Sleaford Mods

Sleaford Mods

Sleaford Mods, live in 2013; Fearn (left), Williamson (right)
Background information
Origin Nottingham, England
Genres
Years active 2007 (2007)–present
Labels Deadly Beefburger Records, A52 Sounds, Harbinger Sound, Ipecac, Invada, Little Teddy Recordings, Rough Trade Records
Associated acts The Prodigy, Leftfield, Unity Crescent (Williamson), extnddntwrk https://extnddntwrk.bandcamp.com/ (Fearn)
Website sleafordmods.com
Members Jason Williamson
Andrew Fearn
Past members Simon Parfrement

Sleaford Mods are an English music duo based in Nottingham, composed of vocalist Jason Williamson and musician Andrew Fearn (since 2012).[4] They are known for their abrasive, minimalist musical style and embittered explorations of austerity-era Britain, culture, and working class life, delivered in Williamson's thick East Midlands accent.[1] The duo have released several albums to critical praise.[2][5][6]

History

Williamson (born 10 November 1970 in Grantham, Lincolnshire) grew up in Grantham.[4] Inspired by the mod subculture and musical sources like the Wu-Tang Clan, he spent several years pursuing music unsuccessfully both with various groups and as a solo singer-songwriter. He had also worked as a session musician with local artists as well as Spiritualized and Bent.[7][8] Fearn (born 1971 in Burton upon Trent) grew up on a farm in Saxilby, Lincolnshire.[4][9]

Williamson first met Fearn in 2009 after hearing him DJ at a small Nottingham club called the Chameleon, where he was playing his own rough edged and minimal grime inspired tracks.[10] Sleaford Mods began when Williamson's friend suggested that he combine his vocals with a music sample from a Roni Size album.[4] Originally the project was called "That's Shit, Try Harder",[4] later changed in reference to Sleaford, a town in Lincolnshire not far from Grantham.

Williamson formed the band with Simon Parfrement, who he worked with alongside a studio engineer at Rubber Biscuit Studio in Nottingham on their first four albums. Parfrement left the music production to Andrew Fearn after the release of the 2012 album Wank, the first album to feature Andrew Fearn, but continues to play an important role in the band as their photographer and media producer.[11][12]

A collaboration between Sleaford Mods and The Prodigy was announced at the end of 2014.[13] They recorded a track "Ibiza" together which appears on The Prodigy album "The Day Is My Enemy", released in March 2015.

The Leftfield album Alternative Light Source, released on 8 June 2015, also features a collaboration with Sleaford Mods, a track called "Head and Shoulders".[14] The video for 'Head and Shoulders' is a stop-motion and animation hybrid that debuted on Pitchfork on 6 August 2015.[15] In July 2015, the band released a new album, Key Markets. It was one of the 19 records nominated for the IMPALA Album of the Year Award.[16]

The band featured in the documentary film Sleaford Mods: Invisible Britain, released in 2015. They released the EP T.C.R. in 2016.

Musical style

Sleaford Mods have described their work as "electronic munt minimalist punk-hop rants for the working class."[1] Williamson is responsible for the words, Fearn for the music. Sleaford Mods songs have been described as embittered rants about such topics as unemployment, criticism of modern working life, criticism of celebrities and pop culture, capitalism and society in general.[17] The lyrics usually contain profanity, which is, according to Williamson, the way in which he speaks and "not just fucking swearing".[17] Fearn's music has been described as "purgatorial loop[s]" of "pugilistic post-punk-style bass; functional but unprepossessing beats; occasional cheap keyboard riffs and listless wafts of guitar."[18]

Williamson's voice on Sleaford Mods songs is sprechgesang, rapped with an East Midlands dialect.[19] His vocal and lyrical style has variously been compared to Shaun Ryder,[20] John Cooper Clarke,[21] Mark E. Smith,[22] Ian Dury,[23] The Streets[24] and Half Man Half Biscuit[25] as well as various Punk and Oi! artists. Williamson has cited influences including the mod subculture, the Wu-Tang Clan, Guns N' Roses, rave, black metal.[17]

