Sea Power

Originating in Natland, Cumbria, England, Sea Power operate as a conceptual indie ensemble whose sound fuses art rock with post-rock experimentalism through an unusual measure of creativity and dynamic range. Early recordings drew frequent parallels to the Cure and Joy Division, a period embodied by their 2003 debut The Decline of British Sea Power, yet the group later developed more intricately orchestrated productions, evident on 2008's Do You Like Rock Music? and 2013's From the Sea to the Land Beyond, that proved intensely atmospheric and carried an evocative character reminiscent of classic film scores. Although their tempos can remain measured, the interplay of dynamics and the classical leanings within their melodies produce a singular force.

Formed in 2000 by brothers Yan Scott Wilkinson on vocals and guitar and Neil Hamilton Wilkinson on vocals, guitar, and bass, the lineup soon incorporated longtime associate Matthew Wood on drums. During Yan's time at the University of Reading he connected with fellow musician Martin Noble, who contributed guitar and keyboards, and the collective began performing as British Air Powers before adopting British Sea Power, drawn from a title in their initial song list. In 2021 they shortened the name to Sea Power.

Their concerts gained early attention through distinctive theatrical elements and visual presentation, including the members' frequent choice of military uniforms, the prominent placement of large stuffed birds and artificial plants onstage, and the occasional appearance of a performer in a bear costume. Rough Trade's Geoff Travis witnessed one such performance and offered a contract; by the close of 2001 the band had issued two singles, "Fear of Drowning" on Golden Chariot and "Remember Me" on Rough Trade. The group expanded to a five-piece with the addition of Eamon Hamilton from Brakes on keyboards, an instrumentalist who also carried a bass drum into the crowd during energetic moments.

The critically praised debut The Decline of British Sea Power appeared in 2003. Open Season followed in 2005, after which Hamilton departed to focus on Brakes while Abi Fry joined on viola and Phil Sumner on keyboards, cornet, and guitar. The expanded configuration recorded the eccentric yet approachable Do You Like Rock Music? in 2008, then undertook an atypical project by applying their post-punk atmospheric approach to director Robert Flaherty's stark 1934 film Man of Aran, creating a full soundtrack issued on DVD and performed live at multiple screenings.

The seven-track EP Zeus emerged in 2010, succeeded in 2011 by the fourth album Valhalla Dancehall. Machineries of Joy, drawing inspiration from Ray Bradbury's 1964 short-story collection of the same title, arrived in 2013. Later that year the band supplied another film score, this time for Penny Woolcock's documentary From the Sea to the Land Beyond. In 2015 they reissued The Decline of British Sea Power on their own Golden Chariot imprint in two expanded formats, one adding a bonus disc of rare tracks and the other pairing two CDs with a DVD of rare footage.

That year Sea Power also embarked on a tour supported at every venue by a traditional British brass band. After the tour concluded they recorded with Foden's Band, the renowned brass ensemble established in Cheshire at the start of the twentieth century, recreating the tour repertoire; the results appeared in October 2015 as Sea of Brass. The sixth studio album Let the Dancers Inherit the Party surfaced in April 2017, financed partly through crowdfunding and tracked across multiple sites including Clapham, Lympne Castle, Skye, and the band's hometown of Brighton.

An additional venture involved the video game Disco Elysium, which incorporated selections from the group's award-winning score for that title. The album was released in June 2021, and two months later the band announced via social media their decision to drop "British" and perform simply as Sea Power. Their website statement explained that the move responded to the growth in the U.K. of "an isolationist, antagonistic nationalism that we don’t want to run any risk of being confused with." With the new identity established, Sea Power completed their first album under the revised name. Everything Was Forever, issued in February 2022, reunited them with producer Graham Sutton, who had previously helmed Do You Like Rock Music?