Minor Victories

Minor Victories unites Editors guitarist Justin Lockey, Slowdive vocalist Rachel Goswell, Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite, and Justin's brother James—who collaborates with him on films under the Hand Held Cine Club banner—in crafting expansive tracks rooted in their shared musical backgrounds. Justin Lockey initiated the project by laying down material for an extreme-noise EP, then reached out to Goswell, a fellow client of their management team, to add vocals. Once a pair of songs had been tracked remotely, Goswell proposed bringing in Braithwaite on second guitar; he and James Lockey laid down guitar, drums, and bass at Mogwai's Castle of Doom studio in Glasgow. Further contributions arrived from Mark Kozelek and the Twilight Sad's James Graham as sessions continued. Early 2016 saw the release of the band's debut single "A Hundred Ropes," whose video was directed by Hand Held Cine Club, followed that June by Minor Victories' self-titled debut album. The next January the group issued Orchestral Variations, an instrumental reworking of its songs.