The Coral

:"For the group's debut album, see The Coral (album)."

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Coral

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Img_capt = The Coral performing at the 2003 V Festival
Landscape = Yes
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Hoylake, England
Genre = Indie rock
Psych folk
Indie pop
Years_active = 1996–present
Label = Deltasonic
URL = [http://www.thecoral.co.uk/ Official website]
Current_members = James Skelly
Ian Skelly
Nick Power
Lee Southall
Paul Duffy

Past_members = Bill Ryder-Jones

The Coral are an English band formed in 1996 in Hoylake on the Wirral Peninsula near Liverpool.

The band's music is a mixture of old-fashioned country, 1960s-style psychedelica and folk with modern rock influences. The Coral have released five albums. Their self-titled debut album was nominated for the 2002 Mercury Music Prize and later voted the fourth best album of the year by "NME" Magazine.It was announced on the 9th January 2008 that Bill Ryder-Jones would be leaving, but the band would continue as a 5-piece.

History

Formation

Meeting at Hilbre High School in West Kirby on the wirral, the seven friends would meet at each others' houses and the school music room where they would watch films, listen to music and play guitars. After leaving school they went on to jobs and university before quitting both to take up the band full time. The band was soon signed to Liverpool label Deltasonic. The band started as prominent members of the Liverpool music scene, playing many gigs around the city. The Coral's distinctive musical style has strongly influenced many other of the Liverpool-based label's acts, including The Zutons, The Dead 60s, The Basement and The Rascals.

"The Coral"

Hailed as the first English band of the "guitar group revival" the band released the critically acclaimed EPs "Shadows Fall", "The Oldest Path", and "Skeleton Key" in 2001. Their eponymous debut album "The Coral", released in 2002, reached number five on the UK Albums Chart and was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize the day after its release. A successful UK tour and festival slots followed along with the singles "Goodbye" reaching number twenty-one in the UK Top 40 and "Dreaming of You" reaching number thirteen.

"Magic and Medicine"

After a hectic year they took it easy with recording yet again another critically-acclaimed album "Magic and Medicine" in 2003 reaching number one on the UK Albums Chart, once more followed with UK, European, American and Japanese tours and a one-off festival Midsummer Nights Scream held on the New Brighton promenade and held an impressive line up of the then hottest up-and-coming bands. Singles from the album, "Don't Think You're the First", "Pass It On", "Secret Kiss" and "Bill McCai" reached number ten, number five, number twenty-five and number twenty-three on the UK Top 40 respectively. Indeed Noel Gallagher of Oasis remarked that it was the more beatlelike than Let it Be.

"The Invisible Invasion"

In 2004 they began recording "The Invisible Invasion" but not before releasing "Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker" a limited-edition "mini album" getting to number five on the UK Albums Chart which was produced by Lightning Seeds singer/songwriter Ian Broudie (as were the first two albums), whilst Portishead's Adrian Utley and Geoff Barrow were in charge of "The Invisible Invasion".

In 2005, The Coral did UK, European, American and Japanese tours also releasing "In The Morning" which reached number six and "Something Inside of Me" reaching number forty-one on the UK Top 75.

"Roots and Echoes"

The Coral toured with Arctic Monkeys during their 2007 summer festival gigs. The band released the single "Who's Gonna Find Me" on 30 July 2007 followed by the album "Roots & Echoes" on 6 August 2007.

The Coral kicked off "BBC Electric Proms 07" on 24 October 2007 with "Who's Gonna Find Me". They were joined on stage by friend Noel Gallagher, who played lead guitar on their track "In The Rain".

The Coral requested the help of Matt Potter, Solihull, for percussion and Jazz flute on the album.

"The Singles Collection"

The Coral are set to release a 3LP & 2CD compilation album The Singles Collection on 15 September 2008. It will feature singles, rarities and new songs. A new track, "Being Somebody Else" will be released on 8 September 2008.

Both CDs of the single collection leaked onto the internet on the 28th of August.

Discography

*"The Coral" (July 29, 2002)
*"Magic and Medicine" (July 28, 2003)
*"Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker" (January 26, 2004)
*"The Invisible Invasion" (May 23, 2005)
*"Roots & Echoes" (August 6, 2007)
*"The Singles Collection" (September 15, 2008)

External links

* [http://www.thecoral.co.uk/ Official website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/thecoral The Coral] at MySpace
* [http://www.deltasonic.co.uk/ Deltasonic Records]
* [http://comfortcomes.com/?page=reviews&id=1870 Roots and Echoes Review]
* [http://www.leftlion.co.uk/articles.cfm/id/1923 Interview in LeftLion Magazine]
*MusicBrainz artist|id=3b1c66fb-98ad-417f-b01e-49baf37f06a3
* [http://www.nme.com/reviews/the-coral/9844 Concert Review August 2008]