Therapy? are an alternative metal band from Northern Ireland. The band was formed in 1989 by guitarist/vocalist
Andy Cairns from Ballyclare and drummer Fyfe Ewing from Larne, Northern
Ireland. The band initially recorded their first demo with Andy filling in on bass
guitar. To complete the line up, the band recruited bassist Michael
McKeegan.
With keen pop sensibilities, a skewed sense of humour and a willingness to draw inspiration from diverse sources (notably
punk rock), Therapy? came to attention in the early 1990s rise of alternative rock, but have endured for more than a decade since; Critic Johnny Loftus writes, "[a]fter
a ten-plus year career that has seen them outlast competitors and outwit industry attempts at categorization ... Therapy? are
still headbangers with their thinking caps screwed on tight."[1]
History
The early years
The band, highly influenced by artists of the indie rock movement, released its first single, called Meat Abstract, in
1990, on its own independent label, Multifuckingnational
Records. Only 1000 copies have been pressed. At the summer of that year, the band made its first tour through the
United Kingdom, catching the attention of influential DJ John Peel along the way.
The band's early years followed the familiar pattern of hard graft on the local alternative music scene, with Cairns often putting in a full day at the Michelin tyre factory (where he
worked as a quality controller), then speeding across Northern Ireland in order to make
it to gigs. Therapy? quickly came to the attention of local music fans with their distinctively uncompromising style. Their use
of guitar feedback as a "fourth instrument" and unconventional song structures, combined with a darkly original approach to
lyrics led them to being spotted in 1991 by the hip London-based independent label
Wiiija a move helped by Leslie Rankine of Silverfish, who passed the band's first single
on to Wiiija Records. The band returned the favour on their fourth album Troublegum by
giving Rankine a guest appearance as a backing vocalist.
The band's first album, 1991's Babyteeth, and its
1992 follow up, Pleasure Death, were successful
enough to earn the band a major label deal with A&M Records, home of popular artist
like Sting, among others. The two albums, although poorly engineered in places, brimmed with
originality and potential, exciting the music press and winning the band a formidable "underground" fanbase. Babyteeth and Pleasure Death both went to number 1 in the
UK Indie Charts. A compilation of the two albums entitled Caucasian Psychosis
was prepared for the American market.
Their debut A&M record, Nurse,
confirmed the band as one of the most exciting finds in British music for several years, making its way in to UK's Top 40 Album Chart. The grunge revolution was in full swing,
with US outfit Nirvana leading the way. Predictably, the media began to draw comparisons
with the two bands, predominantly on the grounds that they both contained three members. Fans of both groups have dismissed such
comparisons out of hand, citing various differences in style and background. Nevertheless, the heavy guitars and inventive
drumming that was swiftly becoming Therapy?'s trademark led them more towards the grunge camp then away from it.
The Success
If there was one true "breakthrough" year in the band's history, it would almost certainly be 1993. The release of the Shortsharpshock EP stunned many by
catapulting Therapy? into the Top 40, peaking at 9, and rooting the anthemic single
Screamager deep into the fabric of contemporary rock music. The single swelled the already burgeoning fanbase even
further, augmented by the first of several appearances on the venerable UK music show Top Of
The Pops. However, it was clear that the band's music was changing, evolving from experimental noise trips into something
far more accessible.
1994 saw the release of the Troublegum album, a
record that delighted Therapy? fans both new and old. A seething but sleek slice of angry rock music, interwoven by feedback
breaks and more of Fyfe Ewing's extraordinary drumming, Troublegum earned the band appearances at a string of rock and indie festivals over the next couple of
years, as well as a clutch of Top 40 singles. It remains for many people, the band's high point,
achieving a string of nominations in end-of-year polls and success at the Kerrang! awards.
With impatience mounting for a new album, Infernal Love was released in early
1995. This time, the press reaction was lukewarm. As ambitious as ever, the band had attempted to
create a "cinematic" record with Belfast DJ David Holmes employed to link each
tracks with "insanity", but in the eyes of many, had produced a disjointed piece over-subscribed with ballads. It was clear that
Therapy? had changed direction, and despite the singles Stories and Loose charting, much of the early momentum had
gone.
Fyfe leaving the band
Fyfe Ewing left the band in early 1996, citing the pressures
of a constant touring schedule. It was widely assumed that with such a key component now missing, the band would inevitably break
up. Cairns, now a respected songwriter in his own right, had other ideas. The band quickly
recruited Graham Hopkins to replace Ewing as well as
the permanent addition of guest cellist Martin
McCarrick, and work began on the Semi-Detached album. The band toured the
remainder of the year to allow the new guys to settle in, and spent most of 1997 writing and
rehearsing the follow-up to Infernal Love.
