Belle and Sebastian are a Scottish
indie pop
Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with a DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...
band formed in
Glasgow
Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
in 1996. Led by
Stuart Murdoch, the band has released twelve studio albums.
They are often compared with acts such as
the Smiths
The Smiths were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, composed of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (musician), Mike Joyce (drums). Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwrit ...
and
Nick Drake
Nicholas Rodney Drake (19 June 1948 – 25 November 1974) was an English singer-songwriter and musician. An accomplished acoustic guitarist, Drake signed to Island Records at the age of twenty while still a student at the University of Cambridg ...
.
The band took their name from the 1965 television series ''
Belle and Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian are a Scottish indie pop band formed in Glasgow in 1996. Led by Stuart Murdoch, the band has released twelve studio albums. They are often compared with acts such as the Smiths and Nick Drake. The band took their name from ...
''.
History
Formation, early years and ''Tigermilk'' (1994–1996)
In 1994,
Stuart Murdoch and
Stuart David
Stuart David (born 26 December 1969) is a Scottish musician, songwriter and novelist. He co-founded the band Belle and Sebastian and was a member from 1996 to 2000, and then went on to front Looper (1998–present).Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''T ...
both enrolled at
Stow College
Stow College was a college in Glasgow in Scotland.
History
The college was named after David Stow, whose primary teaching seminary was founded close to the college at Dundasvale. The first purpose-built Further Education college in Glasgow, i ...
's Beatbox programme for unemployed musicians in Glasgow.
Together, with music professor
Alan Rankine
Alan Rankine (17 May 1958 – 2 January 2023) was a Scottish musician and record producer best known as keyboardist and guitarist for rock band the Associates, which he co-founded with lead vocalist Billy Mackenzie in the late 1970s.
Early l ...
(formerly of
the Associates), they recorded some demos, which in 1996 were picked up by the college's Music Business course that produces and releases one single each year on the college's label,
Electric Honey. As Murdoch had a number of songs already and the label was extremely impressed with the demos, he was granted permission to record a full-length album, which was recorded mostly live over three days, entitled ''
Tigermilk
''Tigermilk'' is the 1996 debut studio album from Scottish pop group Belle and Sebastian. Originally given a limited release (1,000 copies) by Electric Honey, the album was subsequently re-released in 1999 by Jeepster Records.
The album is na ...
''.
Murdoch and David recruited local musicians
Stevie Jackson
Stephen Thomas Jackson (born 16 January 1969) is a Scottish musician and songwriter. He plays lead guitar and sings in the Glasgow-based indie band Belle and Sebastian.
Career
Jackson's early musical influences include Madness, ABBA, OMD, ...
(guitar and vocals),
Isobel Campbell
Isobel Campbell (born 27 April 1976) is a Scottish singer, songwriter and cellist. She rose to prominence at age nineteen as a member of the indie pop band Belle & Sebastian, but left the group to pursue a solo career, first as the Gentle Waves ...
(cello/vocals), Chris Geddes (keys) and
Richard Colburn
Richard Colburn (born 25 July 1970) is a Scottish musician and the drummer of the Scottish indie band Belle & Sebastian. Before he joined Belle & Sebastian, he used to sell pies on match days outside Celtic Park and studied Music Business at Sto ...
(drums), the latter of whom shared a flat with David and was a student on the Music Business course, to perform on the album, with Murdoch describing the process as a "product of botched capitalism".
The band chose the name Belle and Sebastian from a short story Murdoch had written inspired by the television series of the same name, about a six-year-old boy and his dog, named Belle, a Great Pyrenees.
In June 1996, Electric Honey pressed up one thousand copies of ''Tigermilk'' on
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 ...
.
''If You're Feeling Sinister'' and early EPs (1996–1998)
The warm response ''Tigermilk'' received led to the band being signed to
Jeepster Records
Jeepster Records is an English, London-based independent record label, founded in 1995, and specializing in British indie and alternative bands, particularly Glasgow-based acts. It is most notable for its signing of Belle and Sebastian and Snow ...
in August 1996, who released their second album ''
If You're Feeling Sinister'' on 18 November.
