Nine Black Alps

Nine Black Alps

Nine Black Alps are a Manchester, United Kingdom-based indie rock and post-grunge group active since 2003. The band is fronted by Sam Forrest and also includes Martin Cohen, James Galley and David Jones. Their name comes from a line in a Sylvia Plath poem.

Early years and debut album

The band forms in late 2003 and quickly builds a local following on the Manchester music scene through energetic live performances. In 2004 they sign to Island Records, tour the UK and record their first studio album in Los Angeles with producer Rob Schnapf. Their debut album, Everything Is, appears in 2005, with the single “Cosmopolitan” serving as their first U.S. release. The album is later issued in the United States in 2006.

Further releases

The group’s second album is also recorded in Los Angeles, this time with producer Dave Sardy, and is released in 2007. It is followed by a split with Island Records. Nine Black Alps then finance and record a third album, Locked Out from the Inside, with producer Dave Eringa. That release is made available only as a download through the band’s own website and returns to the heavier sound associated with their first record.

Later activity

After a hiatus of nearly two years, the band returns to the studio as a three-piece to record material for a fourth album.