Morton Valence are a London-based rock band based around the vocal pairing of songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Robert 'Hacker' Jessett (ex-member of The Band of Holy Joy[2] and Alabama 3[3]) and Anne Gilpin. They term their music as Urban Country[4] and were described by The Guardian as being "one of the most intriguing bands on these shores".[5]
Morton Valence | |
|---|---|
 Anne and Hacker | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Urban Country[1] |
| Years active | 2001 to present |
| Labels | Cargo Records (UK) Cow Pie Bastard Recordings Soulfood Monika Enterprise Cheap Date Records Whipwray |
| Members | Robert "Hacker" Jessett Anne Gilpin |
| Past members | Chuck Whobrey aka Chuck E Peru Daryl Holley Alan Cook Joe Udwin Leo Fernandez Gigi Chang Alejo Pelaez |
| Website | http://mortonvalence.com/ |
Founded in 2001 by Robert Jessett, Anne Gilpin and Chuck Whobrey, the band won the 2006 Fopp Award for best new band[6] and went on to sign a record contract with Cheap Date Records. After the release of the single "Sailors" - described by the BBC as being "the best single you've never heard of the past decade"[7] - they split from Cheap Date to form their own label, Bastard Recordings, and are an early example of an independent band who entered into a crowd funding agreement with their fans.[8] Their 2009 single Chandelier was a BBC Radio 2 Record of the Week.[9]
They have recorded eight full-length studio albums, all of which have been highly acclaimed in the music press,[10][11][12][13][14][15][16] including four star reviews in Mojo Magazine[17] Q Magazine[18]Uncut Magazine[19]Classic Rock Magazine[20] and an album of the year on the Chicago-based website Consequence of Sound.[21]
In 2020 Jessett and Gilpin wrote and directed an autobiographical film documentary entitled This Is A Film About A Band that was premiered at the Doc'N Roll Film Festival in London.[22]
Their eponymously titled eighth album was produced by legendary pedal steel guitar player BJ Cole,[23] who also appears on the album and plays with the band intermittently.
Discography
editAlbums
edit- Bob and Veronica's Big Move (2001) Whipwray
- Bob and Veronica Ride Again (2009) Bastard Recordings
- Me & Home James (2011) Bastard Recordings
- Left (2014) Bastard Recordings
- Another Country (2015) Bastard Recordings
- Europa (2017) Bastard Recordings
- Bob & Veronica's Great Escape (2019) Bastard Recordings
- Black Angel Drifter (2020) Cow Pie Ltd/Cargo Records (UK)
- Morton Valence (2022) Cow Pie Ltd/Cargo Records (UK)
Singles
edit- The Girl on The Escalator - as Florida - (2002) Monika Enterprise
- Sailors (2007) Cheap Date Records
- Chandelier (2009) Bastard Recordings
- Falling Down the Stairs (2009) Bastard Recordings
- Hang it on the Wall (2010) Bastard Recordings
- Christmas in Valence (2011) Bastard Recordings
- Skyline Change/Genders Blur (2019) Bastard Recordings
- Black-Eyed Susan (2020) Cow Pie Ltd/Cargo Records (UK)
- Summertime in London (2022) Cow Pie Ltd/Cargo Records (UK)
References
edit- ^ "indie bands and country". The Guardian. 3 October 2014.
- ^ "Morton Valence - Interview". www.pennyblackmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
- ^ "Robert Jessett". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
- ^ "indie bands and country". The Guardian. 3 October 2014.
- ^ "New Band of the Week". The Guardian. 27 October 2007.
- ^ "Fopp to showcase new bands". Music Week. 22 February 2007. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
- ^ "Music - Review of Morton Valence - Bob and Veronica Ride Again". BBC. 4 May 2009. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
- ^ "My Idea of Pop". Aesthetica Magazine. 28 June 2013.
- ^ "Music - Review of Morton Valence - Bob and Veronica Ride Again". BBC. 4 May 2009.
- ^ "Review in Drowned in Sound". Drownedinsound.com. 22 May 2011. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
- ^ "Lovely Second Album". The Arts Desk. 4 May 2009.
- ^ "Morton Valence: Left – album review". Louder Than War. 28 August 2014.
- ^ "ALBUMS, REVIEWS Morton Valence – Another Country (Bastard Recordings)". God Is In The TV. 7 April 2015.
- ^ "LEE FISHER REVIEWS THE ESSENTIAL ONE-OFF RELEASE FROM TWO MORTON VALENCE MUSICIANS". Narc Magazine. 27 September 2016.
- ^ "Europa – Morton Valence". Beat Surrender. 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Bob & Veronica's Great Escape – Morton Valence". Louder Than War. 7 February 2019.
- ^ "Bob & Veronica's Great Escape – Morton Valence". Mojo Magazine. 1 March 2019.
- ^ "Morton Valence/Lost Cavalry at Plan B". Urban75. 9 January 2011.
- ^ "Offline Lambeth Country Show After Party". Urban75. 17 July 2010.
- ^ "Morton Valence: Left". Classic Rock. 10 September 2014.
- ^ "CoS Year-End Report: The Top 100 Albums of '09: 75-51". Consequence of Sound. 1 December 2009.
- ^ "This Is A Film About A Band: Doc'N Roll". Doc'N Roll. 8 November 2020.
- ^ "Morton Valence – Morton Valence: Werke RE". Werke. 15 November 2022.
External links
editOfficial website mortonvalence.com