The album was named by ''
Spin
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles
* Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
'' as one of the 100 greatest albums between 1985 and 2005, and it is widely considered the band's masterpiece.
Just before the recording of ''Sinister'',
Sarah Martin (violin/vocals) joined the band.
Following this a series of EPs were released throughout 1997. The first of these was ''
Dog on Wheels
''Dog on Wheels'' is the debut EP by Belle & Sebastian, released in 1997 on Jeepster Records. The four recordings on the EP actually pre-date the band's début album '' Tigermilk'', produced whilst bandmembers Stuart Murdoch and Stuart David ...
'', released in May and consisting of four demo tracks recorded prior to the real formation of the band. In fact, the only long-term band members to play on the songs were Murdoch, David, and
Mick Cooke, who played trumpet on the EP but would not officially join the band until a few years later. It charted at No. 59 in the UK singles chart.
The ''
Lazy Line Painter Jane
''Lazy Line Painter Jane'' was Belle & Sebastian's second EP, released in 1997 on Jeepster Records. The title track features guest vocalist Monica Queen and was recorded in a church hall. "A Century of Elvis" features bassist Stuart David re ...
'' EP followed in July. The track was recorded in the church where Murdoch lived
and features vocals from
Monica Queen
Monica Queen is a singer from Glasgow, Scotland who has collaborated with Belle & Sebastian (e.g., on ''Lazy Line Painter Jane'' from the Lazy Line Painter Jane EP), Chris Coco, James Grant and Jim White, among others. She is listed on the Fire ...
. The EP narrowly missed out on the UK top 40, peaking at No. 41.
The last of the EPs was October's ''
3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light''. The EP was made Single of the Week in both the ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' and ''
Melody Maker
''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...
'' and reached No. 32 in the charts, thus becoming the band's first top 40 single.
Despite the band's growing popularity, during this period they kept a low profile at the insistence of Murdoch, who was still regaining his strength following years struggling with
myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The band played gigs sporadically, rarely gave interviews, and refused to appear in publicity photographs, often getting friends and acquaintances to pose instead. The relative reclusiveness helped to create an aura of mystique around them.
''The Boy with the Arab Strap'', ''Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant'' and Line-up Changes (1998–2003)
The band released their third LP, ''
The Boy with the Arab Strap
''The Boy with the Arab Strap'' is the third studio album by Scottish indie pop band Belle & Sebastian, released in 1998 through Jeepster Records.
Background and recording
Belle and Sebastian released their second studio album '' If You're Feel ...
'' in 1998, and it reached No. 12 in the UK charts. ''Arab Strap'' garnered an NPR interview and positive reviews from ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' and ''
The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
,''
and others; however, the album has its detractors, including ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
'', who gave the album a particularly poor review, calling it a "parody" of their earlier work (Pitchfork has since removed the review from their website and re-reviewed the album positively in 2018). During the recording of the album, long-time studio trumpet-player Mick Cooke was asked to join the band as a full member.
The ''
This Is Just a Modern Rock Song'' EP followed later that year.
In 1999, the band was awarded with Best Newcomer (for their third album) at the
BRIT Awards, upsetting better-known acts such as
Steps and
5ive
Five (occasionally stylised as 5ive) are an English boy band formed in 1997 consisting of members Sean Conlon, Ritchie Neville, Scott Robinson, Abz Love and Jason "J" Brown. Five released several hit singles around the turn of the 21st centu ...
. That same year, the band hosted their own festival, the
Bowlie Weekender
The Bowlie Weekender was a music festival curated by Belle & Sebastian at the Pontin's Holiday camp in Camber Sands, Sussex between Friday 23 and Sunday 25 April 1999.
The event was the inspiration for All Tomorrow's Parties, a music festival ...
. ''
Tigermilk
''Tigermilk'' is the 1996 debut studio album from Scottish pop group Belle and Sebastian. Originally given a limited release (1,000 copies) by Electric Honey, the album was subsequently re-released in 1999 by Jeepster Records.
