Biffy Clyro
Biffy Clyro |
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Biffy Clyro (often known colloquially as Biffy)[1] are a Scottish rock group from Ayrshire whose members are Simon Neil (lead vocals, guitar), James Johnston (vocals, bass guitar) and Ben Johnston (vocals, drums). Although the band have always had a dedicated following and have been around since the mid-1990s as well as producing an EP and four albums, it is only in 2007 with their fourth album, Puzzle that they have found real commercial success. This album is seen as less heavy and experimental, and more widely accessible and has won wide critical acclaim. Puzzle has been championed on TV and radio, and Biffy have promoted it with a tour and many festival performances over the summer of 2007 (including a snippet of a live performance being used as the opening titles for the BBC coverage of T in the Park).
Biffy's sound is a heavy but melodic mixture of guitar, bass and drums, with all three band members contributing to vocals. They are known for complex and interwoven guitar picks, strums and melodies, that change many times within each track. "'Mon the Biffy!" is a well known chant among Biffy fans;[2] usually shouted in between songs at gigs, or before the band comes on stage.
History
Formation and early years: 1995–1997
The first incarnation of what would eventually become Biffy Clyro was formed in 1995 by fifteen-year-old Ayr-born guitarist Simon Neil, who recruited Kilmarnock-born Ben Johnston and someone known only as Barry on drums and bass respectively, calling themselves Screwfish.[3] Barry was soon replaced by James Johnston, Ben's twin brother, and the three spent the next two years rehearsing, writing and covering songs. Simon Neil has commented on this period of time, saying:
At that point we probably sounded like every other band who'd ever heard Nirvana. We were just discovering distortion pedals, really. Then we went slightly more punky for a bit. I guess it takes a while to work out exactly what you want to do. At the start you just want to sound like your favourite bands, but after a while you realise, maybe you could become your favourite band.[3]
On 31 January 1995, they played their first gig under the name Skrewfish as the support for a band called Pink Kross at the Key Youth Centre in Kilmarnock.[4] In 1997, the trio then moved to Glasgow, where Neil went to the University of Glasgow and the Johnston twins went to Stow College, studying Electronics with Music and Audio Engineering respectively.[3]
thekidswho... and signing to Beggar's Banquet: 1998–2000
After playing gigs around Glasgow and receiving positive and enthusiastic reactions from the audiences,[5] the band were spotted by Dee Bahl, who soon became their manager. Bahl offered them a chance to release an independent single on Aereogramme's Babi Yaga record label. "iname" was released on 28 June 1999, and led to the band being chosen by Stow College's Electric Honey record label to release a record. thekidswhopoptodaywillrocktomorrow was released on Nerosa on 13 June 2000, and after hearing it, BBC Radio Scotland gave the band airplay.[5] A few days prior to the release of thekidswho..., the band were spotted at the Unsigned Bands stage at T in the Park 2000 by a Beggars Banquet representative. Soon after, the band was signed to the independent Beggar's Banquet.
Blackened Sky era: 2001–2002
On 9 April 2001, previously unreleased song "27" was released as a single. On 1 October 2001, a song from thekidswho... was re-recorded and released as a single, "Justboy". This was repeated again on 4 February 2002, when the song "57" was released. On 11 March, the band's debut album, Blackened Sky, was released to generally positive reviews. It was around this time that the band began touring extensively, including being the support for Weezer on 20 March at the Barrowlands in Glasgow.[5] On 15 July, the fourth single from the album, "Joy.Discovery.Invention" was released as a double A-side with a newly recorded song, entitled "Toys, Toys, Toys, Choke, Toys, Toys, Toys", which later appeared on The Vertigo of Bliss.
The Vertigo of Bliss era: 2003
In 2003, the band retreated to the Linford Manor recording studio in Great Linford, Milton Keynes, England to record the follow-up to Blackened Sky. On 24 March, a new single was released entitled, "The Ideal Height", followed by another new single entitled "Questions and Answers" on 28 May. The band's second album, The Vertigo of Bliss was released on 16 June, to positive reviews, which focused on the more experimental style of the album in comparison to Blackened Sky, as well as the introduction of string sections.[6]
Infinity Land era: 2004–2005
In 2004, after touring relentlessly for The Vertigo of Bliss, the band retreated to Monnow Valley Studios in Monmouth, Wales to record a follow-up album. As with the previous album, two singles were released before the actual album; "Glitter and Trauma" and "My Recovery Injection" on 9 August and 20 September, respectively. A digital download was also released; "There's No Such Thing As A Jaggy Snake", on 31 May. On 4 October, the band's third album, Infinity Land was released, and on 14 February 2005, the last single from the album, "Only One Word Comes To Mind" was released. On 16 February, the band performed a cover of Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" live from Maida Vale on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show. Simon Neil's side project, Marmaduke Duke, also released an album in 2005, The Magnificent Duke, and toured the UK, along with the Johnston twins accompanying on bass and drums.
