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The Indelicates are a
Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...
-based English
indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
band. Formed in 2005 by Julia and Simon Indelicate, the band's songs are known for their mix of dark, cynical lyrics and tuneful rock melodies. The Indelicates came to attention with their early demos, which were released for free on their website. The band signed to independent record label Sad Gnome Records in 2006 and released several singles and an EP. After leaving Sad Gnome in 2007, the band signed to another independent label, Weekender Records, which issued their first album, ''American Demo'', in 2008. After Weekender found itself in financial difficulty, the Indelicates asked to be released from their contract. In 2010, the band formed Corporate Records, through which artists could sell their own work on a pay-what-you-like basis and retain the bulk of the profits. The band's first release through the label was ''Songs for Swinging Lovers'' in 2010. Four more albums followed, including the
concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
''David Koresh Superstar'' in 2011, based on the life of
Branch Davidian The Branch Davidians (or the General Association of Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventists, or the Branch Seventh-day Adventists) are a religious sect founded in 1955 by Benjamin Roden. They regard themselves as a continuation of the General A ...
religious sect leader
David Koresh David Koresh (; born Vernon Wayne Howell; August 17, 1959 – April 19, 1993) was an American cult leader. who played a central role in the Waco siege of 1993. As the head of the Branch Davidians, a religious sect, Koresh claimed to be its fin ...
. Their most recent album was released in 2017. The Indelicates are also known for their innovative and progressive marketing techniques, including
crowdfunding Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and Alternative Finance, alternative finance, to fund projects "withou ...
their fourth album before
Kickstarter Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative project ...
had a UK presence, "Super Special Editions", and
virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a Simulation, simulated experience that employs 3D near-eye displays and pose tracking to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video gam ...
and 360-degree music videos. The band remain favourites in the
blogosphere The blogosphere is made up of all blogs and their interconnections. The term implies that blogs exist together as a connected community (or as a collection of connected communities) or as a social networking service in which everyday authors can pu ...
, but although they received positive notices in the mainstream music press and achieved some popularity in Germany, they have never had a breakout hit. While Simon and Julia have been ever-present, the Indelicates have featured several line-ups since their formation, sometimes with a rotating roster of backing musicians for live shows, which they continue to perform in the UK and Europe.


Early work


Formation

The Indelicates were formed in 2005 in
Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
, UK, by Julia and Simon Indelicate, who had met five years previously at a
poetry slam A poetry slam is a competitive art event in which poets perform spoken word, spoken word poetry before a live audience and a panel of judges. Poetry slams began in Chicago in the 1980s, with the first slam competition designed to move poetry rec ...
. The pair created several independent and joint artistic projects, which they promoted through their individual
MySpace Myspace (formerly stylized as MySpace, currently myspace; and sometimes my␣, with an elongated Whitespace character#Substitute images, open box symbol) is a social networking service based in the United States. Launched on August 1, 2003, it w ...
pages. Julia was also a
documentary photographer Documentary photography usually refers to a popular form of photography used to chronicle events or environments both significant and relevant to history and historical events as well as everyday life. It is typically undertaken as professional ph ...
and Simon had been a
performance poet Performance poetry is poetry that is specifically composed for or during a performance before an audience. It covers a variety of styles and genres. History The phenomenon of performance poetry, a kind of poetry specifically made for and offer ...
on the
cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...
circuit. Simon also wrote a musical based on the ''
Book of Job The Book of Job (), or simply Job, is a book found in the Ketuvim ("Writings") section of the Hebrew Bible and the first of the Poetic Books in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. The language of the Book of Job, combining post-Babylonia ...
''. In 2003, Julia co-founded
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
The Pipettes The Pipettes were a British indie pop girl group formed in 2003 in Brighton by Robert "Monster Bobby" Barry. The group has released two albums, ''We Are the Pipettes'', and ''Earth vs. The Pipettes'' and released numerous singles to support i ...
, but left in early 2005 to form the Indelicates with Simon. The band began playing venues in September 2005, with a line-up that initially consisted of Julia on vocals and piano, Simon on vocals and guitar, Jack Stone on drums, Kate Newberry on bass guitar, and Alastair Clayton on rhythm guitar. Ed Van Beinum later took over from Stone.


