Biography

Introduction

Gravenhurst is a vehicle for the music of singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Nick Talbot, who lives in Bristol, England and is signed to Warp Records.

History

While Talbot began performing solo and continues to do so, since 1999 many other Bristol musicians have helped expand Gravenhurst into a powerful live band, with long-time drummer Dave Collingwood also contributing significant performance and production work to the recordings. On tour throughout 2007 and 2008, Robin Allender played bass, and Alex Wilkins played guitar. As of 2009, Talbot has been performing solo with a guitar and various phrase-sampling, looping and droning devices..

Gravenhurst's latest album, The Western Lands, was released on 10 September 2007. May 2008 saw the release of a double A-side single, "Nightwatchman’s Blues"/"Farewell, Farewell".

Gravenhurst has been described as dark and highly atmospheric, veering between the noisy shoegazing sound of guitar bands such as My Bloody Valentine, the harmony-laden singer-songwriter territory of Simon and Garfunkel, and the highly intricate fingerpicking guitar styles of Bert Jansch and Nick Drake. Earlier releases were grounded in acoustic and folk styles, while Fires in Distant Buildings made moves towards psychedelic rock. Flying Saucer Attack, a cult Bristol outfit who released a series of feedback-drenched, folk-inspired albums in the early 1990s, have been cited by Talbot as a major influence..

In 2007 Talbot did a Take-Away Show acoustic video session shot by Vincent Moon.

A constant in the Gravenhurst sound is Talbot's fragile voice and vocal harmonies, intricate guitar work and unsettling and mysterious lyrical themes..

Gravenhurst wrote and recorded original soundtrack music for the film Ein Freund Von Mir. As well as the bespoke "Song Among The Pine", the Gravenhurst songs "Animals", "The Velvet Cell" and "Song From Under The Arches" feature prominently in the film. An instrumental version of the song "Nicole" is featured in the acclaimed Shane Meadows film This Is England. The song "Black Holes in the Sand" is featured at the end of an episode of "The Unit," entitled "Johnny B. Good."

Gravenhurst has recorded cover versions of Hüsker Dü's "Diane", "See My Friends" by The Kinks, "Farewell, Farewell" by Fairport Convention and "Longest River" by War Against Sleep.

Nick Talbot also played guitar on two songs from the second War Against Sleep album "Invitation to the Feast". These two songs were "Changing of the Seasons" and "Borderline Personality".

Talbot is also involved with Guy Bartell in their self-described 'Victorian Clockworktronica' ensemble, Bronnt Industries Kapital. In 2000 the pair set up Silent Age Records, a co-operative label which helped gain exposure for their own music as well as artists SJ Esau (now signed to Anticon), War Against Sleep (Fire Records (UK)), Mole Harness (Stray Dog Army), and Exercise One.

Nick Talbot keeps a weblog entitled "The Police Diver's Notebook".

Line up

Nick Talbot (vocals/guitar)
Dave Collingwood (drums) - left May 12, 2008
Robin Allender (bass/backing vocals/synth)
Alex Wilkins (guitar)

Discography

Singles

Gas Mask Days EP CD (Silent Age)
"The Diver" 7" (For Us Records)
Black Holes In The Sand EP (2004,Warp Records)
"The Velvet Cell"/"See My Friends (edit)" 7" (Warp Records)
"Trust"/"Underfoot" 7" (Warp Records)
"Hollow Men"/"Longest River" 7" (Warp Records)

Albums

Internal Travels CD (Silent Age)
Flashlight Seasons CD (2003) (Sink & Stove Records), reissued on LP/CD by Warp
Fires in Distant Buildings LP/CD (2005, Warp Records)
The Western Lands LP/CD (2007, Warp Records)

Soundtrack and compilation appearances

Certain Gravenhurst tracks have also been contributed to soundtracks and compilations, some of which are not available elsewhere, including:

"Nicole (Instrumental)" - (This Is England soundtrack - May 2007)
"Song Among The Pine" - (Ein Freund Von Mir soundtrack – October 2006)

N.B. According to the credits on the soundtrack CD, additional soundscapes were provided on this track by Bronnt Industries Kapital collaborator Guy Bartell.

"Entertainment" - (Ein Freund Von Mir soundtrack – October 2006)
"Stillwater" - (The Hospital Radio Request List Vol II compilation, track 4 – June 2004)
"Entertainment (live)" - (Comes With A Smile issue 20 “How They Wash Away…” - magazine, track 13 – January 2006)
"Herne The Hunter" - (bonus track on Japanese edition of Fires in Distant Buildings – 2005)
"See My Friends (edit)" - (available on Warp promo CD for "The Velvet Cell" single - 2005)
"The Laden Trees" - (Children Are Fascinated By Fire – Fire Records compilation, track 8 - 2004)
"Damage part III" - played solo on Irene Trudel’s WFMU radio show in 2003.
"Romance" - (played on Irene Trudel’s WFMU radio show in 2003)
"Black Holes in the Sand (edit)" – available on certain Warp promos of Black Holes in the Sand - 2004.
"The Diver" - (Dead Man’s Shoes soundtrack - 2004)
"Long Way Home" - (555CD55 – 555 Records compilation, track 40 - 2003)