The Pastels

The Pastels

The Pastels are a Scottish indie pop group from Glasgow, active from 1982. They are associated with c86, indie pop, jangle pop and noise pop, and are noted for their part in the Glasgow indie scene and for helping to draw attention to a wider Scottish musical network.

History

The band forms in Glasgow in 1982 with Stephen McRobbie, later known as Stephen Pastel, on vocals and guitar, Brian Taylor on guitar and Chris Gordon on drums. Their first single, Songs for Children, appears that autumn on Whaam. Gordon soon leaves, beginning a series of lineup changes.

Early releases appear on a variety of labels as the group members divide their time between music and studies. After I Wonder Why is released on Rough Trade in 1983, they move to Creation, where they record Something's Going On and A Million Tears in 1984. Another single, I'm Alright with You, follows in 1985 before they move to Glass.

In 1986, Breaking Lines appears on the C-86 compilation assembled by the New Music Express, linking the band to the anorak and shambling scene. Around this period they recruit former Shop Assistants keyboardist Aggi Wright and release Truck Train Tractor in 1986, followed by Crawl Babies and Comin' Through.

Albums and later work

Their first album, Up for a Bit with the Pastels, appears in 1987, followed by Suck on the Pastels in 1988, a compilation of unreleased material from the Creation years. In 1989, former Vaselines frontman Eugene Kelly and ex-Shop Assistant David Keegan join the group for Sittin' Pretty, which is the final album to include Brian Taylor, Martin Hayward and Bernice Simpson.

Stephen Pastel and Aggi Wright later expand the group with Katrina Mitchell, leading to Jad Fair and the Pastels in 1991 and the EP Olympic World of Pastelism in 1994. Their third studio album, Mobile Safari, comes out in 1995 on Domino in the UK and Up Records in the US. It includes contributions from Norman Blake and Gerard Love of Teenage Fanclub, David Keegan, and a guest appearance by Dean Wareham of Luna.

Illumination follows in 1997 on the same labels, with a similar cast plus Jonathan Kilgour, Isobel Campbell of Belle & Sebastian and pianist Bill Wells. A remix album, Illuminati, follows in 1998 with reworkings by Kevin Shields, Stereolab, Cornelius and others. After Aggi Wright leaves in 1998, the band pauses while Stephen Pastel and Katrina Mitchell regroup.

In 2000, they form Geographic Records as an offshoot of Domino, releasing records by artists including Future Pilot AKA, International Airport, Nagisa Ni Te and Maher Shalal Hash Baz. The band returns in 2003 with the mostly instrumental soundtrack The Last Great Wilderness, produced by John McEntire of the Sea and Cake and featuring Tom Crossley of International Airport and a vocal contribution from Jarvis Cocker.

A collaboration with Japanese group Tenniscoats leads to Two Sunsets in 2009. The band’s later line-up includes Tom Crossley, Alison Mitchell and Gerard Love. Their fifth record, Slow Summits, appears in 2013, produced again by John McEntire and joined by John Hogarty, with guest appearances from Stefan Schneider and Robert Lippok of To Rococo Rot, Norman Blake and original member Annabel Wright.

Line-up

Members associated with the group include John Hogarty, David Keegan, Gerard Love, Stephen McRobbie, Katrina Mitchell, Brian Taylor and Annabel Wright.