Yan (Jan Scott Wilkinson) - Vocals, guitar
Noble (Martin Noble) - Guitar
Hamilton (Neil Hamilton Wilkinson) - Bass, vocals, guitar
Wood (Matthew Wood) - Drum
Phil Sumner - Cornet, Keyboards
Abi Fry - Viola
Yan, Hamilton and Wood are school friends from Kendal in Cumbria. They were in a number of bands together while at school, but after finishing his exams Yan moved to study at Reading University, where he met guitarist Noble. A few years later Hamilton and Wood moved down to join them and form a band.
They played some gigs and produced a 4 track demo in Reading as British Air Powers, before relocating to Brighton in search of a more vibrant music scene. "British Sea Power" was actually the name of one of these demo tracks, and was eventually reworked into Carrion. In Brighton, BSP amassed a strong local following, due mainly to their own club night called "Club Sea Power". The club nights featured many different support bands, and other forms of entertainment such as a 1930s fashion show, and were most frequently hosted at the Freebutt and the Lift (the latter has now closed down).
Their debut single, Fear of Drowning, was issued in limited numbers of their own Golden Chariot label. The artwork for the B side "A Wooden Horse" borrows heavily from the dust cover of the 1950 book "The Wooden Horse" that details the escape of Allied POWs during WWII. Geoff Travis of Rough Trade Records saw the band live and in September 2001 signed them to his label. A number of singles were issued on the label, and Eamon (Eamon Hamilton) was recruited to play live keyboards in autumn 2002.
The Decline of British Sea Power, the band's debut album, was released in June 2003 to critical acclaim. A single from the album, "Carrion", became the band's first Top 40 single. The album only charted in the lower reaches of the UK Album Chart, but turned out to be a word of mouth success, shipping well over 60,000 copies over the following two years and allowing them to play sell-out UK tours to venues of over 1,000 people.
The follow-up, Open Season, was released in early April 2005, and also enjoyed wide critical praise. It showcased a more accessible, produced sound and charted at #13 in the UK Albums Chart. Lead single It Ended on an Oily Stage charted at #18 in the UK Singles Chart a week earlier.
British Sea Power have a reputation for elaborate and well-thought out live shows and won the 2004 Time Out London Live Band of the Year award. The stage is often decorated with foliage and plastic birds and sets generally finish with a semi-improvised song called "Rock in A", which sometimes lasts for over 20 minutes. Various members often climb riggings and tear down the foliage, Eamon walks around the audience beating his marching drum, and a ten-foot bear, Ursine Ultra, occasionally makes an appearance - often taking a beating from various band members. This has become one of the signatures of the band. Their tours often include unusual venues such as the Scillonian Club on the Isles of Scilly, Grasmere Village Hall, the St. John Boste Social Club in Kendal, Cumbria and Carnglaze Caverns in Cornwall.
The band have built up an eccentric image in interviews and press releases; some of which is based on fact, other times merely whimsical building of outward personas. This has included giving journalists grid references at which to meet them, and expressing obsessions with Field Marshal Montgomery and bird watching.
The band has a fiercely loyal and devoted hardcore fanbase, sometimes referred to as the Third Battalion.
At the beginning of 2006, it was announced that Eamon had left British Sea Power to concentrate on his own band Brakes. The group spent part of late 2006 working on new material in Montréal, and are preparing a DVD.
In 2007, American Laundromat Records announced that British Sea Power would record a version of the Pixies' "Caribou" for an album called "Dig For Fire - A Tribute To Pixies."
In October 2007, the band went on tour throughout the east coast of America to showcase their new 5-track EP, Krankenhaus EP. In November 2007, they toured a variety of unusual locations in the UK including a seaside cafe in Saltdean, East Sussex; a ferry across the River Mersey, Liverpool; the Tan Hill Inn, the UK's highest inn; All Saints Church in Newcastle-upon-Tyne; and White Mischief, an indoor festival mixing live bands with unusual vaudeville acts.
Their Krankenhaus? EP was released digitally for purchasable download in October 2007 and was released on CD and vinyl on November the 20th. Their third album, Do You Like Rock Music? was released on 14th January 2008 in the U.K. and scheduled for release on 12th February 2008 in the U.S. Prior to their tour in support of Do You Like Rock Music? (visiting Ireland, UK, Belgium, Holland, Germany and US), Wood injured his back and had to be temporarily replaced by Tom White of Electric Soft Parade and Brakes fame.
In January 2008 the keyboard and cornet player ended up in hospital after being knocked unconscious when he attempted a stage dive. The crowd at Leeds Irish Centre failed to catch Phil Sumner, who jumped off a 12-foot PA system landing head first. The press department at Rough Trade Records reported "The impact knocked him out. Thankfully an ambulance was quickly summoned and he was whisked away, bloody and unconscious and despite a concussion, a broken molar and a maze of stitches in his chin, a very groggy Phil is expected to make a full recovery." In spite of this, he returned to the stage with the rest of the band a day later in Kendal.
In February 2008, the band appeared on Later with Jools Holland, playing Waving Flags, Canvey Island and No Lucifer. They were ably accompanied by a small number of the London Bulgarian Choir and a display of Cumbrian wrestling. The band are also scheduled to play at Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, Latitude, T in the Park and Bestival.
In May 2009, British Sea Power released their fourth album, Man of Aran. Several tracks on this album are remakes of older songs, such as the main riff from North Hanging Rock which features in the new track Boy Vertiginous. The album comes paired with a DVD containing the Robert J. Flaherty film 'Man of Aran', a silent film with music from the album dubbed in.