Puzzle and commercial success: 2006–present
In 2006, Biffy Clyro left Beggars Banquet and signed a deal with 14th Floor, an offshoot of Warner Bros. In September, the band went to Canada to record their fourth album at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, and The Farm Studio in Gibsons, which they finished recording in November. From these sessions the song "Semi-Mental" was released as a digital download on 25 December. In 2007, the song "Saturday Superhouse" was released on 5 March, where it reached #13 on the UK Singles Chart; the band's highest single chart position to date. Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies and Folding Stars were also released as singles from the album on 14 May and 16 July respectively. Puzzle was released to critical acclaim, and helped the band to reach their highest UK Albums Chart position ever, reaching #2 in the first week of release. Support slots for acts such as Muse at the new Wembley Stadium, The Who, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and The Rolling Stones were significant in expanding Biffy's fanbase. The band also played the Download 2007, Glastonbury 2007, Reading and Leeds Festival and T in the Park for a record seventh time. On 25 August, it was announced that "Machines" would be the next single from Puzzle, and was released on October 8.
Style and songwriting
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The band utilise a quiet/loud dynamic, constructing songs that can range from a whisper-quiet pick on the guitar, to huge walls of noise with massive distortion and crashing drums. While Simon Neil sings lead, all three members provide vocals, ranging from screaming to multi-part harmonies. Only when seen live is it possible to discern who is singing, as the three vocals intertwine so effectively. Their style of songwriting often depends on constant changes in volume, timing and even genre, displaying an eclectic range of influences even within one song. However, on Puzzle they seem to have developed a more straightforward rock style, saying that they no longer need to make every song complex. However, the sound still retains Biffy's trademark 'size', with orchestral arrangements on some tracks helping to maintain this. The lyrics are often cryptic, with obscure influences from literature, although many tracks on Puzzle appear to be a reaction to bereavement (likely the recent passing away of lead singer Simon Neil's mother) , and a search for meaning in our mortality. The band make use of word play and puns in lyrics, such as 'which' and 'witch', and 'sentimental' and 'semi-mental'.
Musical influences
The band themselves cite influences ranging from heavy metal luminaries like Metallica to prog legends Rush , while reviewers are often quick to link their sound to the likes of Nirvana — particularly in their use of shifting dynamics which the latter adapted from Pixies and Fugazi. Members of the band have been reported to listen to bands as diverse as indie emo luminaries Sunny Day Real Estate and Mineral. from other bands like Reuben, Lightning Bolt, Kerbdog, Red House Painters and Weezer.
Discography
Albums
- Blackened Sky (March 10 2002)
- The Vertigo of Bliss (June 13 2003) (#48 UK)
- Infinity Land (October 4 2004) (#47 UK)
- Puzzle (June 4 2007) (#2 UK, #17 Ireland, #39 World)
EPs
Singles
| Year | Song | Album | Peak position | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | UK Official Download Chart | |||||
| 1999 | "iname" | (none) | - | - | ||
| 2001 | "27" | Blackened Sky | 160 | - | ||
| "Justboy" | 111 | - | ||||
| 2002 | "57" | 61[7] | - | |||
| "Joy.Discovery.Invention"/"Toys, Toys, Toys, Choke, Toys, Toys, Toys" | Blackened Sky/The Vertigo of Bliss | 86 | - | |||
| 2003 | "The Ideal Height" | The Vertigo of Bliss | 46[7] | - | ||
| "Questions and Answers" | 26[7] | - | ||||
| "Eradicate the Doubt" | 98 | - | ||||
| 2004 | "There's No Such Thing As A Jaggy Snake" | Infinity Land | - | 1 | ||
| "Glitter and Trauma" | 21[7] | - | ||||
| "My Recovery Injection" | 24[7] | - | ||||
| 2005 | "Only One Word Comes To Mind" | 27[7] | - | |||
| 2006 | "Semi-Mental" | Puzzle | - | 198 | ||
| 2007 | "Saturday Superhouse" | 13[7] | - | |||
| "Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies" | 19[7] | - | ||||
| "Folding Stars" | 18[7] | - | ||||
| "Machines" | 29[7] | - | ||||
| 2008 | "Who's Got A Match?" | - | - | |||
References
- ^ "Glitter and Trauma" Review on Drowned in Sound
- ^ Biffy Clyro – Glasgow Barfly, 2 November 2003 Review on NME
- ^ a b c Biffy Clyro Biography on Beggar's Banquet USA
- ^ January 1995 Archive on BiffierThanThou.com
- ^ a b c Biffy Clyro Biography on Yahoo! Music
- ^ The Vertigo of Bliss Review on Drowned in Sound
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Chart Stats - Biffy Clyro