Divorce (band)
Divorce | |
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.jpg) Divorce at The Lexington, Islington in 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Nottingham, UK |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2021–present |
| Labels |
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| Members |
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| Website | www |
Divorce is a British four-piece alternative country band from Nottingham, consisting of vocalist and bassist Tiger Cohen-Towell,[1] co-vocalist Felix Mackenzie-Barrow, drummer Kasper Sandstrom, and lead guitarist Adam Peter-Smith.[2]
First releasing music in 2021, the band has released two EPs, Get Mean (2022) and Heady Metal (2023), which they followed up with their debut album, Drive To Goldenhammer (2025).
History
[edit]All four members of the band met at age 16 through the music scene in Nottingham. Smith was initially a solo artist, whereas Towell and Barrow were a musical duo and Sandstrom was in the Nottingham band Do Nothing, a position he still holds. They decided to form a band while sitting on a hill in Nottingham, choosing to also each take up instruments different to the ones they already played.[2] The band began releasing music in 2021. At the time, Towell frequently wore a blonde wig when performing, though they later stopped wearing it.[2]
In July 2022 they released their single "Pretty".[3] Get Mean, the group's debut EP, was released later that year.[4]
Divorce spent some of 2023 building a back-catalogue of releases.[5] They released single "Birds" in June, produced by Matt Peel,[6] and in September they released their single "Scratch Your Metal",[4] which was featured on the A-list on BBC Radio 6 Music, hosted by Ezra Furman. Their EP Heady Metal, about "identity and being unsure of it",[2] was released on 17 November 2023.[4] They lined up a UK headline tour as well as a supporting role for The Vaccines for early 2024.[2] They received four stars out of five from The Evening Standard for their performance at the Lexington, Islington in January; the paper said that the singers' harmonies "were wed to one another in complete synchronicity", and that they brought a crowd of varied ages.[7] In the first half of 2024 they also supported Bombay Bicycle Club and Everything Everything. A limited-edition Record Store Day vinyl repress of Heady Metal sold out with speed.[8]
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They released the single "Gears" in March 2024. "My Room", the band's June 2024 single, was billed by Whynow as an "emotional ode to unconditional love" and was produced by Catherine Marks. They announced a headline UK tour for October, beginning with a four-night residency at Nottingham's Bodega which quickly sold out. This tour also included a show in London's Islington Assembly Hall, their biggest show thus far at that time. The band was receiving frequent play on Radio 6 Music by this point.[8]
The band released singles "All My Freaks" in September 2024,[1] and "Pill" in January 2025 in anticipation for their debut album Drive To Goldenhammer, which released on 7 March, also through Capitol subsidiary Gravity Records.[9] The album was recorded at Real World Studios in Wiltshire with producer Marks, and according to Cohen is "written from the perspective of a humorous/tragic caricature of an up-and-coming artist".[1] The Guardian called the album "richly executed," and "emotionally resonant",[10] and Far Out gave it four of five stars, calling it "a sprawling organic offering that refuses to remain still".[11]
Artistry
[edit]The band have described themselves as "Wilco meets ABBA," and have listed Perfume Genius, Belle and Sebastian and Queen as inspirations for Drive To Goldenhammer.[9] They are known for their harmonies, folk guitars and, according to DIY, "live shows imbued with humour and heart."[4] While mostly considered an alternative country band,[9][2] they have also taken on aspects of folk, indie, punk,[5] grunge[7] and shoegaze.[11]
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]- Drive to Goldenhammer (2025)[9]
EPs
[edit]Singles
[edit]- "Pretty" (2022)[3]
- "Birds" (2023)[6]
- "Scratch Your Metal" (2023)[4]
- "Gears" (2024)[5][8]
- "My Room" (2024)[8]
- "All My Freaks" (2025)[1]
- "Pill" (2025)[9]
References
[edit]
- ^ a b c d Skinner, Tom (24 September 2024). "Divorce announce debut album 'Drive To Goldenhammer' with "meta" new single 'All My Freaks'". NME. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g Gaye, Megan (13 November 2023). "Nottingham newcomers Divorce: 'We have a creative sexual tension between us'". The Independent. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
- ^ a b Mason, Julia (8 July 2022). "Introducing: Divorce". God Is In The TV. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Carter, Daisy (5 September 2023). "Divorce: "crowd response goes a lot deeper than applause at the end of a song"". DIY. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
- ^ a b c Shutler, Ali (14 March 2024). "Divorce are on the rise". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
- ^ a b Murray, Robin; Murray, Robin (13 June 2023). "Divorce Return With New Song 'Birds'". Clash. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
- ^ a b Dyke, Isobel Van (19 January 2024). "Divorce at the Lexington: glorious harmonies and gutteral arias". The Evening Standard. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
- ^ a b c d Solomon-Brady, Harvey (4 June 2024). "Nottingham's Divorce drop new single 'My Room' and sell out residency". Whynow. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Richards, Will (13 January 2025). "Meet Divorce, the Nottingham alt-country band finding home in a sound". Rolling Stone UK. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
- ^ Wright, Lisa (8 March 2025). "One to watch: Divorce". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ^ a b Forrest, Ben (7 March 2025). "Divorce - 'Drive to Goldenhammer' album review". Far Out. Retrieved 10 March 2025.