Demos and recognition

In late 2005, the band released several songs as free downloads on its own website, including "Waiting for Pete Doherty to Die". The song helped the Indelicates build a fanbase, but was also a source of "controversy and misunderstanding". Dan Hancox in ''
New Statesman ''The New Statesman'' (known from 1931 to 1964 as the ''New Statesman and Nation'') is a British political and cultural news magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first c ...
'' described it as "attention-seekingly controversial", and Julia stated that the band received a lot of letters and e-mails attacking the band over the song. She described these as coming from people who had only seen the title. Simon said of the reaction, "I have never met ete Doherty nor have I ever written a song about him (though I may have written a song about people who subsequently thought I had)." Simon also said that some fans of
Babyshambles Babyshambles are an English rock band established in London. The band was formed by Pete Doherty (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) during a hiatus from the Libertines. As of 2014 the band included Mick Whitnall (lead guitar), Drew McConnell (bas ...
(
Pete Doherty Peter Doherty (born 12 March 1979) is an English musician. He is best known for being co-frontman of the Libertines, which he formed with Carl Barât in 1997. His other musical projects are indie rock, indie bands Babyshambles and Peter Dohert ...
's band at the time) attended the Indelicates' concerts to find out how hateful they were, only to learn that the intent of the song was not about wishing Doherty would die, but about the "hypocritical" media machine that profits from the deaths of musicians: "circling vultures waiting for the end". "... einer der kreisenden Geier, die auf das Ende warten." In its 2005 yearbook, ''
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 ...
'' chose the song as its "most controversial pick of the year". Hancox went on to praise "Waiting for Pete Doherty to Die" as "a bitter-sweet, folk-tinged bit of acoustic soul searching typical of this fascinating new band." '' Jetzt'' magazine said that the song captured the impression one would get from reading the English press that Doherty was on a death spiral and that with the song "media criticism, cynicism, nihilism and beautiful music come together perfectly". Author
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon Gaiman (; born Neil Richard Gaiman; 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, audio theatre, and screenplays. His works include the comic series ''The Sandman (comic book), The Sandma ...
said of the song, "I was hooked in one, as they took apart, with bitter grace, the media/academic obsession with and delight in the downfall of stars and idols." The Indelicates also made available "Burn All the Photographs", "Vladimir" "Julia, We Don't Live in the 60s" and "New Art for the People". ''
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 ...
'' described "New Art for the People" as "stunning", and ''
Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...
'' said that the song's "unmistakably twee ... delivery" made it "beguiling" and "distinctive".


Sad Gnome

The Indelicates' website also featured an early recording of "We Hate the Kids". In 2006, the Indelicates signed to independent record label Sad Gnome Records and on 24 July released "We Hate the Kids" through the label as a two-track 7" vinyl single (with "Burn all the Photographs" as a B-side) and four-track digital download (with additional remixes). The song was a re-recording of the original demo, which had been recorded in Alastair's bedroom and was removed from the band's site ahead of the release. The new version was produced by Keith Mahony and co-produced and mastered by Les Carter. It was Sad Gnome Records' first release. Hancox had called the first version of the song the Indelicates' "most exciting ... a cynical, disaffected, lo-fi anthem", and "We Hate the Kids" received positive reviews in ''
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 ''
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 ...
''. In 2012, "We Hate The Kids" was used on the soundtrack of German film '' Drei Zimmer/Küche/Bad'' (English title: ''Move''), and in September 2020, ''
God Is in the TV ''God Is in the TV'' is an independent music and culture online magazine founded by editor Bill Cummings in Cardiff in 2003. It publishes independent music reviews, features, interviews, podcasts and media. The webzine's coverage varies from uns ...
'' listed it at No. 67 in its list of 100 songs deserving to be rescued from the indie rock "landfill" era. The band's last release while signed to Sad Gnome was the EP "The Last Significant Statement To Be Made in Rock'n'Roll", on 12 February 2007. The six-track CD consisted of the title track, plus "Sixteen", "Heroin", acoustic track "Unity Mitford", live track "Stars" and a remix of the title track. The EP was released to tie-in with the Indelicates' tour of Germany in the same month. ''Jetzt'' chose "Sixteen" as one of the most interesting song releases of the week, calling Julia's vocals irresistible and complimenting the song's brevity. The magazine also praised the EP as a whole, in particular the way in which Julia and Simon "complement each other, support each other, drive each other on ... they harmonize so perfectly". "... Julia Clark-Lowes und Simon Indelicate wechseln sich in jedem Lied ab, ergänzen sich, unterstützen sich, treiben sich gegenseitig an und schaffen es so in manchen Liedern wirklich „The Last Significant Statement To be Made in Rock’n’Roll“ zu setzen - so perfekt harmonieren sie, so punktgenau schrammeln die Gitarren, so schön sind die Melodien, so herrlich kitschig klimpert manche Pianostelle und so aufwühlend ist es ... Mit der Single „Waiting for Pete Doherty to die“ haben sie sich letztes Jahr schon viele Fans erspielt ... Kein Wunder, dass Art-Brut-Sänger Eddie Argos das Quintett aus Brighton rund um die als seine Lieblingsband bezeichnete."


