Crackout

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Crackout
Years active	1997–2005
Genres	Pop-Punk / Indie
Labels	Shifty Disco (1998) Precious Cargo (2001) Hut Recordings (2001 - 2004)
Members	Steven Eagles Nicholas Millard Jack Dunkley

Crackout were a pop-punk / rock / jazz-influenced trio who formed in Oxford, United Kingdom in 1997. As well as releasing two albums and a handful of singles, they toured with artists such as Seafood, Haven and Span before disbanding in late 2005. One notable aspect of the band's live shows was drummer Nick Millard's insistence on wearing a suit for every show. Steven and Jack later adopted the suited look when touring the Oh No! album.

The band, Steven Eagles (guitar, vocals), Nicholas Millard (drums) and Rachel Lavelle (bass), were all just 16 years old when they signed to Shifty Disco after playing just eight gigs as Crackout (named after Brian Krakow, a character in American TV teen drama My So-Called Life). Within four weeks of the label first seeing the band live, they had recorded and released their debut Chuck single. An album was also recorded around this time but was never released. Lavelle was shortly replaced on bass by Jack Dunkley.

Crackout toured with Sick Of It All / 28 Days in late December 2000, where they sold a self-released tape containing early recordings of Breakout and Joey Lost His Mind (both later re-recorded and included on debut album This Is Really Neat). EP1, a 500-limited edition CD with four songs showing early promise, and EP2 shortly followed in 2001. Both EPs came with a free sticker and in a hand-numbered cardboard sleeve, finished with a wax seal (red on EP1, green on EP2). Their debut album, This Is Really Neat, was released that October featuring artwork by Jane Wooster-Scott.

In 2002, plans to release old favourite Volume (the b-side to their first single, later re-recorded and featured on This Is Really Neat) were scrapped when I Am The One was used in an advert for Salomon Sports. Volume was therefore the only Crackout song not released as a single with its own music video.

After long delays, the band's follow up to This Is Really Neat was released in March 2004. However, the promotion for Oh No! was ended abruptly due to EMI deciding to close down Hut Recordings shortly after the album's release. Whilst making plans for a third album, their producer friend Clive Langer asked them if they were interested in playing on a film soundtrack which he was scoring, which ended up with them being cast for small roles in Brothers of the Head, the 2006 mockumentary based on the 1977 novel by Brian Aldiss.

In 2005, Crackout toyed with the idea of adding an extra member to provide them with options with guitars, keyboards and backing vocals live. This lead to a few low-key gigs with additional member Simon in October that year. After playing these gigs, however, they felt like too much time had passed since their last shows and decided to disband Crackout.

However, 2006 saw Steven, Nick, Jack and Simon now playing in a new group called Blackholes, who released The Alcohol EP themselves through their MySpace profile, featuring a couple of tracks played at their last few Crackout gigs.

It was announced in 2007 that Jack had left the band due to 'creative differences'

[edit] Albums

This Is Really Neat (22/10/2001, Hut Recordings, CD / ltd Gatefold CD / 12" vinyl)
Oh No! (15/03/2004, Hut Recordings, CD / 12" vinyl)

[edit] Singles

Demo Tape (December 1997, self released, ltd 100 tape)
Chuck (23/02/1998, Shifty Disco, ltd 1000 CD)
Gig Tape (11/12/2000, self released, tape only available on the Sick Of It All / 28 Days / Crackout tour)
EP1 (19/03/2001, Precious Cargo, ltd 500 CD)
EP2 (18/06/2001, Precious Cargo, ltd 500 CD)
You Dumb Fuck (01/10/2001, Hut Recordings, CD / 7" vinyl)
I Am The One (10/06/2002, Hut Recordings, CD / 7" vinyl)
Out Of Our Minds (28/07/2003, Hut Recordings, CD / 7" vinyl, DVD)
This Is What We Do (01/03/2004, Hut Recordings, CD1 / CD2 / 7" vinyl)