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Union Kid
OriginBraintree, Essex UK
GenresIndie rock
Alternative rock
Years active1997-2001
Labels1970 Recordings
Past membersSean Tuohy
Simon Dobson
Mark Keates

Union Kid were a British indie rock group formed in Braintree, Essex in the late 1990's by Sean Tuohy (guitar/vocals), Mark Keates (drums), and Simon Dobson (bass).

History

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Established in 1997, Union Kid described Braintree as the "punk rock capital of the world",[1] partly in reference to the burgeoning local music scene at the time, and also because of the attention Braintree's The Prodigy had brought the town following their 1996 breakthrough.[2]

Union Kid's musical style has been compared to The Replacements and Fugazi, with their sound described by the NME as "taut, tight, tense and superbly overmuscled post-hardcore punk rock’n’roll."[3] The trio released material under their own record label, 1970 Recordings.

They came to the attention of the music press in 1999 with the release of their debut single "Fort Disney", which the NME called a "a twisted tribute to The Beach Boys’ ‘California Girls’ with extra souped-up guitars and a chorus the size of Weston-Super-Mare".[1] They released two further EPs that year: "Here Comes Chunk...", and "He Is Mono".[4] 1999 additionally saw the first of two Peel Sessions, recorded at Maida Vale Studios and broadcast on BBC Radio 1.[5] They also appeared on Steve Lamacq's Evening Session.

Union Kid released their only album, the self-produced Candy Falls Here in August 2000.[6] Recorded at the Cookie Palace and again released on 1970 Recordings,[7] the album received positive reviews from NME[8] and Drowned In Sound, who called it "possibly one of the debuts of the year so far."[9] Candy Falls Here appeared on NME's Highest Rated Albums of the 2000s list.[10] The album spawned three singles, "3% Seattle", "The Test",[11] and "Triple A".

The band split after recording their second John Peel session[12] in 2001.

Discography

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Albums

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  • Candy Falls Here (2000)

Singles and EPs

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  • "Fort Disney" (1999)
  • "Here Comes Chunk..." (1999)
  • "He Is Mono" (1999)
  • "3% Seattle" (2000)
  • "The Test" (2000)
  • "Triple A" (2000)

Appearances on Compilations

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  • "Incoming + Convert" appears on Essex; 7" double vinyl compilation EP from Plastic Cowboy Recordings (2000)[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Union Kid : Fort Disney". NME. 12 September 2005. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Keith Flint: Braintree statue campaign for Prodigy singer". BBC News. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  3. ^ "London Notting Hill Arts Centre". NME. 12 September 2005. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  4. ^ "Liverpool Lomax". NME. 12 September 2005. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  5. ^ "BBC - Radio 1 - Keeping It Peel - 06/04/1999 Union Kid". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  6. ^ Candy Falls Here - Union Kid | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 12 May 2021
  7. ^ "Union Kid - MusicBrainz". musicbrainz.org. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  8. ^ "Candy Falls Here". NME. 12 September 2005. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Album Review: Union Kid - Candy Falls Here". DrownedInSound. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  10. ^ "NME's Best Albums of the 2000s". Album of The Year. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  11. ^ "University of Surrey Students Newspaper - Single Review" (PDF). University of Surrey Students Union. 9 November 2000 [2000]. p. 10.
  12. ^ "BBC - Radio 1 - Keeping It Peel - 07/01/2001 Union Kid". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  13. ^ Essex by Various Artists - RYM/Sonemic, retrieved 12 May 2021
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