Unwed Sailor | |
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Johnathon Ford of Unwed Sailor
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Background information | |
Origin | Seattle, Washington, United States |
Genres | Instrumental rock, ambient, post-rock |
Years active | 1998–present |
Labels | Burnt Toast, Gentlemen |
Website | www |
Members |
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Unwed Sailor is an American, mostly instrumental band, formed in 1998 by Johnathon Ford, with recordings that range from instrumental rock to ambient drones. The band's touring and recording lineups have largely been in rotation over the years, with the core member being bassist Ford. Unwed Sailor has consistently toured throughout the United States and Europe since its inception in 1998. The band's last album Little Wars was released on Burnt Toast Vinyl on March 18, 2008.
Ford was initially a band member of Roadside Monument and Pedro the Lion, prior to the formation of Unwed Sailor, which he founded in Seattle, U.S. In a band biography on their SoundCloud profile, the origin of the band is explained: "Pulling towards a bass guitar-oriented sound, the songs he had begun to craft did not fully feel right for Roadside Monument, thus the unbeknownst predestined forming of Unwed Sailor."
The band's first release was the Firecracker EP, recorded in Seattle after Ford left Pedro the Lion—performing on their debut album—and before he relocated to Chicago, U.S. Ford invited friends David Bazan (Pedro the Lion), K.C. Wescott (The Vogue) and Melissa Palladino (Danielson Famile) to assist with the recording of the inaugural Unwed Sailor EP. Recorded by Blake Wescott in September 1998 at Casa Recording Co., Firecracker was released on the Made In Mexico record label, and then on Burnt Toast Vinyl. Mike DaRonco of AllMusic praised the EP for being "Beautifully crafted pop that doesn't utter a single word" and concluded that "Unlike fellow instrumental indie outlet Tristeza, Unwed Sailor can be appreciated as something other than background music.
Ford then worked with Nic Tse, Dan Burton (Early Day Miners), Joe Brumley (Early Day Miners) and Matthew Johnson (Roadside Monument) to record Unwed Sailor's debut full-length studio album, The Faithful Anchor. The album was recorded and mixed in Bloomington, Indiana, U.S. during October and December 2000, and was released in the U.S. on September 10, 2001 on the Lovesick Recordings label.The Faithful Anchor featured eight instrumental pieces and one song with vocals by bassist Johnathon Ford: "The Quiet Hour".