The album is na ...
'' was also given a full release by
Jeepster before the band started work on their next LP. The result was ''
Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant
''Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant'' is the fourth album from the Scottish group Belle & Sebastian released in 2000.
Background and recording
While promoting their third studio album '' The Boy with the Arab Strap'' (1998), Belle ...
'', which became the band's first top 10 album in the UK, though critics felt that the band were starting to stagnate.
A stand-alone single, "
Legal Man
"Legal Man" is a song by Scottish indie pop band Belle and Sebastian, released as their first stand-alone single. The track features Isobel Campbell, Sarah Martin, and Rozanne Suarez (credited as the Maisonettes) on vocals and Snow Patrol drum ...
", reached No. 15 and gave them their first appearance on
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...
.

As the band's popularity and recognition was growing worldwide, their music began appearing in films and on television. The 2000 film ''
High Fidelity
High fidelity (hi-fi or, rarely, HiFi) is the high-quality reproduction of sound. It is popular with audiophiles and home audio enthusiasts. Ideally, high-fidelity equipment has inaudible noise and distortion, and a flat (neutral, uncolored) ...
'' mentions the band (with
Jack Black
Thomas Jacob "Jack" Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for roles in family and comedy films, in addition to his voice work in animated films. His awards include a Children's and Family Emmy ...
's character referring to them as "old sad bastard music" and disdaining their soft style) and features a clip from the song "
Seymour Stein
Seymour Steinbigle (April 18, 1942 – April 2, 2023), known professionally as Seymour Stein, was an American entrepreneur and music executive. He co-founded Sire Records and was vice president of Warner Bros. Records. With Sire, Stein signed ba ...
" from ''The Boy with the Arab Strap''. Two songs by the band ("Expectations" and "Piazza, New York Catcher") appeared on the soundtrack for the 2007 hit film ''
Juno
Juno commonly refers to:
*Juno (mythology), the Roman goddess of marriage and queen of the gods
* ''Juno'' (film), the 2007 film
Juno may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional characters
*Juno, a character in the book ''Juno of ...
.'' Also, the title track from ''Arab Strap'' was played over the end credits of the UK television series ''
Teachers
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...
,'' and the lyric "Colour my life with the chaos of trouble" from the song was quoted by one of the characters in the 2009 film ''
(500) Days of Summer
''(500) Days of Summer'' is a 2009 American romantic comedy film directed by Marc Webb, written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, and produced by Mark Waters. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel as Tom and Summer r ...
''.
Stuart David
Stuart David (born 26 December 1969) is a Scottish musician, songwriter and novelist. He co-founded the band Belle and Sebastian and was a member from 1996 to 2000, and then went on to front Looper (1998–present).Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''T ...
soon left the band to concentrate on his side project,
Looper
Looper may refer to:
Animals
* Cabbage looper (''Trichoplusia ni''), a member of the moth family Noctuidae
* Inchworm, of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies
People
* Looper (surname), a Dutch-language surname with the meani ...
, and his book writing, which included his ''The Idle Thoughts of a Daydreamer''. He was replaced by
Bobby Kildea
Robert Michael "Bob" Kildea is a musician from Northern Ireland. He plays bass and guitar in the Scottish indie pop band Belle & Sebastian, after joining in 2001 to replace departing bassist Stuart David, and had previously been in V-Twin.
In D ...
of
V-Twin
A V-twin engine, also called a V2 engine, is a two-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders are arranged in a V configuration and share a common crankshaft.
The V-twin is widely associated with motorcycles, primarily installed longitudinally ...
. The "
Jonathan David
Jonathan Christian David (born January 14, 2000) is a professional Association football, soccer player who last played as a Forward (association football), forward for club Lille OSC, Lille and the Canada men's national soccer team, Canada na ...
" single, sung by Stevie Jackson, was released in June 2001 and was followed by "
I'm Waking Up to Us" in November, which saw the band use an outside producer (
Mike Hurst) for the first time.
