Aqualung (musician)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Aqualung | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Country | England |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Genres | Piano rock/pop |
| Labels | Sony BMG Music Entertainment B-Unique Records Columbia Records |
Matt Hales (born January 17, 1972), better known as Aqualung, is an English singer and songwriter best known in the UK for his song "Strange and Beautiful", which was featured on a television advertisement for the new Volkswagen Beetle during the summer of 2002 and went on to become a Top 10 hit in the UK singles chart later that year. In the United States, Aqualung is also known for the song "Brighter Than Sunshine", which had considerable airplay and was used in the film A Lot Like Love and various television spots.
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[edit] Early life
Hales grew up in Southampton, a city on the south coast of England, where his parents ran an independent record shop. He wanted to be - and indeed was - a musician from an early age, although he said in a BBC interview that there were a couple of years when he was about 12 that he wanted to be a stuntman. At the age of 16, he was awarded a scholarship to study music composition at Winchester College. By the age of 17, he had written his first symphony entitled Life Cycle.
Also while he was a teenager, he formed his first band, which was known by several names during its lifespan: Da Fook Mo a Dib, White Noise, and Mecano Pig. In 1990, they produced an album, Mecano Pig, but broke up soon after that.
In the autumn of 1990, Hales moved to London to study music at City University. While he was there, he and his brother Ben formed a new band, Gravel Monsters, although they later changed their name to RUTH (and their fan club became ALAN). They released several singles and an album, Harrison, but had very little success. They changed their name again to the 45s, and in 2001 were signed to Mercury Records. However, they only released two further singles, and in March 2002 they were dropped and the band split up.
[edit] Career as Aqualung
It has been written that Hales took the name "Aqualung" from a Jethro Tull album of the same name. (See Aqualung (album).) However, he himself says he was not aware of this album, and that it was descriptive of the underwater feeling he felt listening to his debut album.
His debut single, "Strange and Beautiful (I'll Put a spell on You)", was released in the UK on the B-Unique label on September 16, 2002, and reached number 7 in the UK Top 40. It was also featured in the film Wicker Park. This was followed shortly after by his eponymous debut album, Aqualung.
He released his second album, Still Life, in 2003 to critical acclaim albeit limited commercial success. As part of the promotion for this album, Aqualung embarked on two contrasting tours of the U.K. in early 2004- the first as a duo comprising Hales and his brother Ben on guitar playing at unusual venues such as churches, and the second with the pair and a full backing band playing at more conventional rock venues. Two of the gigs in London were recorded and released as a Live DVD through the band's website along with two compilation CDs of B-Sides and Remixes.
A compilation of tracks from his first two albums has been released in the United States, entitled Strange and Beautiful following a new contract being signed with Columbia Records for future worldwide releases. The track "Brighter Than Sunshine" became a big hit and enjoyed Top 40 airplay for several months, after being featured in the film A Lot Like Love. The band have also enjoyed increased notoriety through appearances on various talk shows and the use of the band's songs in shows such as The OC and Scrubs.
After recently completing their US tour, the band has announced the release of their latest album, Memory Man, which includes eleven new songs. It is scheduled for release in March 2007 in the USA, with release dates in other parts of the world yet to be disclosed. Their first single will be Pressure Suit. [1]
Matthew Hales appears on the 2004 Tiesto album Just Be on the track 'Ur'[2]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Title | Year | Label(s) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqualung | 2002 | B-Unique | Gold |
| Still Life | 2003 | B-Unique | |
| Strange and Beautiful | 2005 | Columbia Records | |
| iTunes Exclusive EP | |||
| iTunes Exclusive, Vol. 2 EP |