Weekender years


Touring and singles

Through 2007, the Indelicates had continued to play venues in the UK and Europe. In Germany they headlined several times and played support for
Art Brut Art Brut is an English indie rock band. Their debut album, '' Bang Bang Rock & Roll'', was released on 30 May 2005, with its follow up, ''It's a Bit Complicated'', released on 25 June 2007. Named after French painter Jean Dubuffet's definition ...
, whose lead singer,
Eddie Argos Eddie Argos (born Kevin Macklin 25 October 1979) is the lead singer of English rock band Art Brut, and writer of comic books, comics. Personal life Born in Weymouth, Dorset, Weymouth, England, Argos later moved to Poole, Dorset as a young chi ...
, had previously called the Indelicates his favourite band. In April 2007, for British Music Week the German edition of '' Vanity Fair'' profiled "the most important" British bands that were playing German cities that year, calling the Indelicates' "We Hate The Kids" and "Waiting For Pete Doherty to Die" "so very brilliant". By mid-year, the Indelicates had left Sad Gnome to join another independent label, Weekender Records, and in July released "Julia, We Don't Live in the 60s" as a CD single and 7" vinyl. The latter featured "Point Me to the West" as a B-side, while the CD release added to that song a live version of "Unity Mitford". ''
Artrocker Artrocker is a UK-based collective involved in music promotion and publishing. It was started by Paul Cox and Tom Fawcett who had been co-promoters of a London night called The Sausage Machine. Having started life with an online newsletter and ev ...
'' magazine called "Julia ..." "intelligent, poetic indie-rock". ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' called the song "reasonably agreeable", while noting that for a rock song that was "not really a compliment". ''
Gigwise ''Gigwise'' is a British online music news site featuring music news, photos, album reviews, music festivals, concert tickets and video content. Founded in June 2001, the site is based in London, England. History Gigwise was launched in 2001 in ...
'', reviewing a live rendition of the song, cited its "soaring riffs" and "wry, nostalgic and deliciously doom-laden" lyrics. Eddie Argos appeared in the music video. The band's final single of 2007 was "Sixteen", released on 8 October on CD, 7" vinyl and digitally. The vinyl release contained "Sixteen" and B-side "The Sequel to Peter Pan and Wendy", while the CD release also featured a remix of "Fun is for the Feeble Minded". Julia said that "'Sixteen' is a song about people never growing up, and behaving like little kids for as long as possible, even when it bites them in the arse (at the age of 29)." Several industry publications, including ''
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 ...
'', had predicted mainstream success for the Indelicates for several years, and though the band had achieved popularity in the
blogosphere The blogosphere is made up of all blogs and their interconnections. The term implies that blogs exist together as a connected community (or as a collection of connected communities) or as a social networking service in which everyday authors can pu ...
, by the start of 2008 a breakout hit had eluded them. On 24 March 2008, the band released its fourth single, "America" on CD, 7" vinyl and digitally. The vinyl release B-side "No Religion" was joined by "The Last Bombed City" on the CD release. '' Clash'' magazine called the song an "entertaining polemic, whose lack of subtlety extends to the suitably big, brash rock musical soundtrack." ''Room Thirteen'' said the song was "truly refreshing ... a great track which is up-beat and powerful" and said that both Simon and Julia's vocals were "excellent and certainly complement the political nature of their music." The reviewer also praised both B-sides, saying the release added up to a "knockout combination".


''American Demo''

"America" preceded the Indelicates' first album release, ''American Demo'' on 14 April 2008. Produced by Brian O'Shaughnessy at Bark Studio, and issued by Weekender on CD and as a 12" vinyl LP, the album featured 14 tracks and included new and previously released material. The album was released simultaneously in Germany through Weekender's sister label. George Bass, writing for ''God is in The TV'', called ''American Demo'' "rewardingly consistent" and said that it "breaks none of the promises he Indelicateshave spent the last three years making". Bass remarked that while the album might look like "most machined poprock" it was "deeper than your average post-rock
gatefold A gatefold cover or gatefold LP is a form of packaging for gramophone record, LP records that became popular in the mid-1960s. A gatefold cover, when folded, is the same size as a standard LP cover (i.e., a 12½-inch 2.7-centimetresquare). ...
." He singled out critical favourite "New Art for the People" in particular as the band's signature track, "a raw monolith that's lost none of its veracity in the jump from the stage to the studio." Jo Vallance of ''Room Thirteen'' called the album a "fantastic debut" that "blows away all the indie bands claiming to make a difference and say something that counts" and further praised the album for its "variety of sound". Neil Jones of ''
MusicOMH ''MusicOMH'' (stylized as ''musicOMH'') is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History ''MusicOMH'' was founded an ...
'' called the album "a broad set of tracks that which spit immaculate bile here, vintage melodies there, and its very first track is a musical statement if ever I’ve heard one, Julia ... etching out a violin contrapuntal to make the hairs stand on end." Jones complimented the way the album married the album's "sweet" melodies with the more barbed lyrical content, and concluded, "Corrosive performance poetry and pop music passion, this is an album on immaculate themes. American Demo really is the aesthetic arm of the outsiders, and The Indelicates right now are pretty much unbeatable." To support the album's release, the Indelicates toured Europe, notably Germany. They also headlined a stage at the
Frequency Festival The FM4 Frequency Festival, also Frequency Festival or just Frequency, formerly Vienna City Festival, is a music festival. Until 2008, it took place near Salzburg Austria, usually every August. In 2009, the Festival moved to St. Pölten. It is pr ...
in Austria. The band played venues in the United States, including support for
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 ...
in New York, and at the
South by Southwest South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
festival in Austin, Texas. Mayer Nissim, writing for ''
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
'', later said that ''American Demo'' had been "one of the best guitar-pop albums of the decade", while noting that "inevitably it didn't exactly set the charts alight". The Indelicates said that the album "didn't sell terribly".


