Thursday, 28 May, 2009
0Maxïmo Park are an indie rock band hailing from various towns in North East England. Consisting of Paul Smith (vocals), Duncan Lloyd (guitar), Archis Tiku (bass guitar), Tom English (drums) and Lukas Wooller (keyboards), the band has drawn comparisons to Northeastern counterparts The Futureheads, as well as Franz Ferdinand, Pulp and Bloc Party for their addictive musical style and direct, edgy rock-pop sound.
The band originally formed as a four-piece in 2000, demonstrating versatility in a variety of musical genres, before Smith arrived as vocalist in 2003, signalling a new chapter in the life of the band. After releasing 300 copies of two of their songs, the band was discovered by, and eventually signed with, independent label Warp Records in 2004, releasing their critically-acclaimed debut album “A Certain Trigger” in May 2005.
Widely described as one of the best British albums of the year, the album helped the band develop a strong and diverse fanbase both in the UK and abroad, and also earned them a nomination for the coveted Mercury Music Prize. Three songs from the record, “Apply Some Pressure” (re-released), “Graffiti” and “Going Missing”, reached the Top 20 in the UK music charts in 2005. Maxïmo Park also contributed a song titled “Wasteland” to the War Child album “Help: A Day in the Life”, midway through that year. The final single from “A Certain Trigger”, “I Want You To Stay”, was released in the United Kingdom on February 20, 2006.