Starsailor Biography

An indie rock quartet heralded on the release of their debut single, "Fever," in February 2001 as "Britain's best new band," Starsailor has continued the rich lineage of Travis, Coldplay, and others. Formed in Wigan by music students James Walsh (vocals/guitar), James Stelfox (bass), and Ben Byrne (drums), the band went through several guitar-heavy embryonic lineups before the arrival of Barry Westhead (keyboards) cemented their sound. Influenced by Tim Buckley (whose 1970 album gave the band their name), Van Morrison, and Neil Young, they played their first London show at the Heavenly Social in April 2000. At the same time, a demo tape containing the tracks "Fever," "Coming Down," and "Love Is Here" began circulating rapidly around the music industry. By the summer there was a queue of record companies to sign the nascent band. EMI won the race for their signature. After spending January 2001 on an NME-sponsored tour with JJ72 and Amen, Starsailor released their debut single, "Fever," to unanimous critical praise. A sold-out headline U.K. tour at the end of March preceded the release of their second single, "Good Souls," in April. Once again it was ecstatically received and reached the Top 20. As the single was released, the band went to Wales to record their debut album. They re-emerged in June to begin a summer of festival appearances sandwiched between an American tour supporting Doves and a couple of headline dates of their own. After achieving their first U.K. Top Ten hit with the single "Alcoholic," Starsailor's debut album, Love Is Here, was released in September 2001 to much critical fanfare, and a European tour closed out a highly successful year. The following year kicked off with the American release of Love Is Here in January and a few weeks on the road for a brief North American tour, ending with a performance at the SXSW festival in March. Their sophomore album, Silence Is Easy, followed in 2004. Phil Spector was originally slated to produce the album; however, recording sessions were frustrating for the band, thus leaving them to ask Danton Supple (Morrissey, Elbow, Doves) and John Leckie (Radiohead, the Stone Roses, Ride) to step in as producers. On the Outside followed in summer 2006. Singles "This Time" and "In the Crossfire" did moderately well on the U.K. Top 40. ~ Simon P. Ward, All Music Guide