Most of 2002 was spent touring and recording a soundtrack album, ''
Storytelling
Storytelling is the social and cultural activity of sharing narrative, stories, sometimes with improvisation, theatre, theatrics or embellishment. Every culture has its own narratives, which are shared as a means of entertainment, education, cul ...
'' (for ''
Storytelling
Storytelling is the social and cultural activity of sharing narrative, stories, sometimes with improvisation, theatre, theatrics or embellishment. Every culture has its own narratives, which are shared as a means of entertainment, education, cul ...
'' by
Todd Solondz
Todd Solondz (; born October 15, 1959) is an American filmmaker and playwright known for his style of dark, socially conscious satire. Solondz's work has received critical acclaim for its commentary on the "dark underbelly of middle class Americ ...
). Campbell left the band in the spring of 2002, in the middle of the band's North American tour to pursue a solo career, first as The Gentle Waves, and later under her own name. She later collaborated with singer
Mark Lanegan
Mark William Lanegan (November 25, 1964 – February 22, 2022) was an American singer and songwriter. First becoming prominent as the lead singer for the early grunge band Screaming Trees, he was also known as a member of Queens of the Stone Age ...
on three albums.
''Dear Catastrophe Waitress'', ''The Life Pursuit'' and hiatus (2003–2010)
The band left Jeepster in 2002, signing a four-album deal with
Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London, England. It was formed in 1976 by Geoff Travis, who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. It is currently run by co-managing directors Travis and Jeannette Lee and ...
.
Their first album for Rough Trade, ''
Dear Catastrophe Waitress
''Dear Catastrophe Waitress'' is the sixth studio album by the Scottish indie pop band Belle & Sebastian, released on 6 October 2003 on Rough Trade Records. It was produced by Trevor Horn.
"Stay Loose" was released to radio on 24 February 200 ...
'', was released in 2003 and was produced by
Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English record producer and musician. His influence on pop and electronic music in the 1980s was such that he has been called "the man who invented the eighties".
Horn took up the bass guitar at an ...
.
The album showed a markedly more "produced" sound compared to their first four LPs,
as the band was making a concerted effort to produce more "radio-friendly" music.
At this point, the band began to engage more with the press and started appearing in publicity shots. The album was warmly received and is credited with restoring the band's "indie cred".
The album also marked the return of Murdoch as the group's primary songwriter, following the poorly received ''Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant'' and ''Storytelling'', both of which were more collaborative than the band's early work. A documentary DVD, ''
Fans Only'', was released by Jeepster in October 2003, featuring promotional videos, live clips and unreleased footage.
A single from the album, "
Step into My Office, Baby
"Step Into My Office, Baby" is a song by Belle & Sebastian, released as their first single for Rough Trade Records in 2003. The track was produced by Trevor Horn and is lifted from ''Dear Catastrophe Waitress''. The front cover features band me ...
" followed in November 2003; it would be their first single to be taken from an album,
and included a track recorded with
Divine Comedy
The ''Divine Comedy'' (, ) is an Italian narrative poetry, narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun and completed around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and one of ...
producer
Darren Allison
Darren Allison (born May 1968, Ashington, Northumberland, England) is an English record producer, musician, and audio engineer, best known for his production work with artists such as Spiritualized,Kempster, Chris "Studio secrets of the sta ...
entitled ''Love on the March''.
The
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. The band initially consisted of bass guitarist, lead vocalist and principal songwriter Phil Lynott, drummer Brian Downey, guitarist Eric Bell and organist Eric Wrixon although Wr ...
-inspired "
I'm a Cuckoo
"I'm a Cuckoo" is the second single from Scottish indie pop band Belle & Sebastian's sixth studio album, ''Dear Catastrophe Waitress'' (2003). Produced by Trevor Horn, the track was released as a single on 16 February 2004. B-side "Stop, Look an ...
" was the second single from the album.
It achieved their highest chart position yet, reaching No. 14 in the UK.
The ''
Books
A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, mo ...