Corporate Records


Weekender split

In 2009, the Indelicates split from Weekender and in 2010 set up their own label, Corporate Records. The band had come to believe that Weekender's promotion of ''American Demo'' was ineffectual and did not account for the changing shape of the record industry, especially with regard to finding new fans, which the band said came about only through "the free, internet-based things that they did themselves." They went on to say that when their label ran out of money in December 2008, the removal of the album from sale prevented its chances of reaching a larger audience at Christmas after it appeared on some online best-of-the-year lists. The Indelicates continued to play shows in the UK and Europe, and supported
Amanda Palmer Amanda MacKinnon Palmer (born April 30, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and performance artist who is the lead vocalist, pianist, and lyricist of the duo the Dresden Dolls. She performs as a solo artist and was also a memb ...
and Art Brut. By 2009, Kate Newberry had left the band, who were joined by
Laurence Owen Laurence Rochon "Laurie" Owen (; May 9, 1944 – February 15, 1961) was an American figure skater. She was the 1961 U.S. National Champion and represented the United States at the 1960 Winter Olympics, where she placed sixth. She was the ...
on bass and sometime guitarist and backing vocalist Lily Rae. The band continued with a rotating line-up for live shows. In early 2009, they released the download-only single "The Recession Song", which also featured Art Brut's Mikey Breyer. Author
Laurie Penny Laurie Penny (born Laura Barnett, 28 September 1986) is a British journalist and writer. Penny has written articles for publications including ''The Guardian,'' ''The New York Times'' and ''Salon''. Penny is a contributing editor at the ''New S ...
said of the song, "I have been stamping around to it all day; it takes a very special song to make my heart hammer like a tiny flywheel, and this is it." In early 2009, Weekender had said that it intended to move away from record production into artist management, and unsure if the label would exercise its contractual right to a second album, the Indelicates asked to be released from their contract. In January 2010, the label closed its UK operations entirely. Corporate Records was a joint venture with musician Keith Top of the Pops, who had produced the studio version of "We Hate the Kids". After deciding to self-release their second album, the band decided that the label could serve a wider audience than just themselves. The Corporate Records website invited artists to "promote, share and sell their work" and let fans download work on a pay-what-you-like basis. Apart from a
PayPal PayPal Holdings, Inc. is an American multinational financial technology company operating an online payments system in the majority of countries that support E-commerce payment system, online money transfers; it serves as an electronic alter ...
charge and 20% "server costs and admin" the Corporate Records contract promised 80% of the proceeds of sales to artists.


''Songs for Swinging Lovers''

On 12 April 2010, the Indelicates released their second album, ''Songs for Swinging Lovers'', through the Corporate Records website for the UK, US and other territories, except Germany, where it was released through Snowhite Records (in conjunction with
Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...
) on 10 December. The album was produced by Ed East and recorded at Studio East in Berlin, with additional recording by Keith TOTP at Dean Street Studios in London. The band released the CD version on 2 June, and a 12" vinyl special edition followed. The Indelicates also made available a "Super Special Edition"—a £300 package including the "CD, signed vinyl, exclusive download, art/poster book, lyric book, signed print, jewellery, fudge and rope." The special edition also included a live performance of the album at "any UK venue" which would be recorded and the copyright for that recording given to the buyer, who could then sell the recording on the Corporate Records website if they wished. Simon said that musically the album better represented what the band heard in their heads, and that ''American Demo'' had been compromised through being produced under the constraints of a label. Julia said that ''Songs for Swinging Lovers'' was a more personal album, citing "Savages" in particular. Writing for ''PopMatters'', Maria Schurr said of the album's style that while it represented a continuation of ''American Demo''s "lyrical attacks on society coated over with giddy indie pop hooks" ''Songs for Swinging Lovers'' "has been infused with a swish of cabaret." She later said that it sounded like " collaboration between
The Mekons The Mekons are a British Post-punk band formed in 1976 as an art collective. They are one of the longest-running and most prolific of the first-wave British punk rock bands. The band's style has evolved over time to incorporate aspects of co ...
,
The Wedding Present The Wedding Present are an English indie rock group formed in 1985 in Leeds, England, by members of The Lost Pandas. The band has been led by vocalist and guitarist David Gedge, the band's only constant member. Closely linked to the C86 scene ...
, Carter USM, and
Luke Haines Luke Michael Haines (born 7 October 1967) is an English musician, songwriter and author. He has recorded music under various names and with various bands, including The Auteurs, Baader Meinhof and Black Box Recorder. Career ''New Wave'' Ha ...
, with a song co-written by
Jacques Brel Jacques Romain Georges Brel (; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed theatrical songs. He generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, but later throughout the world ...
following a really awesome séance". Schurr said that the album was "dazzlingly close to perfection" and though its first half was its strongest, the second was "more convincing of the Indelicates' greatness than ten years' worth of 'Next Big Thing' issues of ''NME''". In ''Digital Spy'' Mayer Nissim wrote that ''Songs for Swinging Lovers'' lacked "a bit of the coherence and gloss 'n' polish" of ''American Demo'', but that it was "an assured, aggressive follow-up". He said that, as with their debut, "The Indelicates' trick is to suck you in with hooks that have you either dancing or swooning before the lyrics smash you in the chops." Nissim singled out "Roses" as the album's standout and "Sympathy for the Devil" as an "odd misstep", concluding that while the Indelicates were doing nothing new musically, ''Songs for Swinging Lovers'' showed "that it really is what you do with it that counts". The album was also praised by Neil Gaiman, and in Germany's '' Intro'' magazine,
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 ...
singled out Julia's voice especially for praise, saying, "I love her." In 2018, The Quietus ranked ''Songs for Swinging Lovers'' at No. 72 on its writers' poll list of "The Top 100 Albums of the Quietus' Existence" (2008–2018), calling it a "pop masterpiece". In the absence of traditional chart tracking for the album, the band said the measure of success for ''Songs for Swinging Lovers'' would be "if we're financially solvent ... success is basically not having to stop". Just over a year later, the band reported that it had sold well enough to fund the recording and release of their next album.


