James William Hindle (also known as Jimmy Hindle) is a British singer-songwriter from Yorkshire. He released three albums in the 2000s on Badman Records before re-emerging in the 2010s as a member of Glasgow-based indie rock bands The Pooches and US Highball.
Hindle was born in Yorkshire and his early musical projects involved playing gigs in Leeds in various bands, including a punk band called Coping Saw.[1] After moving to London, Hindle's cover of John Denver's song "Whispering Jesse" was heard by producer and head of Badman Records Dylan Magierek, who included it on the Denver tribute album Take Me Home (2000).[1] [2]
Hindle recorded his self-titled first album for Badman Records in 2001. Featuring American Music Club drummer Tim Mooney and former Tarnation singer Paula Frazer, the album drew comparisons to Nick Drake[3] and included a cover of the Bee Gees' I Started a Joke.[2] [3] Reviews were generally positive. Pitchfork said, "for a nascent artist, Hindle's craft is quite well-formed and it seems as though he can only go up from here",[3] while SF Weekly said the album was "both personal and pure — a shimmering bubble reflecting the many facets of an intriguing new songwriter."[2]
His second album, Prospect Park, was released by Badman in 2003. His backing band this time featured members of The Essex Green, The Ladybug Transistor and The Sunshine Fix.[4] Pitchfork described the album as "woozily romantic" but "slightly soggy",[5] while the website Exclaim! said, "Prospect Park is simply what dreams are made of."[4]
Hindle's third and final album for Badman, Town Feeling, came out in 2005. Exclaim! once again gave a positive review, saying, "Although it's not groundbreaking, it's a great album that builds on Hindle's talents, which he seems to becoming more comfortable with."[6]
In 2006, Hindle released the limited edition album Joshong on Early Winter Recordings.[7]
In 2012, he contributed a track to the Big Eyes Family Players album Folk Songs II, on which they asked guest vocalists to choose a traditional folk song to record.[8] Hindle chose "Don't You Be Foolish, Pray", claiming in the sleeve notes of the album, "this song has been stuck in my head for years, ever since hearing Nic Jones' sublime take on it."[9]
In 2013, now calling himself Jimmy Hindle and living in Glasgow, he formed the indie rock band The Pooches. After putting out a limited edition cassette called Smoochin' With the Pooches in 2015, they released their full debut album The Pooches on Lame-O Records in 2016.[10] [11] The Spill Magazines review of the record said, "It’s smarter than it needs to be, and it has heart that shines through the basic production. As far as upbeat Guitar Pop goes, it will please you and keep you coming back",[10] while the website Punktastic compared the band to Belle and Sebastian, observing, "The Pooches celebrate the juxtaposition of bitter and sweet. Enjoyment is met with self-loathing and spite, all housed under a roof of immensely catchy pop."[11]
Hindle's next project was the band US Highball, formed alongside his Pooches bandmate Calvin Halliday. They released a three-track EP called Think Again in 2018,[12] followed by a full-length album entitled Great Record in 2019, both on Lame-O Records.[13] Their second full-length album Up To High Doh was released in 2020.[14]