The Boxer Rebellion

The Boxer Rebellion crafted an atmospheric moody clatter that pulled influences from a broad array of groups ranging from the Verve and Radiohead to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. No mix-up was possible with either the late-19th-century Chinese uprising or the Philadelphia punk act sharing the moniker. Around 2000 the London quartet coalesced after visiting American student Nathan Nicholson crossed paths with Australian guitarist Todd Howe. The pair soon recruited Englishmen Piers Hewitt on drums and Adam Harrison on bass, after which the band began gigging at every opportunity. British rock impresario Alan McGee discovered them and placed the group on his Poptones label, which put out the early singles “Watermelon,” “In Pursuit,” and “Code Red.” Interest mounted around the outfit whose sound showcased Nicholson’s sweeping vocals across heavily treated guitars and soupy echo. Multiple postponements finally gave way to the spring 2005 release of debut album Exits. That summer the record reached America through Poptones’ licensing arrangement with Mercury/Universal. A more ambitious effort, Union, surfaced in winter 2009. The third album, The Cold Still, appeared in 2011. The Boxer Rebellion resurfaced in 2013 with the Billy Bush-produced Promises. This collection of brooding and atmospheric rock anthems extended the groundwork of prior releases while opting for a more sonically crisp sound. A live album, Live at the Forum, followed in 2014, and the fifth studio album, Ocean by Ocean, arrived in 2016.