Digital rights campaigning

In early 2010 the Indelicates became outspoken critics of the controversial
Digital Economy Act 2010 The Digital Economy Act 2010 (c. 24) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The act addresses media policy issues related to digital media, including copyright infringement, Internet domain names, Channel 4 media content, local ra ...
, which allowed the blocking of sites used or even likely to be used for activities that involved
copyright infringement Copyright infringement (at times referred to as piracy) is the use of Copyright#Scope, works protected by copyright without permission for a usage where such permission is required, thereby infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the c ...
. Having encouraged fans to share songs via their blogs and on social media, the band said that filesharing had "directly benefited" them, and that the new law was "fuzzy enough to include our artist-rewarding, innovative-business-model-y company aiming to grow the digital economy." Simon urged bands to examine the true value of a sale and whether "an income they ren'tgetting anyway" was worth removal of rights from "real" people. After
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
approved the bill and it became an Act of law, Simon hit out at the bands who had stayed silent: "All the musicians who view the internet as nothing more than a funnel for their sleazy hype deserve their share of the blame. Standing by silently with their unblemished hands folded cravenly over their purses ... Indie bands – This was done in your name and you could have crippled their argument by standing against it but chose not to." The band would later address an all-party group of MPs at Parliament to present on the subject of
digital rights Digital rights are those human rights and Natural and legal rights, legal rights that allow individuals to access, use, create, and publish digital media or to access and use computers, other Consumer electronics, electronic devices, and teleco ...
.


''David Koresh Superstar''

''David Koresh Superstar'' is a
concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
about
David Koresh David Koresh (; born Vernon Wayne Howell; August 17, 1959 – April 19, 1993) was an American cult leader. who played a central role in the Waco siege of 1993. As the head of the Branch Davidians, a religious sect, Koresh claimed to be its fin ...
and the
Waco siege The Waco siege, also known as the Waco massacre, was the siege by US federal government and Texas state law enforcement officials of a compound belonging to the religious cult known as the Branch Davidians, between February 28 and April 19, 1993 ...
in 1993, during which 82 members of the religious sect
Branch Davidian The Branch Davidians (or the General Association of Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventists, or the Branch Seventh-day Adventists) are a religious sect founded in 1955 by Benjamin Roden. They regard themselves as a continuation of the General A ...
(including their leader, Koresh) and four personnel within the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), commonly referred to as ATF, is a domestic law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. Its responsibilities include the investigation and prevention ...
(ATF) law enforcement were killed. The album was released in the UK on 16 May 2011 and in the US on 24 May, through Corporate Records. It was re-released in the US with additional material in October 2011 to coincide with the Indelicates' first US tour. According to the band, the album's style is a mix of "rebel"
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
, luau, disco and
rock opera A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been ad ...
. It was recorded at Ramble Creek Studio in
Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...
with producer Britton Beisenherz, and at Bark Studio in London with producer Brian O’Shaugnessy. ''Koresh'' also features guest vocals from
Jim Bob James Robert Morrison, known as Jim Bob, is a British musician and author. He was the singer of indie punk band Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine. Biography Jim Bob played in various bands during the late 1970s and early 1980s, including J ...
of
Carter USM Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine (also known as Carter USM or simply Carter) were an English indie rock band formed in 1987 by singer Jim "Jim Bob" Morrison and guitarist Les " Fruitbat" Carter. They made their name with a distinctive style ...
, Mikey Georgeson of
David Devant and his Spirit Wife David Devant & His Spirit Wife are an English Indie rock, indie/art rock band from Brighton, England. They are named after the English magician and early film exhibitor, David Devant (1868–1941). History The band were formed in Brighton in M ...
,
Philip Jeays Philip Jeays (born Philip Harris on 24 June 1962) is an English singer-songwriter. He writes and performs songs in a style close to the tradition of French chanson but in the English language.Meakin, Nione (2011)Philip Jeays, ''The Argus'', 19 Se ...
and Lily Rae, plus members of
Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
, The Boyfriends and Keith Top of the Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band. The bulk of recording had taken place by Summer 2010, with additional recording, mixing and mastering carried out towards the end of 2010. The Indelicates reported at the time that they were seeking financing to turn the album into a feature film, and later self-published ''David Koresh Superstar: An Unfilmable Screenplay''. To promote the album ahead of its release, the band made available preview track "Something's Goin' Down in Waco", and created a video game, ''Super David Koresh Attack''. At ''PopMatters'', Maria Schurr called ''David Koresh Superstar'' the Indelicates' "most ambitious undertaking to date" and that they had "done a stunning job at making history intriguing". In particular Schurr praised Julia and Simon's "strong, dramatic singing voices ssuited to the material" while noting that Simon's American accent as Koresh was "convincing enough" but overindulgent during the album's second song, "The Road From Houston to Waco". She also praised the performances of Philip Jeays (as an ATF member) and Jim Bob (playing
Timothy McVeigh Timothy James McVeigh (April 23, 1968 – June 11, 2001) was an American domestic terrorist who masterminded and perpetrated the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995. The bombing itself killed 167 people (including 19 children), injured ...
). Schurr said that the album's high point was "Something's Goin' Down in Waco", which "gives a vivid illustration of the rapidly escalating events" and concluded that while ''Koresh'' "peaks and dives" and may "drag a bit", it was worth persevering with for the closing track, a "blistering rendition" of the folk song "
John the Revelator John of Patmos (also called John the Revelator, John the Divine, John the Theologian; ) is the name traditionally given to the author of the Book of Revelation. Revelation 1:9 states that John was on Patmos, an Aegean island off the coast of R ...
". In Christian news magazine ''
World The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that Existence, exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique, while others talk ...
'', Arsenio Orteza wrote that the album " etsto the core of cult and conspiracy-theory mentality" and that the songs "A Single Thrown Grenade" and "I Don't Care If It's True" "articulate megalomania and its discontents at their most sadly poignant." Contrasting the album with the
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
musical ''
The Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, first published in 1830 by Joseph Smith as ''The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi''. The book is one of ...
'', Orteza said that where that musical mocked its subject matter, the Indelicates' intention was to understand, and that "The extent to which they succeed is chilling." ''David Koresh Superstar'' was written before ''Songs for Swinging Lovers'', as the band had initially wanted to release a concept album to avoid difficult second album syndrome. Simon later said he regretted describing ''Koresh'' as a concept album, as it gave the impression it existed outside the "main continuity" of the band, and the perception that it was a "side project" may have harmed its popularity with the band's fans.


