Sea Power, previously known as British Sea Power, are a six-piece indie roc… Read Full Bio ↴Sea Power, previously known as British Sea Power, are a six-piece indie rock band based in Brighton, England, although three of the band hail originally from Kendal in Cumbria. Their style encompasses sweeping and often epic guitar pop with more visceral, angular and esoteric noises and instruments. Critics have likened their sound to a variety of groups, from The Cure to Pixies. They have released five albums and a number of EPs (most on Rough Trade) since they formed in 2000. The band is currently comprised of:

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… "

What You're Doing
British Sea Power Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

People assemble together from parts
Individual capsules entering
Through the heart

Don't know what you're doing to me
Don't know what I'm doing to you
Don't know what you're doing to me
Don't know what I'm doing

But I see you sitting there
And I know I got a lot to do
I see you sitting there
And I know I got a lot to prove
But I can't follow it

Illusion lures like ducks in the park
We're running through the dark
And that's how it starts

And the massif in the crowd
They're amassing to a sound
And the madness of the crowd
And I'm glad that we're all here
And it might be getting better
And it might be

I see you sitting there
And I know I got a lot to do
I see you sitting there
And I know I got a lot to prove
I see you sitting there
And I dunno is it me or you

And the massif in the crowd
They're amassing to a sound

Don't know what you're doing to me
Don't know what I'm doing to you
Don't know what you're doing to me
Don't know what I'm doing to you
Don't know what you're doing to me
Don't know what I'm doing to you
Don't know what you're doing to me
Don't know what I'm doing to you
Don't know what you're doing to me
Don't know what I'm doing to you
Don't know what you're doing to me
Don't know what I'm doing to you
Don't know what you're doing to me
Don't know what I'm doing to you

Don't know what you're doing to me
Don't know what I'm doing to you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "What You're Doing" by British Sea Power seem to be about the overwhelming feeling of being in a crowd and the confusion that can come with it. The opening lines paint a picture of individuals coming together to form a crowd, and there's a sense of unity and connection as they all enter through the heart. However, despite this connection, there's still a sense of disorientation and uncertainty - the singer doesn't know what the crowd is doing to them or what they're doing to the crowd.

The line "illusion lures like ducks in the park" suggests that there's a temptation to just follow the crowd without really thinking about it - to get caught up in the moment and not consider the consequences. The use of the word "madness" also implies that being part of a crowd can be chaotic and unpredictable. However, there's also a sense of hope in the lyrics - the idea that things might be "getting better."

The repeated chorus lines ("Don't know what you're doing to me/Don't know what I'm doing to you") seem to emphasize the confusion and lack of control the singer feels in this situation. They're not even sure who's influencing whom, or what the overall effect of the crowd is.

Overall, "What You're Doing" explores the complex emotions that can come with being part of a crowd - the connection, the chaos, the confusion, and the hope.

Line by Line Meaning

People assemble together from parts Individual capsules entering Through the heart
People come together from different backgrounds forming a cohesive unit, represented as individual units entering into a collective entity through shared beliefs and values

Don't know what you're doing to me Don't know what I'm doing to you Don't know what you're doing to me Don't know what I'm doing But I see you sitting there And I know I got a lot to do I see you sitting there And I know I got a lot to prove But I can't follow it
Uncertainty about the impact one person has on another, with a recognition of a need to achieve personal goals but struggling with how to do so while in the presence of other people

Illusion lures like ducks in the park We're running through the dark And that's how it starts
The temptation of something that seems too good to be true, leading to a journey with an uncertain destination, but that journey is where the foundation of something new is laid

And the massif in the crowd They're amassing to a sound And the madness of the crowd And I'm glad that we're all here And it might be getting better And it might be
The energy and excitement felt by a group of people united by a powerful calling, generating an atmosphere of unbridled enthusiasm and a sense of hope about a potentially improved future

I see you sitting there And I know I got a lot to do I see you sitting there And I know I got a lot to prove I see you sitting there And I dunno is it me or you
Recognition of a perceived hurdle or barrier that must be overcome to reach a goal, combined with confusion about whether the obstacle lies within oneself or between oneself and another person

Don't know what you're doing to me Don't know what I'm doing to you Don't know what you're doing to me Don't know what I'm doing to you Don't know what you're doing to me Don't know what I'm doing to you Don't know what you're doing to me Don't know what I'm doing to you Don't know what you're doing to me Don't know what I'm doing to you Don't know what you're doing to me Don't know what I'm doing to you Don't know what you're doing to me Don't know what I'm doing to you
Repeatedly acknowledging the confusion or uncertainty about the nature of a relationship or interaction between two people

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JAN SCOTT WILKINSON, MARTIN NOBLE, NEIL HAMILTON WILKINSON, MATTHEW WOOD, PHIL SUMNER, ABIGAIL HELEN FRY

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