The Subways

See also: Subway

The Subways is a British group of Rock formed with the beginning of the year 2000 in Welwyn Garden City, in the suburbs of London, in England. Their first album, Young For Eternity, left on July 4th, 2005 to Great Britain and on February 14th, 2006 to the United States.

Members

  • Charlotte Cooper - low/song/keyboard

  • Billy Lunn - guitar/song

  • Josh Morgan - battery/percussions

The group is composed of two brothers (Billy Lunn and Josh Morgan) to which is added been engaged of Billy, Charlotte Cooper. Contrary to the rumors, it is not because it was afraid to be confused with Billy Corgan (singer of the Smashing Pumpkins) but well in homage to his grandfather who bought his first guitar to him that Billy decides to choose Lunn like family name.

History

Beginnings

The group was created very early whereas they were only 16 years old. All starts when a friend of Billy takes it along to make a turn in the car. It then makes him listen to Supersonic Oasis. It is the revelation. Billy learns the guitar and it is at the head put to take part in a competition of local groups. It is for the moment alone with its instrument and it is violently made throw by the jury. It decides whereas, if it wants to form a group, it is a family.

It thus takes on board his little brother Josh with the battery and Charlotte, a friend met with the swimming pool, low. After Billy learned how to them to play, the trio starts to repeat under the name of " Mustardseed" (name which they will change quickly to become " Platypus" ).

Of Nirvana to Oasis while passing by Sigur Ros, Smashing Pumpkins, Sonic Youth or Kylie Minogue, their influences are numerous and they can then start to compose their own songs. They make their beginnings in local small rooms like The Square in Harlow, Essex. First CD live will be besides recorded in this room and will be sold at the time of their concerts.

As their reputation grows, Billy starts to have of it enough of all the various names under which the group occurs. It arrives then with the idea of " The Subways" , coming apparently from the days or it trailed outside. " One of the rare places where I could go to take refuge and find a little peace in my old town of Welwyn Garden City was the underground of a subway, under the roads and the pavements. I went there during my pauses to work or the lycée." feeling freest at this time there, in lower part of all the agitation of the city, it seems to him suitable to make pass to the group this free gasoline which it feels in this place.

It is also at this time there that Charlotte and Billy really approached.

Recordings houses

Not having the means of renting a studio, they decide to invest in their own recording equipment in order to record on their premises. Billy creates an Internet site, which it will manage itself and where they will put eight demonstrations in free remote loading in order to facilitate the exchanges with the London promoters, to which they continues to send as much CDs than possible. The initiative bears its fruits: The Subways start to turn in London.

They then decide to also make benefit from their material the other local groups which, like them, cannot pay the price of the studio. It is by producing one of these groups that Billy and Charlotte fall on a dreamed occasion.

Learning that, this year there, a competition for not signed groups takes place with Glastonbury, they send their demonstrations to Michael Evis, organizer of the festival. " It was not really that an address moreover with which to send one of our CD. All that we want was to make in the concerts and this competition was another very good occasion. It was right CD moreover among all those which us envoyions." " We never expected to receive the phone call saying to us but we had gained and that we were going to play on the scene Other Stage with Glastonbury … "

Progression

After Glastonbury, The Subways belong to the Carling Weekend 2004, appearing with Reading and Leeds, before starting to them 1st round of 35 dates in the United Kingdom, financed by their own means. John Peel (of BBC1) is the first DJ to play 1AM on the national radio.

At the end of 2004, the group signs on City Pavement/Infectious Records . July 4th, 2005 leaves Young For Eternity , first album produced by Ian Broudie (the leader of the Lightning Seeds), which included Oh Yeah , individual which reaches the 25e place of Charts the U.K. at the time of its exit on March 21st, 2005.

The Subways set out again in round in order to ensure the promotion of the album, making a first halt in France in company of the Weezer on June 7th, 2005 with the Olympia, followed appearances to the Festival Rock to the Seine in August, then with the Festival of the Inrockuptibles in November of the same year. They also play as a first part of the groups Oasis and Stereophonics.

They also appear in the 7th episode of the 3rd season of the series Newport Beach ( The OC ), in which they play Oh Yeah and Rock&Roll Queen with the fictitious club The Bait Shop . Moreover, some of their songs will be used for publicities: She Sun and Rock&Roll Queen for the famous mark of cosmetics Mascara, in which figure the top model Kate Moss and 1AM for Opel in Italy.