''Diseases of England''

''Diseases of England'', the Indelicates' fourth album, was initially released in three parts, each consisting of four songs. The band recorded and released ''Part II'' first, in October 2012. The remainder of the album was recorded later, after a successful
crowdfunding Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and Alternative Finance, alternative finance, to fund projects "withou ...
campaign and funding from pre-orders. Special edition pre-order packages included "The Scott Tenorman's Parents Memorial Edition" for £200 and "Official Corporate Sponsorship" for £10,000. The band released ''Part I'' at the end of December 2012, and completed the album with the release of ''Part III'' on 25 April 2013. The Indelicates also ran a successful
Kickstarter Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative project ...
campaign to fund the 12" vinyl edition. To promote the album, the band released a videos for the song "Class" on 10 September 2012 and "I Used to Sing" on 17 September. ''God Is in the TV'' praised the first two tracks ("Bitterness is the Appropriate Response" and "Pubes") as having "more muscle" and as a departure from the band's usual style, but lamented that the rest of the album did not follow suit. The reviewer concluded that it remained "a fine album, with some great instrumentation and clever lyrics". Author and journalist
Kieron Gillen Kieron Michael Gillen (; born 30 September 1975) is a British comic book writer and former video game and music journalist. In comics, Gillen is known for his creator-owned series such as '' Once & Future'' (2019–2022), '' Die'' (2018–202 ...
singled out "Not Alone" as one of his songs of the year, "their
Everybody Hurts "Everybody Hurts" is a song by American rock band R.E.M. from their eighth studio album, '' Automatic for the People'' (1992), and released as a single in April 1993 by Warner Bros. Records. It was written by the band and produced by them with ...
, but with all the necessary cruelty to make us cynics swallow it." Maria Schurr of ''PopMatters'' said that ''Diseases of England'' "is as grand as anything in the duo’s back catalog" while being somewhat "slower and less reliant on humour" than the band's previous albums. She also noted the different tone of the first two tracks, from which the album moves to a more deliberate pace replacing their "youthful defiance" with "potent revulsion". Schurr said that while approximately "90% of the songs on here evoke filthy streets mottled with contaminated rainwater ... the Indelicates are the band that can make such unsavory visions inviting". She concluded that the album was "a grimily beautiful release worthy of the heart that was put in to it". The Indelicates also released music videos for "Not Alone", "Everything Is Just Disgusting"—which features puppets of the band—and the
machinima Machinima () is the use of Real-time computing, real-time computer graphics engines to create a cinematic production. The word "Machinima" is a portmanteau of the words ''machine'' and ''Film, cinema''. According to Guinness World Records, ma ...
"Dovahkiin", which was created using the video game '' The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim''. In October 2013, the band also released ''Part IV'' of "Diseases of England" as DLC, consisting of four new songs recorded at Dean Street Studios with Keith TOTP, and ten demo versions of other songs from the album, recorded at Simon and Julia's home.


