The Pineapple Thief
From:
Yeovil, UK
Label:
Kscope
Members
Bruce Soord
Keith Harrison
Jon Sykes
Steve Kitch
Bio
The Pineapple Thief was formed by Bruce Soord, in 1999. Initially a solo studio project, the band has grown into a globally gigging outfit, with 7 albums under their belt and an ever increasing army of fans throughout the world. The band name is derived from an obscure American film called Eve’s Bayou, in which there is a scene where a young girl steals a pineapp
le (Scene 29 on the DVD release is titled ‘Pineapple Thief’).
Previous reviews have drawn comparisons to, among others, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Pink Floyd, Elbow and Muse but their recent releases – Tightly Unwound (2008) and Someone Here Is Missing (2010) – are testament to a band who have moved beyond these influences to create their own unique sound. Add to this a live show that is currently wowing crowds across Europe and you find The Pineapple Thief barnstorming their way into your musical psyche.
Like most bands, the Thief grew from humble beginnings. Their debut album ‘Abducting the Unicorn’ rose from the ashes of Bruce’s former band, ‘Vulgar Unicorn’ and was released on the little known underground label Cyclops Records. The idea was to create a vehicle to realise Bruce’s personal musical ambitions. Initial sales were slow. However, a glowing review in a major Dutch publication pushed the band through to a waiting and eager fan base.
Encouraged by this, Bruce ventured back into the studio and released the follow up, ‘137’ in 2001. A third album, ‘Variations on a Dream’ followed two years later. Remarkably for such a small label, sales continued to grow and fans continued to climb on board. It was the increasing demands from fans for a live performance that inevitably led to the formation of a full band which originally consisted of former university mate Jon Sykes (bass), Wayne Higgins (guitars), Matt O'Leary (keyboards) and Keith Harrison (drums). By now, the band was by far the largest seller on Cyclops and performing regular shows across the UK and Europe along with festival appearances in North America. Two further albums followed over the next two years - 10 Stories Down (2005) and Little Man (2006). During this period the band line up changed with Wayne Higgins and Matt O’Leary leaving and Steve Kitch (who co-produced and mixed the albums since 10 Stories Down) stepping in to replace Matt on keyboards. In 2007 the band took a fundamental step that was to propel them to a wider audience when they approached Kscope, a brand new division of Snapper Music. By this time, it was clear that the band had outgrown Cyclops and needed the backing of a larger label. Without hesitation, Kscope signed the band and this partnership has flourished to the current day. After delivering a special album to Cyclops to fulfill their contractual obligations (‘What We Have Sown’ in 2007) the Thief returned to the studio to record their next album, ‘Tightly Unwound’ (2008). This was the inaugural release for the Kscope label and the album sold extremely well in the UK and throughout Europe, with North America emerging as a major new territory for the band. Kscope has subsequently featured releases by Anathema, Lunatic Soul (Riverside) and Steven Wilson among others and has firmly established itself as the UK’s foremost post-progressive record label.
Following on from the success of Tightly Unwound, and aware that their seventh album had dramatically raised the band's profile, TPT delivered ‘Someone Here Is Missing' in 2010. This album marked a significant step forward in the maturity of the band’s song writing and earned the band critical acclaim. In April 2011 the Thief were privileged to be invited to cover Pink Floyd's 'Money' by Mojo magazine for their cover CD tribute to the Dark Side of the Moon.
The band will release a new studio album in September 2012.
le (Scene 29 on the DVD release is titled ‘Pineapple Thief’).
Previous reviews have drawn comparisons to, among others, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Pink Floyd, Elbow and Muse but their recent releases – Tightly Unwound (2008) and Someone Here Is Missing (2010) – are testament to a band who have moved beyond these influences to create their own unique sound. Add to this a live show that is currently wowing crowds across Europe and you find The Pineapple Thief barnstorming their way into your musical psyche.
Like most bands, the Thief grew from humble beginnings. Their debut album ‘Abducting the Unicorn’ rose from the ashes of Bruce’s former band, ‘Vulgar Unicorn’ and was released on the little known underground label Cyclops Records. The idea was to create a vehicle to realise Bruce’s personal musical ambitions. Initial sales were slow. However, a glowing review in a major Dutch publication pushed the band through to a waiting and eager fan base.
Encouraged by this, Bruce ventured back into the studio and released the follow up, ‘137’ in 2001. A third album, ‘Variations on a Dream’ followed two years later. Remarkably for such a small label, sales continued to grow and fans continued to climb on board. It was the increasing demands from fans for a live performance that inevitably led to the formation of a full band which originally consisted of former university mate Jon Sykes (bass), Wayne Higgins (guitars), Matt O'Leary (keyboards) and Keith Harrison (drums). By now, the band was by far the largest seller on Cyclops and performing regular shows across the UK and Europe along with festival appearances in North America. Two further albums followed over the next two years - 10 Stories Down (2005) and Little Man (2006). During this period the band line up changed with Wayne Higgins and Matt O’Leary leaving and Steve Kitch (who co-produced and mixed the albums since 10 Stories Down) stepping in to replace Matt on keyboards. In 2007 the band took a fundamental step that was to propel them to a wider audience when they approached Kscope, a brand new division of Snapper Music. By this time, it was clear that the band had outgrown Cyclops and needed the backing of a larger label. Without hesitation, Kscope signed the band and this partnership has flourished to the current day. After delivering a special album to Cyclops to fulfill their contractual obligations (‘What We Have Sown’ in 2007) the Thief returned to the studio to record their next album, ‘Tightly Unwound’ (2008). This was the inaugural release for the Kscope label and the album sold extremely well in the UK and throughout Europe, with North America emerging as a major new territory for the band. Kscope has subsequently featured releases by Anathema, Lunatic Soul (Riverside) and Steven Wilson among others and has firmly established itself as the UK’s foremost post-progressive record label.
Following on from the success of Tightly Unwound, and aware that their seventh album had dramatically raised the band's profile, TPT delivered ‘Someone Here Is Missing' in 2010. This album marked a significant step forward in the maturity of the band’s song writing and earned the band critical acclaim. In April 2011 the Thief were privileged to be invited to cover Pink Floyd's 'Money' by Mojo magazine for their cover CD tribute to the Dark Side of the Moon.
The band will release a new studio album in September 2012.
Silva Screen reps masters for synch in the U.S. & Canada on behalf of Kscope. We can also assist in clearing publishing. Please send licensing inquiries to doug@silvascreenusa.com
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