AC Acoustics | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Glasgow, Scotland |
Genres | Alternative rock |
Years active | 1990–2003 |
Labels |
Trance Syndicate Elemental Yoyo Recordings Cooking Vinyl Fire Records (UK) One Little Indian |
Members | Paul Campion Caz Riley Dave Gormley Mark Raine Paul Murray |
Past members | Roger Ward James Barrett- Bunnage |
AC Acoustics were a Scottish indie rock band from Glasgow, formed in 1990. Over their thirteen years of existence, they released a string of singles, EPs and albums on a number of independent record labels. They split up in 2003.
AC Acoustics formed in Glasgow in 1990. Initially, they were heavily inspired by The Jesus and Mary Chain – blending white noise with early Pavement-style experimentation and, on occasion, augmenting their two guitar, bass and drums instrumentation with saxophones and violins.
Their first recording was the 1992 five-track Wrist Eye demo, which featured Gerard Love from Teenage Fanclub on backing vocals. The demo gained them a recording contract with the independent label Elemental Records, who released their debut single, Sweatlodge/MV, in 1993. Displaying an aptitude for getting on the bill at disproportionately high-profile gigs, they opened for PJ Harvey, Spacemen 3 and The Jesus Lizard, amongst others.
In 1994, the band's debut album, Able Treasury, was released, which provided a demonstration of the unusual approach to song titles that would continue throughout their career (amongst others, the album featured songs called Mother Head Sander, Oregon Pine Washback and Sister Grab Operator). Shortly after this release, Mark Raine replaced Roger Ward on guitar and the band then began work on their next album.
Victory Parts was released in 1997 and the band promoted it through tours with Embrace, Stereophonics, dEUS and Placebo (Brian Molko was a champion of the band and often wore a Stunt Girl T-shirt, including on Placebo's Top of the Pops appearance for Nancy Boy). By this time, their sound had evolved into dense, fuzz-heavy riff-based music with cryptic, poetic lyrics.