''Elevator Music''

By 2013, the Indelicates remained somewhat popular and acclaimed in Germany, but had still found success in the UK elusive. After analysing the band's website traffic, Simon claimed that larger numbers of visitors had come from "obvious places" such as London and New York, but the remainder were single-person hits from "pretty much every city I've ever heard of". He concluded, "So we’re an unsuccessful band, but on a global scale!" Simon and Julia had also gathered an almost entirely new backing line-up for live shows, including Benny Lewis (drums) and Nick Kos (bass), who would remain with the band thereafter. In 2014, the Indelicates worked on creating a musical, but found the logistical challenges at odds with the band's availability, especially after Julia became pregnant with the couple's first child. Instead, they decided to work on recording and releasing a new album, ''Elevator Music''. Julia said that recording of some of her vocals had to be delayed until after she gave birth "as you lose a lot of lung capacity when pregnant". In November 2014, the Indelicates released their first single from ''Elevator Music'', "The Generation That Nobody Remembered". At the same time as creating the album, Simon had acquired a
virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a Simulation, simulated experience that employs 3D near-eye displays and pose tracking to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video gam ...
headset, the
Oculus Rift Oculus Rift is a discontinued line of virtual reality headsets, virtual reality headsets developed and manufactured by Oculus VR, a virtual reality company founded by Palmer Luckey that is widely credited with reviving the virtual reality indust ...
, and said that the album and the technology "fed into each other" with virtual reality "a big part of the album’s songs and story". "The Generation That Nobody Remembered" was backed with "possibly the first" virtual reality music video. Designed for use with an
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detail ...
controller and Oculus Rift HMD (while also being compatible with Development Kit 2), the video featured three scenes with different situations and control schemes. Simon described the intention of intentional listening environments was to " ecapturesome of the magic of the HMV listening booth or the bedroom record player and bringing music back out from the background – while adding emotional weight with short narrative experiences that mesh with and enhance the songs." Maria Schurr of ''PopMatters'', while praising the innovative marketing, said that the song "deserves repeat plays in its own right, with the sort of vital generational commentary that so many current bands fail to provide". Schurr also said that the song's "lush and orchestral" style represented a musical evolution for the band. ''Elevator Music'' was officially released on 13 October 2015, though fans who pre-ordered the album could receive a digital copy early, and the download-only version could be bought from August 2015. The CD and double vinyl editions were released on 20 November. The album was mainly recorded at Simon and Julia's home studio and produced by Simon, with additional material ("choirs and live drums") recorded at Dean Street Studios with Keith TOTP. As with the band's previous Corporate Records album releases, also available were several special edition packages, including the usual in-person live recording where the copyright for the recording would be handed over to the buyer, and a "Mark of the Beast" edition for £666, for which the band said they would "re-record all the vocals for you with metal-style screams and send you the results". To coincide with the album's release, the band made a video for "Beyond the Radio Horizon" as a 360-degree (or "spherical") video, which would allow users to look around as the video played. The album's style was described as a departure from the band's previous music, " overingan even greater range of styles than you’d usually expect" from them, including "
a cappella Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...
folksong and glam thrash" amid "power pop, cabaret punk and prog rock". Simon reluctantly called ''Elevator Music'' a concept album (owing to an aversion for the term after using it to describe ''David Koresh Superstar''), saying it was about "what happens when the Internet achieves consciousness".


Juniverbrecher

The Indelicates released their sixth album, ''Juniverbrecher'', digitally on 23 July 2017, the anniversary of the
Brexit referendum The 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, commonly referred to as the EU referendum or the Brexit referendum, was a referendum that took place on 23 June 2016 in the United Kingdom (UK) and Gibraltar under the provisions o ...
. It was described by the band as about banishing the "
Jimmy Savile Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile (; 31 October 1926 – 29 October 2011) was an English media personality and DJ. He was known for his eccentric image, charitable work, and hosting the BBC shows ''Top of the Pops'' and ''Jim'll Fix It''. A ...
/ Mr. Punch/
Brexit Brexit (, a portmanteau of "Britain" and "Exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU). Brexit officially took place at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February ...
" demon. Recording the album, Simon and Julia were joined by band members Alastair Clayton, Nick Kos and Benny Lewis, plus violinist Louisa Wood. To promote the album, the band played venues in London and Brighton and toured Germany, where they were supported by London indie rock band Fightmilk. Heather Newton took over on violin for the tour. Writer Kieron Gillen named the track "Everything English Is the Enemy" from the album as his #9 song of 2017.


