The Cribs
The Cribs are a British indie rock band, formed in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, in 2001. The band consists of twins Gary and Ryan Jarman and their younger brother Ross Jarman. They were subsequently joined by ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, who was an official member of the group from 2008 until 2011.
The band, who first became active on the concert circuit in 2002, were initially tied to other like-minded UK bands of that time, most notably the Libertines, by a British music press that were looking for a 'British rearguard' to the wave of popular US alternative rock bands of the time. They had outgrown this tag by the time of the commercial success of their third LP. In 2008, Q magazine described the band as "the biggest cult band in the UK".
In 2012, the band's 10th anniversary year, they were honoured with the Spirit of Independence award at the annual Q Awards. Several months later, they received the Outstanding Contribution to Music award at the annual NME Awards. As of 2017, their last four albums have charted in the UK Top 10. In 2023, they were named one of the "20 Best Indie Rock Bands of All Time" by the Evening Standard, placing at #9.
History
Formation and early years (2001–2003)
Twins Gary and Ryan Jarman - Gary being the older of the two by five minutes - and their younger brother Ross began performing together in 1989 when the twins were nine years old and Ross was five. The Cribs were formed in late 2001 as a recording project for the three brothers. Gary and Ryan enrolled in a music course at a local college, and used their student loan to buy a drum kit for Ross. Their poor attendance record and impending failure of the course threatened access to the campus' recording studio facilities. In order to maintain that access, they decided to book the studio under a different name; The Cribs was the first name that came to Ryan's mind.After recording a demo and garnering label interest, the band started playing live around this time, at venues like the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds, and "squats and warehouse parties" with artists such as Calvin Johnston, Subway Sect, Herman Dune, and Ballboy. They also released a split 7-inch single on Leeds based garage/riot grrrl/punk label Squirrel Records during this period with former Shove/Boyskout member Jen Schande. Limited to 300 copies on blue vinyl the record is now a rarity that sells for upwards of $150 on eBay. According to Mojo magazine, 'On the strength of one demo, the rush to find the UK Strokes saw the three-piece fielding calls from major labels, pluggers and label managers' in 2002. After several high-profile support slots, the band signed to the fledgling independent label Wichita Recordings in 2003 "we thought were great because they sounded a bit like Pavement and had a big hook. We went to see them at the Metro on Oxford Street and completely fell in love with them. They seemed like such an obvious pop band. Every song sounded like a single" – Mark Bowen, Wichita Recordings.
''The Cribs'' (2004)
After signing with Wichita Recordings, the band began re-recording many of the songs from the original demo, as well as several new tracks for what would be their debut record. Sessions began in London with Chicago based avant-garde musician Bobby Conn producing, after the band had supported him on some UK dates and impressed him "They had this cassette demo they had recorded on a boom-box, I suggested overdubs, they were too kitchen-sink for overdubs. I tried handclaps, they were 'not sure about handclaps'. It was all 'Keep it real'" – Bobby Conn. Then sessions moved to Toe Rag Studios in Hackney with the band self-producing. The album was completed in 7 days, live to 8-track tape, with Ed Deegan engineering.Released on 8 March 2004, the album found early supporters in the NME, who commented on its "supreme pop melodies", and referred to it as "lo-fi, hi fun" giving it an 8/10 review. Lo-fi would be a term that would follow the band around for the next few years, and something that became synonymous with the group. Again, from the NME in 2011: "Recorded in a week, it's the definition of indie lo-fi. But not willful indie lo-fi; the scratches, clangs and gawwumps all heard here are genuinely the product of the trio's shoestring methods rather than the usual contrived fuzz that bands spend ages poring over beaten up eight-tracks to achieve". Radio 1 DJ Steve Lamacq was also an early champion. Lois Wilson of Mojo magazine described the album in 2009 as "intelligent lyrics on a background of clipped guitars and tumbling drums, with nods to the Strokes, Beat Happening, and C86's inept charm"
Three singles were released from the album – the limited edition 7-inch only "Another Number"/"Baby Don't Sweat" in November 2003, followed by first single proper "You Were Always the One", which climbed to No. 2 in the indie charts. "What About Me" was the third and final single from the album, again making the indie top 10. The Cribs toured extensively throughout 2004 and into 2005, both as headliners as well as supporting artists like old friend Bobby Conn, Death Cab for Cutie and the Libertines. Over the campaign they toured the UK and Ireland, Europe, Japan, and the United States, as well as several significant international festival appearances such as Reading and Leeds Festivals, Summersonic, T in the Park and Pukkelpop amongst others. Though only a moderate underground success at the time "Another Number" has gone on to become one of the band's most enduring 'hits' – seldom being left off the set-list and usually accompanied by a full crowd sing-along of the signature, repeated guitar riff.
''The New Fellas'' (2005–2006)
After concluding touring duties for the first record, the band were starting to write the follow-up. The Cribs decided they still wanted to tour and took to posting their phone numbers and email addresses on the internet, professing to play anywhere for fuel money and a crate of beer. This DIY approach is something the band and label now feel was a key factor in their success, as it helped nurture a fanbase.The New Fellas, the band's second album release, was recorded with Edwyn Collins, the singer-songwriter and guitarist from Glasgow's influential Orange Juice in London at his own West Heath Studios. Again, it was a comparatively unpolished record sonically, as both the producer Collins and the band themselves were achieving sounds similar to those heard on the Orange Juice records. This was, however, the intention and the reason the band and producer were put together. "They had definite ideas what they wanted the record to sound like...They had this work ethic, there was nothing spoiled about them – they were proper indie; everything done on a shoe-string and they just got on with it....they were tremendous" – Edwyn Collins. One song, "Haunted", was even recorded on Scarborough beach on a whim, after hearing a Steve Martin ukulele duet recorded on a beach.
