Glasgow, Scotland’s Sons and Daughters spun off from indie darlings Arab Strap in 2001 when Adele Bethel (vocals, guitar, piano) and David Gowe (drums, percussion) conceived of the idea while on tour, and along with Ailidh Lennon (bass, mandolin, piano) birthed the young rock group. Scott Paterson soon completed the roster as second vocalist/guitarist and since their inception they’ve gained the attention of fans, critics, and rock luminaries like Morrissey and Nick Cave.
Their first album, Love the Cup, was self-released in 2003 and rereleased on Domino records in 2004 spanning seven tracks in twenty-five minutes of punk-tinged blues. It was warmly received and single “Johnny Cash” reached 68 on the U.K. charts.
Not wasting any time, the foursome’s sophomore effort, The Repulsion Box, dropped in mid-2005 and brought harder, stutter-stepping rhythms into the band’s repertoire. Singles “Taste the Last Girl”, and “Dance Me In” both charted in the U.K. with the latter reaching number 40.
After extensive touring, including a stint opening for Morrissey in 2006, Sons and Daughters locked themselves in a converted barn in a small town in western Scotland to put together the new album, following a strict, demanding regimen well established in rock and roll. “We wrote and practiced all day and played poker and got drunk at night,” Bethel said. “We were committed to writing a great pop record.“
The result was This Gift, released earlier this year. The album opens with the raucous and incendiary “Gilt Complex” and “Split Lips”, filling the void opened since Sleater-Kinney went on indefinite hiatus in 2006. Through the course of the record the group explores territory from bouncy pop (“Chains”) to swing-infused rock (“The Bell”) on the way to crafting one of the early gems of 2008.
Below the U.S. musical radar for most of their career, Sons and Daughters have been rising stars overseas and are certainly a group worth watching.
Listen to tracks on the band’s Myspace page.
© Eric Atienza 2008 for Listen In. Some rights reserved.
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