Biography
Formed during 2004 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, the group originated when Natalie Johnson (b. 14 August 1980, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England; vocals/guitar) and Kevin Gori (b. 22 February 1982, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England; guitar) first encountered each other while attending the University of Sheffield. Andrew George (b. 6 December 1976, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England; cello), Catherine Tully (b. 13 April 1982, Solihull, West Midlands, England; violin), and Robert Dean (b. 2 May 1983, East Grinstead, West Sussex, England; drums) completed the lineup shortly afterward. Their initial recording, The Bright Carvings, appeared in 2006 as a restricted pressing through the small local imprint Thee Sheffield Phonographic Corporation. The material centered on straightforward, energetic acoustic indie arrangements driven by Johnson’s precisely tuned singing and Gori’s refined fingerstyle guitar work, prompting parallels with Belle And Sebastian and Camera Obscura.
The next album, The Casket Letters, obtained a wider domestic distribution via Loose Music in August 2007. Although commercial success remained elusive, the record earned favorable notices, and while its overall approach stayed close to the first release, Johnson’s compositions had clearly matured. The infectious single “Little Polveir” stayed within the band’s established idiom, yet tracks such as “Elizabeth & Mary” moved toward a denser, guitar-driven rock texture bearing clear traces of PJ Harvey. Late in 2007 the members posted an online notice declaring an open-ended hiatus once their January engagements concluded.
The next album, The Casket Letters, obtained a wider domestic distribution via Loose Music in August 2007. Although commercial success remained elusive, the record earned favorable notices, and while its overall approach stayed close to the first release, Johnson’s compositions had clearly matured. The infectious single “Little Polveir” stayed within the band’s established idiom, yet tracks such as “Elizabeth & Mary” moved toward a denser, guitar-driven rock texture bearing clear traces of PJ Harvey. Late in 2007 the members posted an online notice declaring an open-ended hiatus once their January engagements concluded.
Albums
