Noah And The Whale biography
Date of birth : -
Date of death : -
Birthplace : London, England
Nationality : English
Category : Arts and Entertainment
Last modified : 2012-03-28
Credited as : indie folk band, Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down, Give It All Back
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Noah and the Whale became a leading light in the British folk scene with the release of 2008's Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down, a popular debut album that cracked the U.K. Top Ten and spawned the hit single "5 Years Time." Formed in the southern suburbs of London, the band also attracted attention by serving as a launching pad for Laura Marling, who left the lineup to 2008 to launch her award-winning solo career. Noah and the Whale forged ahead in her absence, releasing albums that moved away from the band's folky bedrock while still maintaining a good amount of chart success.
Originally comprised of Charlie Fink (vocals, guitar, harmonica, ukulele), Tom Hobden (fiddle), Matt "Urby Whale" Owens (harmonium, bass), Laura Marling (backing vocals), and Doug Fink (drums), the group began taking shape in 2006 in Twickenham. By early 2008, the bandmates had released several independent singles (including an early version of "5 Years Time") and attracted attention from Vertigo Records, who signed Noah and the Whale several months later. The band made its major-label debut that September with the summery, pastoral Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down.
Released several weeks later in the United States, the album featured a re-recorded version of "5 Years Time," which peaked at number seven on the U.K. charts and helped expand the band's following at home and abroad. Marling exited the group several months after the album's release, though, and her relationship with Charlie Fink ended shortly thereafter. Both events inspired the group's second album, The First Days of Spring, which dealt heavily with Fink's breakup and gathered praise for its cinematic arrangements. Last Night on Earth followed in 2011, signaling a move beyond the folk-rock sound of the band's early material.
Their song, "Give a Little Love" was used in an episode of Cougar Town titled "Here Comes My Girl" which first aired on 25 November 2009. The single "Blue Skies" was also used in an episode of One Tree Hill titled "Some Roads Lead Nowhere" which first aired on 7 December 2009. The song was also used in an advertisement for the critically acclaimed film The Descendants.
The song "The First Days of Spring" was used as the track of the Youtube documentary "The Gay Rights Movement" from Ryan James Yezak in January 2012. The clip reached over 2 million views.
In January 2010, it was announced that Noah and the Whale were heading to the recording studio soon to prepare their third album, for which the band was considering the title Old Joy, however, in an interview with the website SoonerMusic.com, lead singer Charlie announced that the album would be called Last Night On Earth. On 3 December 2010 the band released a track from the upcoming album on their official website, titled "Wild Thing".
The first official single from the album, "L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.", was released on 23 January 2011 and has (so far) peaked at number 14 in the UK Singles Chart. Last Night on Earth was released on 7 March 2011 through Mercury Records.The song "Give It All Back" was released on Youtube on 25 November 2011.
Discography:
-Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down (2008)
-The First Days of Spring (2009)
-Last Night on Earth (2011)