'' EP followed, a double A-side single led by "Wrapped Up in Books" from ''Dear Catastrophe Waitress'' and the new "Your Cover's Blown". This EP became the band's third top 20 UK release, and the band was nominated for both the
Mercury Music Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual Music award, music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the Music of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom or Music of Ireland, Ireland. It was cre ...
and an
Ivor Novello Award
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...
. In January 2005, B&S was voted Scotland's greatest band in a poll by ''
The List'', beating
Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish Rock music, rock band formed in Glasgow in 1977, becoming best known internationally for their song "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985), which topped the ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Billboard Hot 100, Hot 100 ...
,
Idlewild,
Travis
Travis may refer to:
People and fictional characters
*Travis (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
*Travis (surname), a list of people
Places in the United States
*Travis, Staten Island, a neighborhood
*Travis Air Force Base, a ...
,
Franz Ferdinand, and
the Proclaimers
The Proclaimers are a Scottish Rock music, rock duo formed in 1983 by twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid (born 5 March 1962). They came to attention with their 1987 single "Letter from America (song), Letter from America", which reached No. 3 ...
, among others.
In April 2005, members of the band visited Israel and the
Palestinian territories
The occupied Palestinian territories, also referred to as the Palestinian territories, consist of the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip—two regions of the former Mandate for Palestine, British Mandate for Palestine ...
with the UK charity
War on Want
War on Want is an anti-poverty charity based in London. War on Want works to challenge the root causes of poverty, inequality and injustice through partnership with social movements in the global South and campaigns in the UK. War on Want's slo ...
;
the group subsequently recorded a song inspired by the trip titled "The Eighth Station of the Cross Kebab House", which would first appear on the digital-download version of the charity album ''
Help!: A Day in the Life'' and would later have a physical release as a B-side on 2006's "
Funny Little Frog" single. ''
Push Barman to Open Old Wounds
''Push Barman to Open Old Wounds'' is a 2005 two-disc/triple-LP compilation released by Belle and Sebastian. ''Blender'' described the collection as "25 charming tales of shy girls dabbling in photography and bookish boys dabbling in shy girls." ...
'', a compilation of the Jeepster singles and EPs, was released in May 2005 while the band were recording their seventh album in California. The result of the sessions was ''
The Life Pursuit
''The Life Pursuit'' is the seventh studio album by Scottish indie pop band Belle & Sebastian. It was released in Europe on 6 February 2006 by Rough Trade Records and in North America on 7 February 2006 by Matador Records.
The models on the alb ...
'', produced by
Tony Hoffer
Tony Hoffer is an American record producer, songwriter, and music mixer.
Career
Hoffer is credited for his work on multiple platinum-selling albums including Travis, The Kooks, The Thrills, Beck, Supergrass, Turin Brakes and Air.
His reco ...
.
The album, originally intended to be a double album, became the band's highest-charting album upon its release in February 2006, peaking at No. 8 in the UK and No. 65 on the US
''Billboard'' 200. "Funny Little Frog", which preceded it, also proved to be their highest-charting single, debuting at No. 13.
On 6 July 2006, the band played a historic show with the
Los Angeles Philharmonic
The Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil) is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. The orchestra holds a regular concert season from October until June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from ...
at the
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre and Urban park, public park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in the United States by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018 and was listed on ...
. The opening act at the 18,000 seat sell-out concert was
the Shins
The Shins are an American indie rock band formed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1996. The band is the project of singer-songwriter James Mercer, who has served as the band's sole constant member throughout numerous line-up changes. The band's c ...
. The members of the band see this as a landmark event, with Stevie Jackson saying, "This is the biggest thrill of my entire life". In October 2006, members of the band helped put together a CD collection of new songs for children titled ''
Colours Are Brighter
''Colours Are Brighter'' is a charity record which was released on Rough Trade Records on 16 October 2006, all proceeds going to Save the Children. The CD features 13 songs aimed at children, by some of the UK's biggest indie pop bands, and was ...
'', with the involvement of major bands such as
Franz Ferdinand and
the Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band currently consists of Wayne Coyne (vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards), Steven Drozd (guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, vocals), Derek Brown ...
