Brighton, England-based art rock band formed in 1999 by Yan (b. Yan Wilkinson; vocals/guitar), his brother Hamilton (b. Neil Hamilton Wilkinson; bass/vocals), Noble (b. Martin Noble; guitar), and Wood (b. Matthew Wood; drums). The brothers and Wood first met while at school in their native Lake District, and Yan met up with Noble while they were studying at Reading University. Hamilton and Wood joined the others in Reading to form British Air Power, although by the start of 2000 the quartet had changed their name to British Sea Power and relocated to Brighton. Forming part of the town's resurgent music scene alongside bands such as the Electric Soft Parade and Clearlake, the quartet steadily built up a fanbase through their "Club Sea Power" nights. Their live shows saw them dressed in military uniforms and performing surrounded by stuffed animals and foliage, creating a suitable backdrop for their idiosyncratic music. They made their recording debut in July 2001 with the single "Fear Of Drowning"/"A Wooden Horse", released on the band's own label Golden Chariot. A recording contract with UK independent Rough Trade Records ensued, with the quartet making their debut for the label in December with "Remember Me".
Press interest in the band intensified in the following year, pushing their third single "The Lonely" into the lower reaches of the UK singles chart. During the same year the band joined Pulp on their Forestry Commission tour, playing outdoors in the middle of the woods. By 2003 the band had expanded their live line-up to a five-piece with the addition of keyboard player Eamon Hamilton (b. Stewart, British Columbia, Canada). Their debut album The Decline Of British Sea Power emerged the same June and was hailed as one of the year's most impressive releases. The heady fusion of disparate musical styles and cryptic lyrics paid testament to an ambition that helped drag British Sea Power away from mere parody and set them apart from the legions of post-punk copyists clogging up the charts. A re-recorded version of "Remember Me" propelled the band into the Top 30 later on in the year.
The limited edition single "A Lovely Day Tomorrow" was the band's sole release of 2004, and saw them teaming up with Czech Republic-based band the Ecstasy Of Saint Theresa. British Sea Power's next single "It Ended On An Oily Stage" appeared in March 2005, and preceded the release of the band's second album, Open Season. Despite being a more cohesive and accessible collection than their debut, the album betrayed none of the band's keen intelligence and sense of musical adventure. In 2006, Hamilton left to concentrate on his own band Brakes. The remaining quartet completed their third album, the provocatively titled Do You Like Rock Music?, which was released at the start of 2008. This glorious album managed to capture on record for the first time the chaotic clout of the band's live shows, and allied to big, radio-friendly choruses and some of their best songwriting provided one of the year's early highlights.
