The Wolfhounds
The Wolfhounds | |
---|---|
Origin | Romford, Havering, England, UK |
Genres | Indie rock |
Years active | 1985 | – 1990 , 2005 - present
Labels | The Pink Label, Idea Records, September Records, Midnight Music, Vollwert-Records, Odd Box Records, Manic Pop!, Optic Nerve. |
Associated acts |
Moonshake Mother Earth |
Website |
www |
Members |
David Callahan Andy Golding Richard Golding Peter Wilkins |
Past members |
Andy Bolton Paul Clark Matt Deighton[1] David Oliver Frank Stebbing |
The Wolfhounds are an indie rock band formed in Romford, Havering, England in 1985 by Dave Callahan, Paul Clark, Andy Golding, Andy Bolton and Frank Stebbing. They reformed in 2005 and continue to write, record and play live to this day, releasing a new EP in April 2012, their first new recordings since 1990.
The Wolfhounds began as a slightly askew pop/rock band, and signed to the Pink label in 1986. First EP Cut The Cake was well enough received for the NME to include them on their C86 compilation album. After three singles and debut album Unseen Ripples From A Pebble on Pink, they briefly moved to Idea Records for the Me single, then rejoined Pink's boss at his new label September Records. September soon evolved into Midnight Music which was the Wolfhounds' home for all subsequent releases.
With original members Bolton and Clark replaced by David Oliver and Matt Deighton, the Wolfhounds' sound developed into a denser, less poppy sound. After a compilation of earlier material, second album proper Bright and Guilty was released in 1989, featuring the singles Son of Nothing, Rent Act and Happy Shopper. The sound progressed further with the albums Blown Away (also 1989) and Attitude (1990), which found them in Sonic Youth territory, interspersing raging guitars with elegant compositional exercises. This proved to be the final Wolfhounds release - the band splitting in early 1990.
Golding and Stebbing formed Crawl, while Callahan hooked up with former Ultra Vivid Scene member Margaret Fiedler in Moonshake. Matt Deighton formed Mother Earth.
The Wolfhounds 2005–Present
The current line-up is David Callahan (guitar/vocals), Andy Golding (guitar/vocals), Peter Wilkins (Drums) and Richard Golding (bass).
The Wolfhounds got back together in 2005 for a gig to mark the 20th anniversary of the release of their first single Cut the Cake in 1985. In 2006, they were asked by Bob Stanley of St Etienne to play at the ICA in London, alongside Roddy Frame and Phil Wilson, to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the seminal NME cassette C86. They have continued to play live since, re-energised when The Membranes asked them to be special guests at The Lexington in London, and in March 2012 played with Laetitia Sadier from Stereolab in support at a benefit to raise funds for proposed Frank Sidebottom memorial statue.
An EP called EP001 was released on Vollwert-Records Berlin in April 2012 containing three songs that pre-date the band's first single but that were never recorded satisfactorily at the time. Of these songs, 'Skullface' has picked up a lot of radio play.
The band is currently writing and recording a number of entirely new songs for release, and have released three 7" singles and a new album since January 2013. Also in 2014 an anniversary limited edition issue of Unseen Ripples from a Pebble (plus bonus tracks) is released by Optic Nerve Recordings.[2]
Discography
Chart placings shown are from the UK Indie Chart.[3]
Singles
- Cut The Cake (March 1986, Pink, PINKY8 [12"]) (#19)
- The Anti-Midas Touch (September 1986, Pink, PINKY14 [7"]/PINKY14T [12"]) (#6)
- Cruelty (April 1987, Pink, PINKY18 [7"]/PINKY18T [12"]) (#15)
- Me (November 1987, Idea, IDEA10 [7"]/ISEACI10 [CS]/IDEAT10 [12"]) (#18)
- Son of Nothing (May 1988, September, SEPT07T [12"])
- Rent Act (November 1988, Midnight Music, DONG043 [12"])
- Happy Shopper (March 1989, Midnight Music, DING046 [7"]/DONG046 [12"])
- Cheer Up (January 2013, Odd Box, ODD038 [7"])
- Cheer Up / Skullface (May 2013, Manic Pop!, manicpop020 [7"])
- Divide and Fall (2013, Oddbox, ODD055 [7"])
- Anthem / Middle-Aged Freak (2013, Oddbox, ODD056 [7"]})
EPs
- EP001 (April 2012, Vollwert-Records, Berlin, EP001 [CD]) - also available via iTunes etc.
Studio Albums
- Unseen Ripples From A Pebble (May 1987, Pink, PINKY19 [LP]) (#6)
- Bright and Guilty (February 1989, Midnight Music, CHIME048 [LP]/CHIME048C [C]/CHIME048CD [CD])
- Blown Away (October 1989, Midnight Music, CHIME057F [LP]/CHIME057C [C]/CHIME057CD [CD])
- Attitude (May 1990, Midnight Music, CHIME1.07 [LP]/CHIME1.07CC [C]/CHIME1.07CD [CD])
- Middle Aged Freaks (November 2014, Oddbox, BOX023 [CD])
- Unseen Ripples From A Pebble (Nov 2014, Optic Nerve, OPT4.012 [LP & CD])
Compilations
- The Essential Wolfhounds (compilation) (November 1988, Midnight Music, CHIME0032S [LP]/COLIN1CD [CD])
- Lost But Happy (1986-1990) (compilation) (April 1996, Cherry Red, CDMRED126 [CD])
References
- ↑ Matt Deighton at AllMusic
- ↑ http://www.45worlds.com/cdalbum/cd/opt4012
- ↑ Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980-1999. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 0-9517206-9-4.