| Biography | The Hazey Janes are an indie pop band from Dundee, Scotland.The band consists of Andrew Mitchell (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Liam Brennan (drums, vocals, percussion) and siblings Alice Marra (vocals, guitar, keyboard, synthesizer) and Matthew Marra (bass guitar, keyboard, glockenspiel).
Formed around 2000 by guitarist Andrew Mitchell and bass player Matthew Marra, the band's music has been described as a fusion of country-rock and indie-pop, with a penchant for heavy folk harmonies.
In 2004 the band recorded a self-titled mini-album with record producer Mark Freegard (Manic Street Preachers, The Breeders, Del Amitri). This was followed in 2006 by their first full-length album, Hotel Radio. Recorded with Paco Loco (Golden Smog, The Sadies, Josh Rouse) in El Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain, the record met with significant acclaim from Q magazine, Mojo, Uncut, Classic Rock and The Word.
In 2006 they were the first Dundee-based band to perform at South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas. In 2007, the band recorded a second album, Hands Around The City, with producer John Agnello (The Hold Steady, Sonic Youth, The Walkmen) at Water Music Recorders in Hoboken, New Jersey. The group again performed in Austin at SXSW, and also played their first shows in New York City and New Jersey.
The last few years have seen the band tour extensively throughout the UK, performing both as headlining artists and as support of several major acts such as Snow Patrol, Elbow, Idlewild, Brakes, Aberfeldy and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci.
25 October 2011 saw the release of their third full-length album, The Winter That Was through Armellodie Records. The album was self-produced and recorded on the outskirts of Dundee with engineer, Robin Sutherland.
March 2012 the group collaborated with singer-songwriter Michael Marra on an EP entitled 'Houseroom'.
October 2012 will see The Hazey Janes tour Europe for the first time, promoting album 'The Winter That Was', opening up as guest to American alt-rock band, WILCO. |