.
On 18 November 2008 the band released ''
The BBC Sessions'', which features songs from the period of 1996–2001 (including the last recordings featuring Isobel Campbell before she left the band), along with a second disc featuring a recording of a live performance in
Belfast
Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
from Christmas 2001.
''Write About Love'' and ''Girls In Peacetime Want to Dance'' (2010–2016)
On 17 July 2010, the band performed their first UK gig in almost four years to a crowd of around 30,000 at
Latitude Festival
Latitude Festival is an annual music and arts festival set within the grounds of Henham Park, near Southwold, Suffolk, England.
The first edition of the festival took place in 2006 and has continued annually (apart from 2020 when it was cancel ...
in Henham Park,
Southwold
Southwold is a seaside town and civil parish on the North Sea, in the East Suffolk District, East Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England. It lies at the mouth of the River Blyth, Suffolk, River Blyth in the Suffolk Coast and Heaths ...
. They performed two new songs, "I Didn't See It Coming" and "I'm Not Living in the Real World".

Their eighth studio album, released in the UK and internationally on 25 September 2010, was titled ''
Write about Love''. The first single from the album, as well as the record's title track "
Write about Love", was released in the US on 7 September 2010. ''Write about Love'' entered the UK albums chart in its first week of release, peaking at No. 8 as of 19 October 2010.
Norah Jones
Norah Jones ( ; born Geethali Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She has won several awards for her music and, , has sold more than 53 million records worldwide. '' Billboard'' named her the top jazz artist of ...
is featured on the track "Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John", and
Carey Mulligan
Carey Hannah Mulligan (born 28 May 1985) is a British actress. She has received various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award. She w ...
sings on the title track.
In December 2010 Belle and Sebastian curated the sequel to the ''Bowlie Weekender'' in the form of ''Bowlie 2'' presented by
All Tomorrow's Parties
"All Tomorrow's Parties" is a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico, written by Lou Reed and released as the band's debut single in 1966. The song is from their 1967 debut studio album, ''The Velvet Underground & Nico''.
Inspiration for the so ...
.
In 2013,
Pitchfork TV released an hour-long documentary in February, directed by RJ Bentler which focused on the band's 1996 album ''
If You're Feeling Sinister'', as well as the formation and early releases of the band. The documentary featured interviews with every member that was present on the album, as well as several archival photos and videos from the band's early days. The band compiled a second compilation album ''
The Third Eye Centre'' which included the B-sides and rarities released after ''Push Barman to Open Old Wounds'', from the albums ''Dear Catastrophe Waitress'', ''The Life Pursuit'', and ''Write about Love''. In an interview at the end of 2013, Mick Cooke confirmed he had left the band on good terms.
The band received an 'Outstanding Contribution to Music Award' at the
NME Awards
The ''NME'' Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine ''NME'' (''New Musical Express''). The first awards show was held in 1953 as the ''NME'' Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding o ...
2014.
In 2014, the band returned to the studio, recording in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, Georgia for their ninth studio album, along with announcing tour dates for various festivals and concerts across the world during 2014. Their ninth album ''
Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance'' was released on 19 January 2015. It was their first album with Dave McGowan, who had been their touring bassist since 2011.
The Belle and Sebastian song "There's Too Much Love" forms much of the soundtrack for the Brazilian film ''The Way He Looks'', about a blind, gay teenage boy and his friends, released in 2014.
Belle and Sebastian performed at the
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (commonly referred to as simply Glastonbury Festival, known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts held near Pilton, Somerset, England, in most su ...
on 28 June 2015, on 'The Other Stage' and at O2 Academy, Glasgow in March 2017 which was televised in the UK as part of the 'BBC 6 MUSIC Presents Festival'.
''How to Solve Our Human Problems'', ''A Bit of Previous'' and ''Late Developers'' (2017–present)
In mid-2017, the band put out a new single, "We Were Beautiful". During the same year, the band appeared in the news for a comical story that occurred during their US tour, in which they accidentally forgot Colburn in a
North Dakota
North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...
