Unbelievable Truth were a
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
rock band
Band or BAND may refer to:
Places
*Bánd, a village in Hungary
*Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania
*Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...
, led by
Andy Yorke
Andy Yorke (born 10 January 1972) is an English musician and former lead singer and guitarist for the band Unbelievable Truth. He is the younger brother of Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke.
Early life
Yorke began singing when he was ten. At the a ...
, with
Nigel Powell
Nigel Powell (born 1 October 1971) is an English multi-instrumental musician from Abingdon.
Powell was born in Bromley, London, and educated at Abingdon School. While at school he was in a band called Illiterate Hands, which also featured futu ...
, Jason Moulster, and Jim Crosskey.
Their sound has been described as "slow, melancholy, country-tinged ballads, wrapped in a soft blanket of acoustic guitars and minor chords".
History
The band was formed in 1993 in
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
, and named after
Hal Hartley's
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...
, ''
The Unbelievable Truth''.
A crisis of confidence led to a split in 1995, during which time Yorke took to exile in
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
. Upon his return in 1996, the band released their first
single, "Building" in February 1997 on
Shifty Disco
Shifty Disco was a British independent record label based in Oxford, England.
The record label was started by local enthusiasts in January 1997 and their early releases were often featured by John Peel on his BBC Radio 1 show. Shifty Disco has r ...
, a
record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the pr ...
based in Oxford.
They released their first
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 ...
, ''
Almost Here'', in 1998 on
Virgin
Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
,
and although being subsequently dropped by Virgin, the album had some success.
In 2000, the band released their next album ''Sorrythankyou'' on Shifty Disco, the first from that label to be pressed in
vinyl
Vinyl may refer to:
Chemistry
* Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer
* Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation
* Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry
* Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...
.
The group parted ways in 2000, due to Yorke's decision to leave the band. In 2001, Unbelievable Truth released a
double album
A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording i ...
, self-published, called ''
Misc. Music''. Disc 1 contained
b-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
s and unreleased tracks, while disc 2 was the live recording of their farewell show held at the Zodiac in Oxford on 16 September 2000.
Since then, all of the members have gone on to other musical projects.
Drummer
A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drums.
Most contemporary western bands that play rock, pop, jazz, or R&B music include a drummer for purposes including timekeeping and embellishing the musical timbre. The drummer's ...
Nigel Powell formed a new band, The Sad Song Co., and has been playing with another Oxford band Dive Dive (formerly Dustball). They have released three singles and one album, and are currently at work on their second LP. Powell has been working and touring with folk singer/songwriter
Frank Turner since his solo career began, performing on all of his records to date with fellow
Dive Dive
Dive Dive are a British rock band, composed of Jamie Stuart (guitar and vocals), Ben Lloyd (guitar and vocals), Nigel Powell (drums and vocals) and Tarrant Anderson (bass guitar). Ben Lloyd and Tarrant Anderson also play as full-time members o ...
members
Ben Lloyd
Ben Lloyd is an English musician, record producer and recording engineer based in Oxford, England. He currently plays electric guitar in Frank Turner's band, The Sleeping Souls, and is a member of the British rock band, Dive Dive. He also recor ...
and
Tarrant Anderson
Tarrant Anderson is an English musician, currently serving as the bass player for Frank Turner's live and studio band, The Sleeping Souls and is a member of the British rock band Dive Dive. He was previously a member of the British punk band '' ...
. Jim Crosskey and Jason Moulster became part of the group Nine Stone Cowboy, along with members of other defunct Oxford bands
The Candyskins
The Candyskins were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Oxford, England. Though early members of the 'Oxford Scene', they enjoyed limited commercial success compared to their contemporaries Radiohead and Supergrass. They were considered by ...
and
Ride.
The band reunited for a one-off concert in Oxford to support
tsunami
A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater exp ...
victims on 19 February 2005. In May 2007, Unbelievable Truth, as a three piece ensemble, played an
acoustic set at the closing night of the Oxford venue, The Zodiac, before a summer refit.
In 2007, former
frontman
The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
Yorke completed his first
solo
Solo or SOLO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Comics
* ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series
* Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics
Characters
* Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character
* Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...
effort with the help of ex-bandmates Powell and Moulster. The album ''Simple'' was released on 14 July 2008.
Discography
Albums
*''
''Almost Here'''' (1998) -
UK No. 21
*''Sorrythankyou'' (2000)
*''
Misc. Music'' (2001)
EPs
*''Stone - EP'' (1997)
*''Higher Than Reason - EP'' (1998)
*''Settle Down / Sea Dune - EP'' (1998)
*''Solved - EP'' (1998)
Singles
*"Building" (1997)
*"Stone" / "Finest Little Space" (1997)
*"Higher Than Reason" (1998) -
UK No. 38
*"Solved" (1998) - UK No. 39
*"Settle Down" / "Dune Sea" (1998) - UK No. 46
*"Agony" (2000)
*"Landslide" (2000)
*"Advice to a Lover" (2000)
References
External links
Official Unbelievable Truth WebsiteOfficial Andy Yorke WebsiteOfficial Andy Yorke MySpaceOfficial Nigel Powell websiteLewis Slade's fan website, inc. free rarities download
{{Authority control
English rock music groups
Music in Oxford
Musical groups established in 1993
Musical groups from Oxford