Molly Half Head were an

alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

band from

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

formed in 1992. They had a minor UK hit single in 1995 with "Shine".

History

The band's line-up, after an early experimental version of the band that included a saxophonist, comprised Paul Bardsley (vocals), Phil Murphy (guitar), Neil Daly (bass guitar), and Andy Pickering (drums).Strong, Martin C. (1999) ''The Great Alternative & Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 417Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Indie & New Wave'', Virgin Books, , p. 283 They were compared to bands such as

Magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

, with Bardsley often likened to

Mark E. Smith Mark Edward Smith (5 March 1957 – 24 January 2018) was an English singer-songwriter. He was the lead vocalist, lyricist and only constant member of the post-punk group the Fall. Smith formed the band after attending the June 1976 Sex Pistol ...

.Brod, Doug
Molly Half Head
, ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who, Dave Schulps, and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

'', retrieved 2012-05-02 They signed for Manchester

independent label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represente ...

Playtime Records, and released their debut single, "Taste of You", in March 1993;. Two more singles followed before the release of the album ''Sulk'' in November 1993. The album was issued in the United States in February 1994 by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

. Daly left the band and was replaced by Graham Atkinson, and the band left Playtime to sign for Columbia in the UK. The band's second single for Columbia, "Shine", reached number 73 in the UK Singles Chart. A second album, ''Dunce'', produced by

Craig Leon Craig Leon (born 7 January 1952) is an American-born record producer, composer and arranger currently living in England.''International Who's Who in Classical Music 2005'', Routledge, 2005. Leon was instrumental in launching the careers of many ...

and released in July 1995, failed to achieve commercial success saw the band dropped by Columbia and they subsequently split up. Bardsley and Murphy later formed Wireless (not to be confused with the Canadian band of the same name), releasing a self-titled album in 1998.Wireless
, ''

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 ...

'', 7 July 1998, retrieved 2012-05-02 There were rumours of a comeback in 2021 with an appearance at the Shiiine on Weekender being announced However Molly Halfhead didn't play at the festival.

Discography

Albums

*''Sulk'' (1993), Playtime/Columbia *''Dunce'' (1995), Columbia

Singles

*"Taste of You" (1993), Playtime *"Just" (1993), Playtime *"Barny" (1993), Playtime *"Breaking the Ice" (1995), Columbia - UK No. 80 *"Shine" (1995), Columbia - UK No. 73

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Molly Half Head English alternative rock groups Alternative rock groups from Manchester Musical groups established in 1992 Musical groups disestablished in 1996