Walmart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...
. In December 2017 and January and February 2018, the band released a trio of EPs under the name ''
How to Solve Our Human Problems
''How to Solve Our Human Problems'' is the collective title of three EPs by the band Belle and Sebastian, released through Matador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk r ...
''.
On 3 November 2018, the band announced that Dave McGowan had become a member.
In August 2019, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first
Bowlie Weekender
The Bowlie Weekender was a music festival curated by Belle & Sebastian at the Pontin's Holiday camp in Camber Sands, Sussex between Friday 23 and Sunday 25 April 1999.
The event was the inspiration for All Tomorrow's Parties, a music festival ...
festival, Belle & Sebastian held a third festival, dubbed the ''Boaty Weekender''. Unlike the previous two festivals, the Boaty Weekender was held on a cruise ship in the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
instead of UK holiday parks.
The band's eleventh studio album, ''
A Bit of Previous'', was released in May 2022.
In January 2023, the band announced the surprise release of their twelfth studio album, ''
Late Developers''. Lead single "I Don't Know What You See in Me" was released on 9 January 2023 with the album released on 13 January 2023.
Collaborations and side projects
*
The Reindeer Section were a Scottish indie rock supergroup formed in 2001 by Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol, which released albums and gigged in 2001 and 2002. It featured Richard Colburn, Mick Cooke and Bobby Kildea from Belle and Sebastian.
*
The Vaselines
The Vaselines are a Scottish alternative rock band. Formed in Glasgow in 1986, the band was originally a duo between its songwriters Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee, but later added James Seenan and Eugene's brother Charlie Kelly on bass and dr ...
are an alternative rock band formed in Glasgow in 1986. Between 2008 and 2014 their lineup featured Stevie Jackson and Bobby Kildea from Belle and Sebastian and they performed at
Bowlie Weekender
The Bowlie Weekender was a music festival curated by Belle & Sebastian at the Pontin's Holiday camp in Camber Sands, Sussex between Friday 23 and Sunday 25 April 1999.
The event was the inspiration for All Tomorrow's Parties, a music festival ...
2 curated by Belle and Sebastian in December 2010.
*
Tired Pony
Tired Pony was an indie folk supergroup consisting of Gary Lightbody, Richard Colburn, Iain Archer, Jacknife Lee, Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey, Tom Smith and Troy Stewart. Lightbody formed the group out of his appreciation for country music, a ...
was a country / Americana supergroup formed by Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol in 2010. It features Richard Colburn from Belle and Sebastian.
*
God Help the Girl
''God Help the Girl'' is a 2009 album by Stuart Murdoch of the band Belle and Sebastian with female vocalists such as Catherine Ireton. God Help the Girl is also the name of the band and the accompanying film released in 2014. The songs are ...
is a musical project by Stuart Murdoch, featuring a group of female vocalists, including Catherine Ireton, with Belle and Sebastian as the accompanying band.
*
Looper
Looper may refer to:
Animals
* Cabbage looper (''Trichoplusia ni''), a member of the moth family Noctuidae
* Inchworm, of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies
People
* Looper (surname), a Dutch-language surname with the meani ...
is an electronic music group fronted by Stuart David.
Band members
Current members
*
Stuart Murdoch – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards
(1996–present)
*
Stevie Jackson
Stephen Thomas Jackson (born 16 January 1969) is a Scottish musician and songwriter. He plays lead guitar and sings in the Glasgow-based indie band Belle and Sebastian.
Career
Jackson's early musical influences include Madness, ABBA, OMD, ...
– guitar, backing and occasional lead vocals, piano
(1996–present)
* Chris Geddes – keyboards, piano, percussion
(1996–present)
*
Richard Colburn
Richard Colburn (born 25 July 1970) is a Scottish musician and the drummer of the Scottish indie band Belle & Sebastian. Before he joined Belle & Sebastian, he used to sell pies on match days outside Celtic Park and studied Music Business at Sto ...