While the Church Of Noise single failed to succeed commercially, it clawed back some of
the kudos that had been lost with Infernal Love. The
Semi-Detached album transcended the trajectory of Troublegum and Infernal Love with their dark, broody
atmosphere. However, promotion for the album was scant at best, due to problems at the A&M label, which culminated in the loss of their record deal with the company.
The Turn of the Millennium
The Semi-Detached album is in retrospect the band at its most radio-friendly,
but despite this the bands' commercial success has waned considerably. The bands' sentiment towards newer alternative metal bands
was expressed in the song Ten Year Plan from the band's uncompromising Suicide Pact - You First, an album which was packed full of vitriol, discontent and
barely-repressed musical aggression. This album revealed a fuller-sound, yet was noticeably lacking in songs suitable of
mainstream-radio airplay. The following year saw the release of the So Much
For The Ten Year Plan-A Retrospective 1990-2000 album which (in title at least) was a self-deprecating poke at the
bands' difficulties with corporate rock in recent years. After the problems resulting from the late release and touring of the
follow-up record Shameless (produced by the legendary Jack Endino), Graham Hopkins quit the band to pursue a career as the
frontman in his own band, Halite, and was eventually replaced by ex- The
Beyond/Cable/Gorilla drummer Neil Cooper. This line-up lasted one album, the
commercially inclined High Anxiety (the most successful album sales-wise
since Semi-Detached) until Martin
McCarrick left in March 2004.
Fan favourite Never Apologise Never Explain was released in late
2004 to an audience who had just become re-acquainted with the three-piece Therapy? who had unleashed an album which is
reminiscent of the sound of their earlier material.
Their newest album One Cure Fits All was released in early 2006. It's
considered a very good effort and proved again that they never repeat themselves and are not afraid to try something new.
Although now all but vanished from the charts and wider media attention, Therapy? continue releasing material, gaining enough
attention to enable them to tour. The band continues to entertain a smaller but intensely loyal following. Even though he has
reached the age of 40, Cairns has been quoted as having no plans to quit.
Today
Therapy? have recently announced tour dates for their first tour of 2007 which will see them visit South and Eastern
Europe.
In September 2006, Therapy? performed an exclusive studio show of songs chosen by fans, who had voted for their three
favourite tracks from a lengthy list on the band's website. These votes were counted and the twelve tracks with the most votes
were then performed and recorded (both as audio and video). From Monday January 15th 2007, these tracks became available to buy
from the band's official website, www.therapyquestionmark.co.uk.
In an interview in 2006 the band announced plans for a compilation album of radio sessions. It was revealed on the bands
official website that on February 26 2007 Music Through A Cheap
Transistor would be released as a digital download.
Question Mark Suffix
Much has been made over the years of the unusual question mark suffix to the band's name. Various theories have been ventured
by fans, many of them bizarre. The truth is somewhat mundane. When designing the band's first home produced single, Andy Cairns
misaligned the Letraset adhesive label on the sleeve, and used the "?" icon to fill the space.
Collaborations and Appearances In Other Media
Therapy? collaborated with rapper Fatal on a track entitled Come And Die which featured on the OST to Judgement Night.
Therapy? also recorded a cover of Iron Man (by Black Sabbath) with Ozzy Ozbourne (albeit in different studios) for the album
'Nativity in Black - a Tribute to Black Sabbath'.
Therapy?'s song "Accelerator" is featured on Electronic Arts' video game
Road Rash for the 3DO,
Saturn, and Playstation consoles; it also appears in
Dominic Sena's movie Kalifornia, starring
Brad Pitt.
References
- ^ Loftus, Johnny High Anxiety review from Allmusic.com URL accessed Jan 17,
2007
Discography
Albums
Singles
- "Meat Abstract" (1990)
- "Teethgrinder" (1992)
- "Shortsharpshock EP" (1993)
- "Face The Strange EP" (1993)
- "Opal Mantra" (1993)
- "Nowhere" (1994)
- "Trigger Inside" (1994)
- "Die Laughing" (1994)
- "Isolation" (1994)
- "Femtex" (1994)
- "Stories" (1995)
- "Loose" (1995)
- "Diane" (1995)
- "Bad Mother" (1996)
- "Church Of Noise" (1998)
- "Lonely, Cryin’, Only" (1998)
- "Hate Kill Destroy" (2000)
- "Bad Karma Follows You Around" (2000)
- "Gimme Back My Brain" (2001)
- "I Am The Money" (2001)
- "If It Kills Me" (2003)
- "My Voodoo Doll' (2003)
- "Polar Bear/Rock You Monkeys" (2005)
- "Rain Hits Concrete EP" (2006)
Other Releases
External links
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