Discography

Albums

EPs

Compilations

References

  1. 1 2 3 Sherwin, Andy. "Sleaford Mods: Boris Johnson, David Gandy and Russell Brand come under attack in post-punk duo's new album Key Markets". The Independent. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Monger, Timothy. "Sleaford Mods: Biography: AllMusic". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  3. ↑ Bell, John. "Sleaford Mods - Rescue Rooms, Nottingham 27/01/15". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Harris, John (17 July 2014). "Sleaford Mods: 'Most days I'd only have enough money for a Mars bar and a can of Special Brew'". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  5. ↑ Neyland, Nick (8 May 2014). "Sleaford Mods: Divide and Exit: Album Reviews". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  6. ↑ "The Norman Records Top 50s of 2013". Norman Records.
  7. ↑ "SoundClick artist: Unity Crescent". SoundClick.
  8. ↑ "Unity Crescent @ BandSpace".
  9. ↑ Ellis, Amelia (9 September 2014). ""I swear too much but I can't help it" – the Sleaford Mods interview". Nottingham Post.
  10. ↑ O'Hagan, Sean (5 July 2015). "Sleaford Mods: 'The thing is, there really is no future for a lot of people out there'" – via The Guardian.
  11. ↑ "Wank – Sleaford Mods". Sleaford Mods. 1 March 2012.
  12. ↑ Stanley, Carl (16 September 2014). "Don't Suffer The Bullshit: Here's Sleaford Mods". Sabotage Times. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  13. ↑ Wright, Lisa (13 October 2014). "The Prodigy and Sleaford Mods record new track 'Ibiza'". NME. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  14. ↑ Drake, Mandy (25 March 2015). "Leftfield are releasing a new record, their first in 16 years". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  15. ↑ Sklinar Green, Kimberley-Marie (6 August 2015). "Leftfield and Sleaford Mods share new video for 'Head And Shoulders'". Never Enough Notes. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  16. ↑ "Young labels featured in shortlist for IMPALA Album of the Year Award". sur impalamusic.org.
  17. 1 2 3 Harrison, Ian (26 February 2014). "Sleaford Mods: Notts Duo Make Incensed English Rap Murk". Mojo magazine. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  18. ↑ Fisher, Mark. "Sleaford Mods: Divide and Exit." The Wire. 2014.
  19. ↑ Balzer, Jens (11 May 2014). "Sleaford Mods Sie haben sehr schlechte Laune". Frankfurter Rundschau (in German). Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  20. ↑ "Luke Haines (the Auteurs, Black Box Recorder) Talks Sleaford Mods' Divide and Exit". The Talkhouse Music. 30 April 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  21. ↑ Pattison, Louis (3 May 2013). ""The song? Fuck off": lo-fi punk poets Sleaford Mods big up Wu-Tang and savage the system". FACT Magazine. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  22. ↑ Turner, Luke (2 May 2014). "Reviews – Sleaford Mods". The Quietus. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  23. ↑ McCall, Chris (3 November 2014). ""Anything to get away from the Conservatives. Anything" – An interview with Sleaford Mods". The Skinny. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  24. ↑ Pattison, Louis (25 April 2014). "Sleaford Mods – 'Divide And Exit'". NME. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  25. ↑ Bell, David (26 November 2013). "Reviews – Sleaford Mods". The Quietus. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  26. ↑ "New Sleaford Mods album 'Key Markets' announced – Stream "No One's Bothered" NOW!". LouderThanWar.com. 7 May 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  27. ↑ Coughlan, Jamie. "Sleaford Mods Stream 'No One's Bothered', Announce 3rd LP 'Key Markets'". Overblown Webzine. Retrieved 23 May 2015.

External links

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