The Haywains

The Haywains

The Haywains are a British indie pop group from Bristol, active from 1988 to 1996. They play jangly guitar pop and are known for a distinctive boy-girl dual vocal style. The band becomes a familiar name on the UK indie-pop circuit in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Formation and line-up

Charismatic singer Jeremy Hunt and guitarist Paul Towler first know each other through a sixth-form band that mostly plays Undertones covers. After one gig in 1982, they do not work together again until six years later, when The Haywains form. The band begins as a Bristol-based six-piece, and over its eight-year history it goes through many line-up changes. Jeremy Hunt, Paul Towler and guitarist Dave Yelling remain the only members throughout the group’s career. Drummer Marc Bendell joins in 1992, and original singer Rachel Jones later returns to the band.

Early releases and live work

The Haywains start recording with the Surfin' Trowbridge EP, a flexi-disc issued with the fanzine Woosh! in 1988. Its opening track, “Bythesea Road,” remains a regular live favourite. In 1989 the band releases The Fisherman's Friend EP on their own Emily's Shop label. The cover uses the Fisherman's Friend branding with permission from Lofthouse of Fleetwood, the company that makes the lozenges. The record receives positive reviews and airplay from John Peel.

The band plays across the UK and appears regularly at the indie-pop showcases known as “Waaaaah!”. Further singles follow on small independent labels, including The Freshen Up EP on the German label Blam-A-Bit in 1990 and Snuggle Up Warm with The Haywains on the American label Four Letter Words in 1991.

Albums, label history and later recordings

The Haywains self-finance an album titled Never Mind Manchester, Here's The Haywains before signing to Vinyl Japan, which becomes the group’s label for the rest of its recording career. In 1992 they release the 12-inch single “Rosanna.” Their second album, Desperately Seeking Something, follows in 1993 and presents a more developed version of their shambling jangle-pop sound.

Because their early releases are scattered and hard to find, Vinyl Japan issues the singles compilation Get Happy With The Haywains, gathering the band’s early singles together for the first time. Their final single, “Why Do I Get The Feeling Your Mother Hates Me?”, comes out on Elefant Records in Spain in 1995.

End of the group and later work

The Haywains announce two farewell shows in the summer of 1996 and split later that year. Paul Towler later forms the short-lived band The Casswells, active from 1997 to 1998, which releases a self-titled album in 1997 and continues his association with Vinyl Japan. After a break of almost a decade, he starts The Westfield Mining Disaster in 2006, a country-leaning pop project focused mainly on studio work.