Palm Springs (band)

Palm Springs is a Brighton-based independent British rock band. Established in 2004 with "a firm DIY ethic – put off today what you can do tomorrow and persevere without instructions or guidance,"[1] the band writes, records and releases records through their own label Random Acts of Vinyl.

Palm Springs
Palm Springs during their concert in the Berlin club Lido (31 May 2008)
Background information
OriginBrighton, England
GenresAcoustic
Electronica
Independent
Years active2004–present
LabelsRandom Acts of Vinyl
Websitewww.randomactsofvinyl.co.uk
MembersDC Cane
Jon Russo
Grant Allardyce
Neil Cantwell
Mark Jesson
Kah
Sally Megee
Paul Pascoe
Past membersAlice MacGill

Members

The group comprises songwriting duo

  • DC Cane (lead vocals, guitar)
  • Jon Russo (electric guitar, programming, backing vocals),

and instrumentalists

  • Grant Allardyce (drums, percussion)
  • Neil Cantwell (piano/keyboards)
  • Mark Jesson (cello)
  • Kah (backing vocals)
  • Paul Pascoe (bass guitar, backing vocals)

Style

Palm Springs describe their music as "acoustic, melancholic and slightly car boot electronic"[1] although reviewers have used adjectives ranging from "lush," "orchestral" and "majestic" to "folksy," "gentle" and "understated." The addition of non-standard instruments such as melodica, glockenspiel, Casio VL-1, Stylophone and strings to the traditional indie pop setting allows for a broader range of styles, suggesting their music belongs in the arena of chamber pop.

Cane and Russo site a number of influences such as Lee Hazlewood and Scott Walker, but also Massive Attack, Johnny Cash, Serge Gainsbourg, The Beach Boys and Brigitte Bardot.[2] Critics have suggested other touchstones such as early Jesus & Mary Chain, Belle & Sebastian, Cranebuilders, Tindersticks, The Field Mice,[3] The Dream Academy,[4] early High Llamas, The Pernice Brothers, late Elliott Smith and Rufus Wainwright.[5]

History

Cane and Russo had known each other for many years before they began working on any music together. Having grown weary of their experiences with band politics, they formed Palm Springs, writing and recording songs at Russo's home studio. Their concept followed no "big master plan," but used various signature sounds, one of which was the joining of the aforementioned "car boot electronica" – low-fidelity or kitsch instruments such as the Melodica and Casio VL-Tone – with acoustic and Americana sounds such as slide guitar. They wanted to bring a dark and melancholic feel to the music, while maintaining the hooks and accessibility of the popular song. Cane has described his "great love of songs that can be sung, songs that stay with you. Going right back to The Supremes and Motown and all the way through classic country songs as well. […] I never wanted to be consciously abstract, but I like the idea of bringing abstract sounds into a song that is basically 'pop.' That defined things for us."[6] To maintain complete artistic and creative freedom and to avoid having to pursue a recording contract, they also created their own independent record label, Random Acts of Vinyl.

Over the course of the next two years Cane and Russo enlisted the help of a number of friends and local musicians to record their songs. Among them were producer and singer-songwriter Kah and cellist Alice MacGill, a music graduate of Goldsmiths' College. They also joined the duo for live performances. Tragically, while on holiday in Thailand, MacGill was killed by the Indian Ocean tsunami that struck Ao Nang beach in December 2004.[6][7]

Cane and Russo accompanied the release of their second 7" single "Echo of Me" with a live performance at Brighton's Hanbury Ballrooms in October 2005.[8] They formed a backing band for the concert from drummer Grant Allardyce, cellist Mark Jesson, violinist Anna McInnery and keyboard player Micky Buccheri. Paul Pascoe, the engineer at Church Road Studios who had worked on all their recordings, played bass and Kah again sang backing vocals. Later in the year, during a trip to Germany, Cane visited Berlin record shop Mr Dead And Mrs Free, and left them copies of the singles. Dead & Free passed copies on to their friend Wolfgang Doebeling, the editor of German Rolling Stone magazine. Doebeling has since been a strong supporter of the band, featuring their music in Rolling Stone's playlists and playing it on his Roots show for Berlin's Radio Eins.[6]

The full-length LP, No Hurt Like a Broken Heart, was completed late in 2006. It was fully released in the UK and Europe in March 2007, distributed by Cargo Records. The album was dedicated to MacGill.

Cane and Russo immediately began work on new material – including a short session of demo recording in the coastal village of Pagham. Neil Cantwell joined as a regular keyboard player. In 2008, after another visit to Pagham, the band continued to record and perform shows in Brighton, London, Paris and in Germany, including a 25th anniversary concert for Dead & Free, with Les Homme Sauvage and Fran Healy & Andy Dunlop from Travis.[8]

The band played at the opening night of the 26th Haldern Pop Festival in Germany in August 2009.[9] Second LP The Hope That Kills You followed in January 2010.[8]

Discography

7" singles

Studio albums

References
  1. Random Acts Of Vinyl website – "About Us" section
  2. Official Myspace site
  3. Norman Records review of No Hurt Like A Broken Heart
  4. Losing Today review of No Hurt Like A Broken Heart
  5. Allmusic review of No Hurt Like A Broken Heart
  6. Dontmagazine.com interview, issued 2 March 2007
  7. UK victims of Asian tsunami from news.bbc.co.uk – 18 December 2005
  8. Random Acts of Vinyl website – "News" section
  9. Haldern Pop website
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