Eagleowl

eagleowl are a Scottish lo-fi, indie folk band from Edinburgh, Scotland.

Not to be confused with Eagle owl.
eagleowl
eagleowl at Homegame festival 2010 (Anstruther, Fife)
Background information
OriginEdinburgh, Scotland
GenresIndie folk, Slowcore
Years active2005–present
LabelsFife Kills
Kilter
Fence Records
Lost Map Records
Websitewww.eagleowlattack.co.uk
MembersBartholomew Owl - guitar, vocals, glockenspiel
Clarissa Cheong - double bass, vocals
Malcolm Benzie - violin, guitar, vocals
Rob St John - harmonium, organ, vocals
Owen Williams - drums
Hannah Shepherd - cello, vocals

History

eagleowl are Bartholomew Owl (guitar, vocals, glockenspiel), Clarissa Cheong (double bass, vocals), Malcolm Benzie (violin, guitar, vocals), Rob St John (harmonium, organ, vocals), Owen Williams (drums) and Hannah Shepherd (cello).[1][2]

The Scotsman, in a 2009 interview, described the band as "the soundtrack to the saddest, most beautiful art-house film you've never seen."[3] The band's sound has been compared to Low, Galaxie 500, Dirty Three, John Cale, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and The Low Anthem.[4][5] In an interview with The List, Bart Owl cited Bert Jansch, Fairport Convention, Alasdair Roberts, Smog and Edinburgh contemporaries Broken Records and Withered Hand as influences on the band.[6]

EPs 2008–2010

Between 2008–10 eagleowl released two EPs and a single to widespread national critical acclaim: For the Thoughts You Never Had EP (2008: Fife Kills Records); 7 inch single Sleep The Winter (2009: Kilter); and Into the Fold EP (2010: Kilter). Sleep The Winter was featured on the soundtrack to BBC drama Lip Service on 9 November 2010[7][8] and Into the Fold EP has received radio play from XFM, BBC Radio Scotland's Vic Galloway[9] and BBC 6 Music's Gideon Coe.[10]

In 2009 eagleowl were commissioned by the Edinburgh International Film Festival to soundtrack a series of films from the Scottish Screen National Archive alongside Meursault and FOUND.[11] In February 2010, eagleowl recorded a live studio session for Vic Galloway's BBC Radio Scotland show.[9]

Eagleowl have played a number of festivals, including Green Man,[12] End of the Road,[13] Fence Records Homegame,[14] and Haarfest and the Edinburgh Popfest (run by Gordon McIntyre of Ballboy). At the Homegame festival in March 2010, eagleowl recorded a camper van session for BBC Scotland.[15]

This Silent Year (2013)

On 13 May 2013 eagleowl released their debut album 'This Silent Year' through Fence Records and toured across the UK with The Pictish Trail, collaborating as his backup band.[16] 'This Silent Year' received a number of positive reviews, with The Skinny calling it "enduring and elegant" and The 405 describing it as a "great record".[17][18]

Eagleowl are now signed to Pictish Trail's label Lost Map Records, based in Eigg, Scotland.[19]

Collaborations

Malcolm Benzie played in a short-lived band called Woodpigeon Divided By Antelope Equals Squirrel in Edinburgh with Mark Hamilton[20] who went on to form Woodpigeon in Calgary, Canada. Eagleowl and Woodpigeon have regularly collaborated since. Bartholomew Owl and Malcolm Benzie played with Woodpigeon on their 2008 tour of UK and Ireland and feature on the EP Balladeer / For All The Guys I've Loved Before (2010: Boompa). Eagleowl also collaborated with Woodpigeon on their 2010 UK tour, culminating with a main stage set at End of the Road Festival.[13][21] The creative friendship is celebrated in the Woodpigeon song Woodpigeon vs. Eagleowl (Strength in Numbers).

Bartholomew Owl has appeared as guest vocalist on the Meursault single William Henry Miller Pt. 2 (2009: Song, by Toad Records) and on Withered Hand's album Good News (2009: SL Records). Malcolm Benzie and Rob St John played on Withered Hand's album 'New Gods' (2014: Fortuna Pop!, Slumberland Records). Owen Williams also plays with the Glasgow band Two Wings.

Discography
  • "For the Thoughts You Never Had" (Fife Kills, 2008)
  • "Sleep the Winter" (Kilter, 2009)
  • "Into the Fold" (Kilter, 2010)
  • "This Silent Year" (Fence Records, 2013)

References
  1. "Eagleowl, The Roxy Art House, Edinburgh", The Herald, 3 May 2010, retrieved 11 November 2010
  2. "On the radar: Eagleowl", The Scotsman, 28 May 2009, retrieved 11 November 2010
  3. "Interview: Eagleowl", The Scotsman, 10 January 2009, retrieved 11 November 2010
  4. "No grand plan – just a natural progression", The Herald, 30 April 2010, retrieved 11 November 2010
  5. "Eagleowl (Sleep the Winter review)", The List, 6 January 2010, retrieved 11 November 2010
  6. "Exposure: eagleowl", The List, 8 April 2009, retrieved 11 November 2010
  7. "Lip Service episode 5", BBC three, retrieved 11 November 2010
  8. "Local bands picked for soundtrack to BBC's controversial Lip Service show", The Guardian, 6 October 2010, retrieved 11 November 2010
  9. "Eagleowl", BBC Music, retrieved 11 November 2010
  10. BBC 6 Music. Retrieved 9 November 2006.
  11. "News: Local heroes", Edinburgh International Film Festival, 16 June 2009, retrieved 11 November 2010
  12. "Eagleowl", Green Man Festival, retrieved 4 June 2014
  13. "Eagleowl", End of the Road Festival, archived from the original on 7 December 2010, retrieved 11 November 2010
  14. "Homegame 2010 line-up exposed!", Fence Records News, 24 January 2010, retrieved 11 November 2010
  15. "Eagleowl – Sleep the Winter", BBC: Scotland's Music, 18 March 2010, retrieved 11 November 2010
  16. "eagleowl to release debut album 'this silent year' on Fence Records", STV, 25 February 2013, retrieved 4 June 2014
  17. "This Silent Year review", The Skinny, 24 April 2013, retrieved 4 June 2014
  18. "This Silent Year review", The 405, 14 May 2013, retrieved 4 June 2014
  19. "eagleowl", Lost Map Records, 25 February 2014, retrieved 4 June 2014
  20. "Woodpigeon talk about the debut album", Noize Makes Enemies, archived from the original on 2 October 2008, retrieved 11 November 2010
  21. "Woodpigeon + Eagleowl cover TLC's 'No Scrubs' @ End of the Road 2010", YouTube, 16 September 2010, retrieved 11 November 2010
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