably for Fields Of The Nephilim
Fields of the Nephilim
Fields of the Nephilim are an English gothic rock band formed in Stevenage, Hertfordshire in 1984. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Carl McCoy, saxophonist Gary Whisker, Tony Pettitt on bass, guitarist Paul Wright and drummer Alexander "Nod" Wright...
and Gary Numan
Gary Numan
Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". His signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals.Numan is considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music...
.
Studio Albums
| Year | Title | Tracks |
|---|---|---|
| April 2006 | Small Talk (UK Release) Ear Candy Records |
1. Talk of the Town 2. Life 3. End of the Line 4. Disarray 5. Stranded 6. Little Voice 7. Everything I Want 8. Thin Air 9. Keep It Together 10. L.A. Song |
| August 2006 | Small Talk Remastered (Digital Release) Available through iTunes UK |
1. Talk of the Town 2. Life 3. End of the Line 4. Disarray 5. Stranded 6. Little Voice 7. Everything I Want 8. Thin Air 9. Keep It Together 10. L.A. Song |
| September 2006 | Small Talk (US Release) Grunion Records |
1. Talk of the Town 2. Stranded 3. End of the Line 4. Little Voice 5. Thin Air 6. Keep It Together 7. Disarray 8. L.A. Song 9. Ella May 10. Life |
| November 2006 | Small Talk Remastered (CD Version) Ear Candy Records |
1. Talk of the Town 2. Life 3. End of the Line 4. Disarray 5. Stranded 6. Little Voice 7. Everything I Want 8. Thin Air 9. Keep It Together 10. L.A. Song |
Singles
| Year | Title | Notes | UK Chart |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Octopus Chunks (Beautiful in Alcohol) | Released on M1 Records. CD Tracks 1. Octopus Chunks (Beautiful in Alcohol) 2. Kansas City $1.09 3. Bombshell 4. Thin Air |
- |
| 2003 | Superstar | Released on M1 Records. CD Tracks 1. Superstar 2. True Light Colours 3. Kansas City $1.09 (Demo) |
#156 |
| 2004 | Brown Eyes Blue | Released on M1 Records. Also available on 7" vinyl. CD Tracks 1. Brown Eyes Blue 2. Something to Remember 3. Getaway Car Vinyl Tracks 1. Brown Eyes Blue 2. Something to Remember |
#79 |
| 2005 | Keep It Together | Released on TBA Records. CD Tracks 1. Keep It Together 2. Time Goes So Fast |
#143 |
| 2005 | Stranded (in the Middle of Nowhere) | Released on Ear Candy Records. CD Tracks 1. Stranded (in the Middle of Nowhere) 2. Everything I Want |
- |
| 2005 | End of the Line | Released on Ear Candy Records. Available in 2 CD formats and on 7" vinyl. CD 1 / Vinyl Tracks 1. End of the Line 2. Ella May CD 2 Tracks 1. End of the Line 2. Talk of the Town |
#52 |
| 2006 | Life | Released on Ear Candy Records. Also available on 7" vinyl. CD / Vinyl Tracks 1. Life 2. Broken Pieces |
#113 |
| 2006 | Everything I Want / Little Voice | Released on Ear Candy Records. Only available on 7" vinyl. Vinyl Tracks 1. Everything I Want 2. Little Voice |
- |
| 2006 | Stranded (in the Middle of Nowhere) | US release via iTunes. Used in commercial for Beck's Beck's Brauerei Beck & Co is a German brewery in the north German city of Bremen. Owned by local families until February 2002, it was then sold to Interbrew for 1.8 billion euros. The brewery was formed under the name Kaiserbrauerei Beck & May o.H.G. in 1873 by Lüder Rutenberg, Heinrich Beck and Thomas... beer. |
- |
| 2007 | Talk of the Town | Released on Ear Candy Records. Only available on 7" vinyl. Vinyl Tracks 1. Talk of the Town 2. No One Gets the Better of Me |
- |