Molly Half Head

Molly Half Head

Molly Half Head are an alternative rock group from Manchester, United Kingdom, active from 1992 to 1996. The band consists of Paul Bardsley, Phil Murphy, Graham Atkinson and Andy Pickering, with Bardsley on vocals, Murphy on guitar, Atkinson on bass under the name Aky, and Pickering on drums.

Formation and early development

The group forms after the members respond to advertisements in Loot magazine. Before this line-up, the band has an earlier experimental form that includes a trombone player playing against noise and feedback. Pickering and Murphy are part of that earlier version, and the group later adds Atkinson and Bardsley.

Recordings and labels

Molly Half Head sign to Manchester independent label Playtime Records in 1992. Their debut single, Taste Of You, follows an encouraging response at the In The City festival and conference in 1993. The single is sold at a reduced price to unemployed listeners and the band also play a series of free-to-enter gigs. A second single, Toe To Sand, comes before work on their first album.

Their debut album, Sulk, appears on Playtime in 1993. A later album, Dunce, is released on Columbia Records in 1995. The band’s UK indie press attention grows early on, helped by their offbeat presentation and a clear resistance to preciousness.

Style and reception

Molly Half Head are known for guitar-based alternative rock with pop songs and an energetic sound. They are not strongly identified with political lyrics; Bardsley says the group does not aim to deliver broad insights into life. Their image also draws attention, including a series of semi-nude photographs.

Notable track

Barny, from the debut album, gains daytime play on UK radio via the Steve Wright Show. The song features a collage of characters drawn from the band’s home estate.