Sky Larkin are a British indie rock trio who formed in their hometown of Leeds during 2005, where old friends Katie Harkin (lead vocals/guitar) and Nestor Matthews (drums) were joined by bassist Lindsay Wilson, who later departed. Wilson was replaced on bass by Doug Adams in the early part of 2007. The band spent 2007 finishing university, with Harkin studying in London and Adams in Scotland, while Matthews remained in Leeds. To combat the distance, they sent demo tapes between each other before regrouping in Leeds. Upon their return, they found their place in a thriving Leeds music scene -- which has spawned bands Pulled Apart by Horses, Dinosaur Pile-Up, and the Grammatics -- and here Sky Larkin were able to wield their own brand of lo-fi, American-influenced indie.
Firm believers in engaging its audience, the trio released c
assette EPs and their 2009 single "Beeline" as an analog watch (with MP3s included), while building an impressive online presence through blogs and posting demos online. This method duly worked as they then signed to Wichita Records, where they recorded their well-received 2009 debut, The Golden Spike, with American producer John Goodmanson (Death Cab for Cutie, Pavement).
For the recording of the album, the bandmembers were happy to decamp to Seattle, with many of their apparent influences hailing from North America. Their mixture of off-kilter bass and fuzz guitar certainly nodded toward that of lo-fi indie acts such as Pavement and Sleater-Kinney. There was an energy and a live feel to The Golden Spike, evidence of which came from drummer Nestor Matthews' yelps spilling through into the drum microphones -- and the fact that he broke five snare drums in the process of its recording. While Goodmanson's unfussy production allowed Harkin's voice to rise and fall in the urgency of album opener ôFossil, I,ö her voice in turn brought out the sweetness in the bandÆs poppier moments such as ôBeeline.ö Following the release of this debut, Sky Larkin toured nonstop, supporting the likes of Broken Social Scene and labelmates the Cribs. Their constant appetite for live performance benefited their growing reputation further with appearances at 2009Æs Latitude and Great Escape festivals in the UK.
Sky Larkin's second album, Kaleide, arrived in 2010 and leaked a month prior to its scheduled release. Working again with Goodmanson, they matured from their debut, taking strides toward a fuller layered sound that included the frequent use of synths, giving track ôAngelica Houstonö a haunting, mantra-style feel. The opening track and single "Still Windmills" set the tone for the album, crashing into a heavily layered riff before boldly striding into the infectious chorus. The artwork for the album was created by Jack Hudson after Harkin sent him the lyrics on paper, and the resulting image of the colorful kaleidoscope ideally fit the recordÆs tone. ~ Scott Kerr, Rovi...
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