Other work

''Book of Job: The Musical'' was written by Simon and has been performed by Simon, Julia and others since 2005. Described by Simon as "an
Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End theatre, West End and on Broadway theatre, Broad ...
type Biblical musical done in a very threadbare way, with the narrator describing what would be happening if the show had a Lloyd Webber style budget for sets, cast and effects" the musical is usually performed with a cast of six people and with one
acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
. The band revive the musical "every couple of years" and have performed it at venues around the UK, including Brighton, London, the
Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of Arts festival, arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the ...
,
Cheltenham Literary Festival ''The Times'' and ''The Sunday Times'' Cheltenham Literature Festival, a large-scale international festival of literature held every year in October in the English spa town of Cheltenham, and part of Cheltenham Festivals: also responsible for th ...
, and the
Ledbury Poetry Festival Founded in 1996 by a group of local poetry enthusiasts, the Ledbury Poetry Festival is now the biggest poetry festival in the UK. History The first Ledbury Poetry Festival was held in 1997 in Ledbury, Herefordshire. It was opened by jazz singer ...
. Gary Bills-Geddes, writing for the ''
Worcester News The ''Worcester News'' is a local newspaper, and the only daily newspaper in Worcester (UK), reporting on breaking news and local matters covering the City of Worcester and surrounding areas within the county. It was previously named ''Worces ...
'', called the musical "one of the most memorable and enjoyable things" he had seen. The Indelicates released a two-part recording of the musical through the Corporate Records website—the first part on 28 February 2011 and the second on 7 March. Recorded at Dean Street Studios by Keith TOTP, the release featured Simon, Julia and Alastair from the band, plus Mary Hampton, Chris Hodges, Sarah Pinkney, Laurie Penny and Michael Parker. Mikey Georgeson of David Devant and his Spirit Wife cameos. In 2015, Simon and Julia also created a children's show, ''Goblins Live'', for which they made the puppets and set decoration, and which they performed at local venues. ''Paradise Rocks'' is a musical set in the 1960s "in the style of an Elvis movie" and is based on the 17th century epic poem ''
Paradise Lost ''Paradise Lost'' is an Epic poetry, epic poem in blank verse by the English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The poem concerns the Bible, biblical story of the fall of man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their ex ...
'' by
John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet, polemicist, and civil servant. His 1667 epic poem ''Paradise Lost'' was written in blank verse and included 12 books, written in a time of immense religious flux and politic ...
. Written by Simon in 2014, the musical was not performed until 2018 owing to the logistical challenges involved. Unlike ''Book of Job: The Musical'', ''Paradise Rocks'' required a larger number of actors, musicians and technicians. The Indelicates, with The Devil's Party Theatre Company, performed the musical at venues in the UK through 2019, including the Ledbury Poetry Festival, the
Brighton Fringe Brighton Fringe is an open-access arts festival held annually in Brighton, England. It is the largest annual arts festival in England and one of the largest fringe festivals in the world. The programme of 2018 included 1008 events at over 166 v ...
festival and in London. For ''Fringe Review'', Robin Manuell said that the musical was "the most all round entertaining show I have had the pleasure to see" and that the songs were "excellent". He also praised director Lex Lake and choreographer Roger Duncan for "the quality of the ensemble work". Manuell said that while the cast all had moments of excellence and the singing was of a high standard, during the performance he saw "not all the performers can keep this up all the time" and some were "patchy". He nevertheless concluded that ''Paradise Rocks'' was "an outstanding play and an outstanding production".


Discography


Albums

*''
American Demo ''American Demo'' is the debut album by The Indelicates and was released on 14 April 2008. Track listing # New Art for the People (Theme) # The Last Significant Statement To Be Made in Rock'n'Roll ''The Last Significant Statement To Be Mad ...
'' – Weekender Records – April 2008 *'' Songs for Swinging Lovers'' – Corporate Records – April 2010 *''David Koresh Superstar'' – Corporate Records – May 2011 *''Diseases of England'' – Corporate Records – 2013 *''Elevator Music'' – Corporate Records – 2015 *''Juniverbrecher'' – Corporate Records – 2017 *''Avenue QAnon'' – Corporate Records – 2024


Singles

* " We Hate the Kids" – Sad Gnome Records – July 2006 * "Julia, We Don't Live in the '60s" – Weekender Records – July 2007 * "Sixteen" – Weekender Records – October 2007 *"America" – Weekender Records – March 2008 *"The Recession Song" – Corporate Records – February 2009 *"Something Going Down in Waco" – Corporate Records – 2011 *"I Am Koresh" – Corporate Records – 2011 *"The Generation That Nobody Remembered" – November 2014 *"Beyond the Radio Horizon" – August 2015 *"Top of the Pops" – June 2017 *"Cold War Bop" - January 2024 *"4CHAN (There's something going down on /POL/)" - June 2024


EPs

* "
The Last Significant Statement To Be Made in Rock'n'Roll ''The Last Significant Statement To Be Made in Rock'n'Roll'' is the first EP by indie band The Indelicates. It was released on 12 February 2007. Track listing #The Last Significant Statement To Be Made In Rock’n’Roll #Sixteen #Heroin #Unit ...
" – Sad Gnome Records – February 2007


References


Annotations


Footnotes


External links

*
Corporate Records
{{DEFAULTSORT:Indelicates, The English indie pop groups English indie rock groups Musical groups established in 2005 Rock music groups from Brighton and Hove