They also make some recoveries of which Staring At The Sun of TV One The Radio (which is reproduced on individual the With You ) and they take part in compilation homage to John Lennon of the British musical magazine Q by taking again You' ve Got To Hide Your Love Away (which is reproduced on individual the No Goodbyes ).

After a station-wagon of end of the year, the group takes again the road in January 2006 and occurs in Australia (Big Day Out) and in Japan, before returning to the United Kingdom in April.

However, the remainder of the English round and the whole of the French round are cancelled following the health issues of Billy, reached nodules with the throat. Charlotte tells: “It was odd. The first week returned to us insane: Suddenly, we had 2 months of spare time, without knowing if we could turn again, and it was necessary to await the verdict of the doctor at the end of May. But last the shock, we realized that we could do something of constructive. Then we started to repeat for 2nd album, but only into instrumental. ”

June 16th marks the return of the trio on scene, the time in a secret concert under the name of The Audrey Hepburns which with place in Green Room de Welwyn Garden City, before opening for the Foo Fighters in Manchester two days later, at the sides of the Eagles off Death Metal, Angels And Airwaves and The Strokes. The Subways are also invited to play in first part of Taking Back Sunday and Angels And Airwaves at the time of their North-American round which lasts a good part of the summer. The group also plays at the time of the prestigious festival Lollapalooza of Chicago on August 4th, 2006, followed by Street Scene of San Diego on August 5th.

On August 25th and 26th, The Subways electrify Leeds and Reading, this time on the principal scene, before playing some concerts of the cancelled round, of which memorable shows of Sheperds Bush in London September 12th and 13rd 2006. They return to France a few days later, in order to ensure a mini round passing by Lille, Paris (at the time of the Fête of Humanity) and Strasbourg. Then after a halt with the workshop of Luxembourg 19, they furrow Germany until the end of the month.

November 2nd, the group gains MTV U Woodie Award of the best international group. They play on November 11th in surprised opening of the group Rotating Leslie in Harlow Square, the room of their beginnings. And they continue the month by playing some concerts at the time of Transgressive Roadshow.

After the operation of Billy for its problems of voice at the beginning of year, the group is devoted now to the writing and the recording of sound 2nd album, and Charlotte occurs sometimes as DJ at the time of Londoniennes evenings. They will make some appearances in the festivals this summer.

Discography

Albums

Infectious Rds/Warner - July 4th, 2005

Lord/Taken again - February 14th, 2006

EPs

  • The Platypus EP
  • I Lost You To The City EP
  • Summertime EP
  • Rock'n'roll & Roll Queen EP
  • No Heart Drunk No EP
  • Young For Eternity EP
  • At 1am EP
  • Milk EP
  • Mary EP
  • Live At Birmingham Academy EP (fanzine n°3)

Individual

(All the individual ones are appeared on the label Infectious/City Pavement Records except those where another label is given.)

  • No Heart Drunk No - Bus Stop Records (first individual official available via Bus Stop rds-2003 before The Subways are not signed)

  • 1AM - Transgressive Records - 2004 (7" drawn with 500 specimens only)
  • Oh Yeah - March 21st, 2005 (#25 of Music Charts the U.K.)
  • Rock&Roll Queen - June 20th, 2005 (#22)
  • With You - September 12th, 2005 (#29)
  • No Goodbyes - December 12th, 2005 (#27)

Compilations

  • Glastonbury Unsigned 2004 (Concrete Recordings - 2004)
  • Music From The OC: Mix 5 (Warner Bros/Wea - 2005)
  • Lennon covered #2 (Q magazine)
  • Independence mix - Rock'n'roll the dancefloor compilation (ULM - March 2006)
  • Transgressive Individual Collection Vol.1 (Wea - 2006)

External bonds

Official sites

English
  • Official site
  • official Myspace
French
  • Warner Music France

Sites of fans

English
  • The Subwaysonline
  • The Subways
French
  • The Metropolitans
German
  • The Subways Fans

Forums

English
  • official Forum
  • Josh Morgan Appreciation Society Forum
French
  • Forum The Metropolitans

Various bonds

English
  • Page Artist NME
  • Interview of Charlotte Cooper in BassGirls Monthly - November 2006
  • PopGurls 20 Questions with The Subways
  • Interview with The Subways
  • Interview XFM

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