In October 2010, British Sea Power released the seven track 'Zeus' ep and announced the release of their next album, 'Valhalla Dancehall' in January 2011.
In November 2011, the band started hosting a regular club evening in Brighton called "Krankenhaus" that recalled some of their Club British Sea Power events. DJ sets, friends of the band and general BSP hijinx.
On 9 August 2021, British Sea Power announced they were changing their name to Sea Power. In a statement the band explained:
"In recent times there’s been a rise in a certain kind of nationalism in this world – an isolationist, antagonistic nationalism that we don’t want to run any risk of being confused with. It’s become apparent that it’s possible to misapprehend the name British Sea Power, particularly if someone isn’t familiar with the band or their recordings. We’ve always been internationalist in our mindset, something made clear in songs like Waving Flags, an anthem to pan-European idealism. We always wanted to be an internationalist band but maybe having a specific nation state in our name wasn’t the cleverest way to demonstrate that. We very much hope the band’s audience won’t be affronted by this adjustment to the name. We’d like to make it clear that removing the word “British” does NOT indicate any aversion to the British Isles whatsoever. We all feel immensely fortunate to have grown up in these islands. Several or our songs are filled with love and awe for this place. We do love these lands. We all still live within the British Isles, but we are now just Sea Power. We feel the name change comes in part from the band’s audience – who at a good show will shout out, “Sea Power! Sea Power!” Maybe this name change has been there for years, shouted in our ears. It’s just taken us this long to realise – to hear what was there in front of us… "
Salty Water
British Sea Power Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And would your best friends follow you?
All out to sea
Oh, silence ye
Your salty water's hard to swallow
Yeah, I know
Yeah, I know
Were all bound up in ropes
All bound up in ropes
Shall we leave our bodies in the Peak District?
On rattles and twigs and where Honey said
Hope that we can go there soon
I hope that we can go there soon
I hope that we can go back soon, my love
And if you float you are in trouble
And if you don't then so long
All out to sea
To silence ye
Whose holy water's hard to swallow
Yeah, I know
Yeah, we know
When all my greatest hopes
Were all bound up in ropes
Were all bound up in ropes
When all my greatest hopes
Were all bound up in ropes
All bound up in ropes
And ceremoniously destroyed
When all my greatest hopes
Were all bound up in ropes
All bound up in ropes
And we leave our bodies in the Peak District
On rattles and twigs and maybe Holly sticks
All bound up in ropes
And ceremoniously destroyed
One by one by you
The lyrics to British Sea Power's song "Salty Water" seem to explore the dangers and uncertainties of life, using the metaphor of drowning in salty water. The opening lines pose a question to the listener: "And would you care if you fell in? / And would your best friends follow you?" These lines suggest a sense of apprehension and isolation, as if the singer is contemplating the possibility of being alone in a dangerous situation.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Your salty water's hard to swallow," which can be interpreted in a few different ways. On one level, this phrase seems to refer to the physical act of drowning in seawater, which is salty and unpleasant to ingest. But on a deeper level, the "salty water" could be seen as a stand-in for any kind of hardship or trauma that is difficult to cope with.
The second verse of the song introduces the idea of "all your greatest hopes / Were all bound up in ropes," which adds a layer of ambiguity to the song's overall meaning. It's unclear whether the ropes are a literal or metaphorical reference, but either way they seem to represent some kind of constraint or limitation that is preventing the singer from achieving their goals.
The final verse of the song returns to the imagery of leaving one's body in the Peak District, which suggests a desire to escape from the difficulties of life through a kind of spiritual transcendence. However, the final line - "One by one by you" - is somewhat unsettling, as if implying that the singer is being coerced or forced to abandon their physical form.
Overall, "Salty Water" is a haunting and thought-provoking song that invites listeners to consider the uncertainty and unpredictability of life, and the ways in which we cope with hardship and adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
And would you care if you fell in?
Do you truly care about the consequences of your actions?
And would your best friends follow you?
Do you have loyal friends who would stand by you in any situation?
All out to sea
We are moving away from the shore, towards the vastness of the sea.
Oh, silence ye
Let us be quiet and listen to the sounds of the sea.
Your salty water's hard to swallow
The reality of life is tough to accept and come to terms with.
Yeah, I know
I understand what you mean.
When all your greatest hopes
The expectations and aspirations that were most important to you.
Were all bound up in ropes
Were tied down and restrained, unable to be fulfilled.
Shall we leave our bodies in the Peak District?
Should we abandon our physical selves and merge with nature in the rural region?
On rattles and twigs and where Honey said
Using natural materials to construct our makeshift resting place, where Honey once suggested.
Hope that we can go there soon
I eagerly anticipate a return trip to that special place.
I hope that we can go there soon
The yearning for a journey to the picturesque location still resounds.
I hope that we can go back soon, my love
I long to revisit that place with my significant other.
And if you float you are in trouble
If you are floating aimlessly in the sea, it is likely you are lost or in danger.
And if you don't then so long
If you are sinking, goodbye, it was nice knowing you.
To silence ye
The stillness of the sea overtakes your senses.
Whose holy water's hard to swallow
It can be difficult to accept the divine will of a higher power.
Yeah, we know
We as a group understand what you are trying to convey.
And ceremoniously destroyed
The disappointment and failure of our dreams can feel crushing and final.
One by one by you
The destruction of our hopes is carried out by someone else, purposely and intentionally.
Contributed by Kaitlyn E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@garyr6097
undiscovered gem until recently...love this track...they obviously had there reasons to leave it off an album (could of possibly been on their debut or open season)..but beautiful all the same
@petalface6099
My favourite of theirs
@unknownpleasures100
As beautiful as the Peak District.