Biography
Screaming Tea Party can shift between a delicate guitar-driven indie pop sound marked by fragile yet endearing vocal blends and a clear nod to the Velvet Underground during its softer passages, or erupt into a ferocious sonic assault reminiscent of Thurston Moore collaborating with Shellac, with both extremes occasionally surfacing within a single performance. The group came together in 2006 when bassist and vocalist Koichi, a Japanese émigré already seasoned in Tokyo’s vibrant noise rock circles, settled in London. Reuniting there with his friend and sometime musical partner Niyan on guitar and vocals, the pair recruited drummer Teresa to launch the project. Teresa departed for the United States toward the end of 2007, at which point Nell, originally from Malaysia, stepped in behind the kit. Drawing from divergent backgrounds—Koichi’s immersion in psychedelic folk and punk, Niyan’s classical training paired with an affinity for noise and experimental forms, and Nell’s self-described “Nineties kid” roots in Hole and Marilyn Manson—the trio quickly gained notice on the U.K. circuit through their frenzied live performances, frequently highlighted by Niyan’s appearances in underwear and a gas mask. Stolen Records issued the band’s first EP, Death Egg, in February 2007, followed by Golden Blue in autumn 2008, which featured the tracks “Holy Disaster” and “I’d Rather Be Stuck on the Stair Rail”.
Albums
