Mazes were an English
indie rock
Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produ ...
band, formed in Manchester in 2009.
The band consisted of
Jack Cooper on vocals and guitar, Conan Roberts on bass and Neil Robinson on drums.
History
Mazes was initially a recording project for
Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre rivers, and is ...
-born singer-songwriter Jack Cooper, following the split of
The Beep Seals which he co-fronted with former
Alfie guitarist Ian Smith (and originated as a live backing band for
Jim Noir). He recruited Jay Sikora and Jarin Tabata in 2009 to tour. The band released two 7" singles with
Brighton
Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
's Sex Is Disgusting Records. Neil Robinson soon joined as a permanent drummer alongside Conan Roberts on bass. A 30-song tape cassette called ''IBB Tape'' released on Robert's own label Italian Beach Babes, and a 7" single released on Jack Cooper's label Suffering Jukebox (Cenetaph/Go-Betweens), caught the eye of Brighton's Fatcat Records and the band signed with them towards the end of 2010.
The band's debut
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...
was recorded in a studio based in a boat on the River Thames and was released in April 2011. The band's sound was often likened to American bands such as
Pavement and
Sebadoh
Sebadoh () is an American indie rock band formed in 1986 in Northampton, Massachusetts, by Eric Gaffney and Lou Barlow, with multi-instrumentalist Jason Loewenstein completing the line-up in 1989. Barlow co-created Sebadoh as an outlet for hi ...
, as well as
Flying Nun bands such as
The Clean
The Clean was a New Zealand indie rock band that formed in Dunedin in 1978. They have been described as the most influential band to come from the Flying Nun label, which recorded many artists associated with the "Dunedin sound".Schmidt, And ...
. The band played 2011's SXSW Music Festival and toured the United States twice with
White Denim and Sebadoh.
Mazes' second album, ''Ores & Minerals'', was released in February 2013 to positive reviews.
Their third album, ''Wooden Aquarium'', released on 16 September 2014.
Following the release of the album, frontman Jack Cooper formed
Ultimate Painting
Ultimate Painting were an English alternative rock band, formed in London in 2014. The band was composed of co-frontmen Jack Cooper and James Hoare, with a revolving cast of rhythm sections. The band were named after a painting made by the Dro ...
which he co-fronted with
Veronica Falls
Veronica Falls were an English indie pop band that formed in London in 2009. The band consisted of Roxanne Clifford and James Hoare, both on vocals and guitar, Marion Herbain on bass guitar and Patrick Doyle on drums and backing vocals. The m ...
member Jack Hoare. Drummer Neil Robinson toured with the band and appeared on some of their studio recordings. Bassist Conan Roberts went into video and film production, working for the likes of MTV and Disney.
References
External links
Mazes page at FatCat Records
{{Authority control
English indie rock groups
Musical groups established in 2009
FatCat Records artists