| The Earlies | |
| Landscape: | yes |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Origin: | Burnley, Lancashire, England and Texas, U.S. |
| Genre: | Psychedelia, progressive rock, electronic |
| Years Active: | 2004–2008 (hiatus), 2015 |
| Label: | Names/679, Secretly Canadian, Grönland |
| Associated Acts: | Sara Lowes, King Creosote, Fence Records |
| Website: | http://theearlies.net/ |
| Current Members: | Brandon Carr John Mark Lapham Christian Madden Giles Hatton |
The Earlies are a band formed by Christian Madden and Giles Hatton from Lancashire, England, and Brandon Carr and John Mark Lapham from the United States. They are notable for blending elements from a wide range of musical genres and have been described as both "a very English kind of folk-psychedelia... with a smattering of Beach Boys harmonies" by The Independent,[1] and "country-meets-prog-meets-electronica symphonies" by The Guardian.[2]
In the late 1990s, prior to his Earlies days, Lapham released ambient electronic music, under the name Autio, on Manchester record label Beatnik Records. Hatton recorded as Atomic Clock for the same label.
The band are notable for using a large live line-up consisting of 11 members who play an eclectic range of instruments, including the flute, the tuba, the cello, a set of turntables and a synthesizer, alongside the more traditional rock instruments. The full line-up of the band last played live headlining the Green Man Festival in 2007.[3]
Carr took an indefinite break from the band to teach at ATEMS High School in Abilene, Texas, although he is no longer listed as a faculty member (as of December 31, 2020).
In 2015, after a long hiatus, The Earlies returned with new material and scheduled live appearances. The band will be performing a one-off festival show at the fifth Cloudspotting Festival in England, followed by a short tour of the UK in the last week of July.[4] A new EP, Message from Home, is also expected in 2015.[5]
The Earlies played and produced parts of Jinnwoo's debut album, 'Strangers Bring Me No Light', released September 2016.
The band also recorded a cover of Tim Buckley's "I Must've Been Blind", for the 2005 tribute album, .