The Twilight Singers

The Twilight Singers
The Twilight Singers performing in 2006
Background information
Origin	New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Genres	Indie rock, alternative rock
Years active	2000–present
Labels	Columbia, One Little Indian, Sub Pop
Associated acts	The Afghan Whigs, The Gutter Twins, Mark Lanegan
Website	www.thetwilightsingers.com
Members	Greg Dulli Dave Rosser Scott Ford Greg Wieczorek Rick G. Nelson
Past members	Cully Symington Jon Skibic Michael Sullivan John Nooney Mathias Schneeberger Peter Adams Manuel Agnelli Shawn Smith Harold "Happy" Chichester Bobby MacIntyre Brian Young Jeff Klein Michael Horrigan

The Twilight Singers is an American indie rock band. The group was initially formed as a side project of The Afghan Whigs leader Greg Dulli in 1997. After the Afghan Whigs disbanded, Dulli used The Twilight Singers as his own artistic vehicle, and has now released five studio albums backed by worldwide tours.

While in-between Afghan Whigs albums and amidst a dispute with their record label, Elektra Records, Dulli recorded demos for the act with friends and collaborators Shawn Smith (Brad, Satchel, Pigeonhed) and Harold "Happy" Chichester (Royal Crescent Mob, Howlin' Maggie) in New Orleans. These demos set an exceptionally dark, tense mood, even for Greg Dulli. As a result of The Afghan Whigs' label troubles, it is debated whether or not Elektra may have leaked the demo tapes unto the internet, as they were widely circulated in the trader circuit.

The Afghan Whigs settled their dispute with Elektra and signed with Sony/Columbia in April 1998. Columbia optioned The Twilight Singers recordings, but preferred to release a new Afghan Whigs album instead. The Afghan Whigs' swan song 1965 was released in October 1998 to wide critical acclaim. The band toured for one year in support of the album but decided to disband in February 2001.

In 2000, Greg Dulli revived The Twilight Singers, reworking the original leaked demos with dance producers and remix auteurs Fila Brazillia. Columbia released the album as Twilight as Played by The Twilight Singers in September 2000. The band toured with members of Howlin' Maggie and former Afghan Whigs' drummer, Michael Horrigan, on bass.

Dulli took time off following the short tour for Twilight, investing in a bar in Los Angeles. In 2001, he began working on the follow-up for Twilight tentatively titled Amber Headlights. The death of Dulli's friend, director Ted Demme in January 2002, forced him to shelve the project, and he took a second leave from writing and recording. After reading the Jack London book Martin Eden, and experiencing an earthquake, Dulli set about writing the concept album that became Blackberry Belle.