In the summer of 1996, Amelia and Aiden reunited again in college. They're used to be childhood friends and neighbors but separated for ten years. They both bonded over artists like The Beatles, Cocteau Twins, The Smiths, The Pastels and The Jesus a...
The duo received great news in the beginning of 1999. After they played a show in the second day of January 1999, the duo got a record deal by Fierce Panda Records. The band are noticed by the label through their demo tapes, fanzines and live performances. Fierce Panda offered them an enormous record deal but the both of them used it wisely by saving it. Since indie rock is in the rise, the band went to the anti-mainstream side by playing the more indie pop side. As a label debut, they release "Roses". A beautiful dreamy-jangle pop song. It topped at number 30 in the UK Independent Singles Chart and become the single of the week by the NME and Melody Maker. Since Britpop is on the loose, they can take over the music press with their dreamy-jangly twee pop sound. It received critical acclaim too. This is all happened from John Peel sessions. He was very hyped by this duo and complimented it that the band's "shambling" sound is very different from the other bands and went to Festive Fifty. It was very raw, original, unique, authentic and beautiful. Few weeks later, they released another song called "Promises", a depressive-dream pop ballad. It topped #23 at the UK Independent Singles Chart and become a major college radio hit. The duo also studied for college and playing music at the same time. Few months later, they finally graduated and released a single called "Adoration", that would be their biggest hit yet. It topped #18 at the UK Independent Singles Chart and #14 at the UK Singles Chart. Receiving a massive radio airplay by the BBC and a lot of appreciation by John Peel. Scoring three hits in the mainstream alternative airplay and a massive critical acclaim. A lot of critics mistakenly referred them as a Britpop band but the band take it because it would be their way to success. The band are also hugely inspired by the C86 cassette tape for the making of this album.
Fierce Panda Records offered them an album deal and they can't refused it because it's a big amount of money. Before getting to work on the album, they also signed a contract with Slumberland Records as their distributor in the US. The duo together began working on the album for three weeks only and get Robin Guthrie and the band themselves to produce their debut album. It was recorded in a recording studio around Leeds. Their whole three singles are also produced by the one and only Robin Guthrie. It was very ethereal and jangly. In their debut album, they take a deep dive to The Vaselines, The Popguns, Teenage Fanclub, Oasis, The Darling Buds and The Nivens. After restless hours of recording sessions and finally have it done over two weeks. They finally get to release their debut album titled Epeteois which meant anniversary in Greek. The album cover featured a classical painting featured a man standing alone. Their album is just a re-recorded version of their first demo with new two tracks.
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Epeteois (1999, Fierce Panda Records)
Tracklist:
1. Adoration 2. Daydreamer 3. By Your Side 4. About A Boy Who I Love 5. The Moon Song 6. Why Mondays Are So Depressing? 7. Promises 8. Bittersweet 9. Changes 10. Lullaby 11. Nowhere 12. Roses
Genres: Indie pop; dream pop; jangle pop; twee pop; C86
The album received critical acclaim. It was involved in the Post-Britpop circuit, even tho, they aren't a Britpop band. It topped #35 at UK Album Charts and #16 at UK Alternative Album Charts. The band went on their headlining tour and have Coldplay as their support act across the UK. They have taxes to pay and decided to go on a worldwide US tour. Unexpectedly, their Why Mondays Are So Depressing song become a radio hit across the US. They become known in the US from that song. Sales went up nearly 90 thousand copies due to the success of Why Mondays Are So Depressing song. The album also topped in the US Billboard Alternative Album Charts too. It happened that the US also looking forward to some twee-pop music. Thanks to college radio stations and the music press. A lot of people loved their dreamy-jangly sound with C86 twee pop crunch.
After their US-UK tour, they also went to the part of Wales and Scotland to support their album by touring. They also gained a cult following the US, UK, Wales and Scotland. The band are satisfied by the promoting and sales. They also made a music video too and received heavy rotation in MTV. The duo also have mixed reviews. This is just the beginning. A lot of people compared them to The Vaselines, Mazzy Star and The Sundays. They are quite proud by it and also ignore the critics. They also went to play in a few festivals but in small stages such as Reading, Glastonbury, Leeds and Manchester. They're practically a duo this time. In interviews, they said that they want to keep the chemistry between them and didn't need a bassist. They finally got to pay their taxes and bill with their tour and label money.
The duo went back to a recording studio around Leeds where they recorded their Epeteois album. Both of them also make a second demo for their upcoming material. In the studio, they both recorded a song that Amelia wrote called "Dylan", a song which is about a boy that she met at a nightclub and immediately fall in love with each other. Sadly, they're separated at midnight and thought that they never see each other again but they got to met again. The song become a Beatlesque dream pop piece. After the recording of Dylan, they began to record a song written by Aiden titled "Autumn", a C86-inspired jangle-pop piece with a hint of romantic lyricism and twee harmonies. The song is about his girlfriend who he met at a park in the autumn and it's from the girl who dropped her book and Aiden get it up and talk about the book, they both happened to love the book. They also recorded another song that both of them wrote together called "Telephone Line", a straightforward dream pop song with elements of jangle and twee.
Three of their songs are inspired by the British underground jangle pop scene that existed around the mid and late Eighties. The music press was really amazed by the indie rock boom and the duo get a lot of backlash and mixed reviews. They admitted that they are hugely pop fans. As you can tell from their music, they really represent what they said. They also didn't care what the critics or journalists said about them. Both Amelia and Aiden love what are they doing. Both of them also make a joke that they ripped off Sarah Records artists' music. The duo also become well-known around the UK Independent music scene. They also went to the independent underground scene too which is very orchestral, mellow and atmospheric. Filled with violins, cellos, pianos, trumpets and saxophones. NME called it chamber pop. They began to listen to The Magnetic Fields, Lambchop, Elliott Smith, Neutral Milk Hotel, Belle & Sebastian, The Divine Comedy and Tindersticks. Both of them loved it and reminded them of Another Sunny Day's You Should All Be Murdered song and The Groovy Little Numbers' Happy Like Yesterday song.
