Margot & the Nuclear So and So's

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Margot & the Nuclear So and So's

Background information
Origin Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Genre(s) indie rock, folk, chamber pop
Years active 2005–present
Label(s) Epic Records

Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s are a musical collective from Indianapolis, Indiana. In an interview with Cincinnati’s WOXY, Margot bandleader Richard Edwards jested that their moniker comes from his daughter Margot (he doesn't have a daughter) and his enjoyment of president George W. Bush's pronunciation of the word “nuclear". There was also speculation it was named after a girl he met in California, mysteriously referred to as "Margot E.". In reality, the band is called Margot after Gwyneth Paltrow's character in the Wes Anderson film The Royal Tenenbaums.

The band's sound, categorized as "chamber pop", has been compared to the indie rock groups Arcade Fire[citation needed], The Decemberists[citation needed], and The Shins[citation needed], while incorporating elements of singer/songwriters like Paul Simon[citation needed] and Conor Oberst[citation needed].

Contents

[edit] Pre Margot

Richard Edwards was in a band during his college years called Archer Avenue (named after the street where the characters in The Royal Tenenbaums lived) with Ryan Reidy who later went on to start the band ari.ari. The band self-released the album I Was An Astronaut in 2004. Before Archer Avenue, Edwards fronted the band Joey Hamilton.

Andy Fry was in The Academy [1] before joining forces with Edwards to form Margot in 2004. He is also an engineer and producer, and a partner in Indianapolis recording studio Queensize.[2]

Emily Watkins graduated from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana in May of 2005 with a B.A. in English. Tyler Watkins attended Ball State University and Full Sail Real World Education. Emily and Tyler, although sharing the same last name, are not related by blood or marriage. Tyler Watkins is the primary producer, with assistance from Fry, of the Margot recordings. He has also recorded many other Indiana bands, including ari.ari.

Cellist Jesse Lee and percussionist Casey Tennis have been friends, enemies, and musical collaborators since childhood growing up in Greencastle, Indiana. The two, along with Tyler, also play in the pop-punk band Pravada.

[edit] Formation of the band

According to their website, Edwards (vocals, guitars, bells, synth, melodica, banjo, percussion) and Fry (guitars, bass, synth, lap steel, melodica, banjo, percussion) met in a pet store. From there they struck up a friendship and formed the band. Current members include Chris Fry (drums, percussion), Lee (cello, vocals), Emily Watkins (keys, Rhodes piano, synth, vocals, “meows”) and Tyler Watkins (bass, guitar, synth).

Margot employs the talents of Kenny Childers (guest vocals), Hubert Glover (trumpet) and LonPaul Ellrich (various percussion). Originally signed by indie label Standard Recording Company, based in Indianapolis, Margot re-released their first album, The Dust of Retreat, on New York City's Artemis Records. Artemis' parent company, Sheridan Square Entertainment, recently purchased V2 Records North America, an international record label, which owns the rights to bands like The White Stripes, Grandaddy, Bloc Party and Moby.

[edit] Current information

Margot is in the process of recording Animal!, the follow-up album to The Dust of Retreat, in their home studio and at Engine Studios in Chicago, which they plan to release on July 29, 2008.[1] They are currently signed to Epic Records. They plan to tour Western USA and Europe in the first half of 2008.

[edit] Band members

  • Richard Edwards - vocals, guitar
  • Andy Fry - guitar
  • Chris Fry - drums
  • Hubert Glover - trumpet
  • Casey Tennis - percussion
  • Emily Watkins - keys, vocals
  • Tyler Watkins - bass
  • Erik Kang - violin, lap steel

[edit] Discography

[edit] Accolades

  • XM Radio - Top 3 Unsigned Artists of 2005 [3]
  • Audiolunchbox.com - #6 - Top Albums of 2005
  • Marquee Magazine - #1 Show of 2005 (for their work at the South Park Music Festival) [4]
  • Spin Magazine's Who's Next for 2008

[edit] Trivia

  • The entire band, at one time, lived together in a house in Indianapolis.
  • Andy and Chris Fry are brothers.
  • Edwards and Emily Watkins went to prom together [5].
  • All Margot artwork is painted by Stacy Novak [6].
  • Four members of the band - Jesse, Casey, Tyler, and Andy - have another band together called Pravada. [7]
  • Richard and Andy also have another band called Panic Attacks.
  • Margot songs were featured in an episode of FOX's Bones (TV series)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Margot & the Nuclear So and So's / News

[edit] External links

Languages