The first release from the record was the single "Hey Scenesters!" on 18 April 2005. It reached no. 27 in the UK charts, and started their run of 7 consecutive top 40 singles. The album followed on 20 June 2005 although it had leaked onto the internet several months prior to the official release date, hampering its first week sales. The record has however, gone on to be certified Silver by the BPI, and in a recent poll held by the NME was proved to be the overall fans favourite record. The other singles released from the record were "Mirror Kissers", "Martell", and non-album track "You're Gonna Lose Us", which was paired with "The Wrong Way To Be" as a AA side. The extensive New Fellas world tour took in several UK tours, Europe, United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Scandinavia, and their first trip to Iceland. They appeared at numerous festivals at this time, including an appearance on the main stage at Reading and Leeds Festivals, headlining the tent at T in the Park, Fuji Rock festival in Japan as well as an extensive US arena tour with Death Cab for Cutie and Franz Ferdinand. A European tour during this period with ex Pavement man Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks would introduce Gary to his future wife Joanna Bolme.
Shortly before their appearance at the Fuji Rock festival, the Cribs released a Japan-only mini album called Arigato Cockers, made up of B-sides and rarities from both the first and second albums.
In their year-end issue, the NME made The New Fellas the No. 11 album of the year, and Hey Scenesters a single of the year.
''Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever'' (2007–2008)
At the conclusion of The New Fellas campaign, the Cribs signed a major label deal with Warner Bros. Records – though they remained on Wichita in the UK at the bands insistence. The subsequent album, Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever saw the band finally take steps to progress forth from their 'lo-fi' roots, being recorded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada with Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand as producer. The band and producer had met during the US tour the bands did together with Death Cab for Cutie, and hit it off immediately. The album was mixed by Andy Wallace. They collaborated with Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth on the track "Be Safe" – Ranaldo contributing his spoken word poetry to the band's music.Prior to the record's release the Cribs took in a run of small UK club dates to preview songs from the new record. This is documented in the first Cribs documentary Leave Too Neat. The first cut from the album was the single "Men's Needs", released on 7 May. It proved to be the band's first breakthrough with mainstream radio and reached no. 17 in the UK charts, becoming their biggest hit to date. The accompanying video, filmed in Hollywood by director Diane Martel has achieved over 7 million YouTube views to date.
The album was released on 21 May 2007, and entered the UK album charts at No. 13.
Touring began at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 30 March for the Teenage Cancer Trust. The rest of 2007 and most of 2008 was spent on the road promoting the record, taking in extensive UK and European touring, several United States and Canada tours, Japan, and the band's first trip out to Mexico for a main stage appearance at the MX Beat Festival, as well as some later headline shows. During their US touring schedules they appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, the Late Show with David Letterman, and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
The second single to be released from the record was "Moving Pictures", again charting in the UK Top 40, and then later a 7-inch only release of "I'm a Realist". The latter was backed with a cover of the Replacements song "Bastards of Young", a band the Cribs cite as a large influence. Another non-album single "Don't You Wanna be Relevant?" was paired with album cut "Our Bovine Public" and again climbed to the UK top 40. There were numerous festival slots around this time including main stage slots at Lollapalooza, T in the Park, and V festival, as well as returning to Fuji Rock, and a first time appearance at Coachella amongst others. In November 2007 the Cribs were invited by a re-formed Sex Pistols to play with them for three nights at Brixton Academy in celebration of the 30-year anniversary of Never Mind the Bollocks In December the band announced three intimate shows at their old haunt the Brudenell Social Club in aid of cystic fibrosis where they would play all three albums to date in sequence with secret unannounced support bands each night. This was documented for the band's second DVD, the 3 disc Live at the Brudenell Social Club.
In the year-end issues "Men's Needs" was named third-best track of 2007 by NME with the album coming in at No. 9, Track of the Year 2007 by the Metro newspaper and making the annual 100 best tracks list in Rolling Stone magazine in the US.
2008 began with the Cribs being nominated for 4 awards at the annual NME awards ceremony. Through this they were asked to headline the annual NME Awards Tour, which they undertook through January and February featuring some of the band's largest headline shows up to that point and culminating in a show at the o2 Arena in London. They also made a live appearance at the Awards ceremony itself, playing new single "I'm a Realist" and a cover of "Panic" by the Smiths, featuring their new guitarist Johnny Marr, who had been guesting with them throughout the tour.
Another US tour followed this, and then some more festival appearances including main stage slots at the Isle of Wight Festival, Rockness, Primavera Festival, Fuji Rock and Sziget, as well as a headline appearance on the John Peel Stage at Glastonbury, and headlining the second stage at Reading and Leeds Festivals.
In April 2018, the album was certified Gold in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry for sales over 100,000, becoming the first album certified Gold by the BRIT Awards.