Future Of The Left

Mclusky, a Welsh noise rock trio, emerged as a highlight amid the British indie circuit's post-Britpop slump. The group issued three raucously engaging albums—My Pain and Sadness Is More Sad and Painful Than Yours in 2000, Mclusky Do Dallas in 2002, and The Difference Between Me and You Is That I'm Not on Fire in 2005—before an acrimonious 2005 breakup, apparently fueled by internal friction after their van and equipment vanished during a 2004 American tour. Welsh electro-punks Jarcrew operated in parallel, releasing Breakdance Euphoria Kids in 2002 and the self-titled Jarcrew in 2003 before dissolving in early 2005 when their drummer embraced religion. Mclusky bassist Jon Chapple formed Shooting at Unarmed Men, while singer-guitarist Andrew Falkous and drummer Jack Egglestone joined Jarcrew singer-keyboardist Kelson Mathias and bassist Hywel Evans to merge the two acts.

Evans departed soon afterward to launch his own band, shifting Mathias to bass; after testing various tongue-in-cheek monikers, the remaining trio debuted as Future of the Left in autumn 2006. Retaining Too Pure Records, they introduced themselves with the January 2007 double A-sided single "Fingers Become Thumbs" / "The Lord Hates a Coward." Two further singles followed—"A Dead Enemy Always Smells Good" in May and "Small Bones Small Bodies" in September—before the fall 2007 release of their debut album, Curses. The 2008 live set Last Night I Saved Her from Vampires became their first 4AD release; early the next year, single "The Hope That House Built" heralded a heavier direction on Travels with Myself and Another, which appeared in summer 2009.

Mathias exited the following year, with Oceansize bassist Steve Hodson handling live duties until former Million Dead member Julia Ruzicka joined permanently. Guitarist Jimmy Watkins also arrived that year and participated in the June 2012 third album, The Plot Against Common Sense. Fan-funded through PledgeMusic, their fourth album How to Stop Your Brain in an Accident surfaced on their own Prescriptions label in October 2013. Having reached its target in just five hours, the band adopted this approach for fifth album The Peace & Truce of Future of the Left, announced in December 2015 and funded in three hours. Released in April 2016, it restored the group to a trio following Watkins' departure.