– drums, percussion
(1996–present)
*
Sarah Martin – backing and lead vocals, violin, guitar, flute, keyboards, recorder, percussion
(1996–present)
*
Bobby Kildea
Robert Michael "Bob" Kildea is a musician from Northern Ireland. He plays bass and guitar in the Scottish indie pop band Belle & Sebastian, after joining in 2001 to replace departing bassist Stuart David, and had previously been in V-Twin.
In D ...
– guitar, bass
(2001–present)
* Dave McGowan – bass, keyboards, guitar
(2018–present; touring musician 2012–2018)
Former members
*
Isobel Campbell
Isobel Campbell (born 27 April 1976) is a Scottish singer, songwriter and cellist. She rose to prominence at age nineteen as a member of the indie pop band Belle & Sebastian, but left the group to pursue a solo career, first as the Gentle Waves ...
– backing and occasional lead vocals, cello, guitar
(1996–2002)
*
Stuart David
Stuart David (born 26 December 1969) is a Scottish musician, songwriter and novelist. He co-founded the band Belle and Sebastian and was a member from 1996 to 2000, and then went on to front Looper (1998–present).Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''T ...
– bass
(1996–2000)
*
Mick Cooke – trumpet, guitar, bass, percussion
(1998–2013; touring musician 1996–1998)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
Tigermilk
''Tigermilk'' is the 1996 debut studio album from Scottish pop group Belle and Sebastian. Originally given a limited release (1,000 copies) by Electric Honey, the album was subsequently re-released in 1999 by Jeepster Records.
The album is na ...
'' (1996)
* ''
If You're Feeling Sinister'' (1996)
* ''
The Boy with the Arab Strap
''The Boy with the Arab Strap'' is the third studio album by Scottish indie pop band Belle & Sebastian, released in 1998 through Jeepster Records.
Background and recording
Belle and Sebastian released their second studio album '' If You're Feel ...
'' (1998)
* ''
Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant
''Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant'' is the fourth album from the Scottish group Belle & Sebastian released in 2000.
Background and recording
While promoting their third studio album '' The Boy with the Arab Strap'' (1998), Belle ...
'' (2000)
* ''
Storytelling
Storytelling is the social and cultural activity of sharing narrative, stories, sometimes with improvisation, theatre, theatrics or embellishment. Every culture has its own narratives, which are shared as a means of entertainment, education, cul ...
'' (2002)
* ''
Dear Catastrophe Waitress
''Dear Catastrophe Waitress'' is the sixth studio album by the Scottish indie pop band Belle & Sebastian, released on 6 October 2003 on Rough Trade Records. It was produced by Trevor Horn.
"Stay Loose" was released to radio on 24 February 200 ...
'' (2003)
* ''
The Life Pursuit
''The Life Pursuit'' is the seventh studio album by Scottish indie pop band Belle & Sebastian. It was released in Europe on 6 February 2006 by Rough Trade Records and in North America on 7 February 2006 by Matador Records.
The models on the alb ...
'' (2006)
* ''
Write About Love'' (2010)
* ''
Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance'' (2015)
* ''
Days of the Bagnold Summer'' (2019)
* ''
A Bit of Previous'' (2022)
* ''
Late Developers'' (2023)
See also
*
List of bands from Glasgow
This list contains famous or notable musicians, singers, composers and bands who originated in or are associated strongly with Glasgow, Scotland.
0–9
*1990s (band), 1990s
A
*AC Acoustics
*Admiral Fallow
*Adopted as Holograph
*Adventures in ...
References
External links
*
*
*
Belle and Sebastianat
Bandcamp
Bandcamp is an American online music distribution platform founded in 2008 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with an office and record store in Oakland, California. Acquired by Epic ...
*
*
{{Authority control
Brit Award winners
British musical septets
NME Awards winners
Twee pop groups
Scottish indie pop groups
Matador Records artists
Musical collectives
Musical groups established in 1996
Rock music groups from Glasgow
Rough Trade Records artists
Scottish indie rock groups
Scottish rock music groups
Sony Music Publishing artists
Chamber pop groups
1996 establishments in Scotland
Mixed-gender bands