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The Scottish rock group, formed in Glasgow in 2005, has gained widespread popularity in narrow circles, such as the sports community, for example, almost in the first year of its existence. The Fratellis is an example of a group that had a very successful start and gained popularity literally from the first release.
The band began giving their first performances at Central Scotland's Beat 106 radio (later Galaxy Scotland) in 2005. These performances almost immediately attracted one of the most popular indie / alternative rock publishers, Fallout Records (UK division of Island Records). After which the group almost immediately found its stage name, the musicians changed their real surnames to Fratelli, which we will talk about a little later; and the musicians started planning the creation of their debut release.
So let's take a closer look at the composition of the group. We will indicate both the real names of the musicians and the pseudonyms chosen after the creation of the group. At its core, the group consists of three studio musicians as well as one touring member:
John Lawler (John Fratelli) - the lead vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist;
Barry Wallace (Barry Fratelli) - bass guitarist and backing vocalist;
Gordon McRory (Mince Fratelli) - drummer, percussionist, backing vocalist, and occasional banjo player;
And also Will Foster - pianist and keyboardist (2008 - present, touring member).
So, the group's first studio release was the self-titled EP in April 2006. The release immediately received critical acclaim, and the band was motivated to start working on a full-length studio album as soon as possible.
Costello Music became such an album, which immediately brought the group the aforementioned popularity. The album hit the leading positions in the British music charts immediately after the release and took first place in the Scottish charts, native to musicians. The Fratellis released the album in September 2006, and almost immediately, the band was nominated for the Best British Breakthrough Act by Brit Awards. It was recognized as 3xplatinum by BPI.
Also, a separate single, and perhaps the most recognizable song of Chelsea Dagger from this album, received separate Platinum status from BPI. Another song from this album, Whistle for the Choir, received silver status from the same BPI.
The band released their first DVD in Britain at the height of their popularity. They recorded it at Brixton Academy, London. The DVD includes both tracks recorded directly in London and at other performances throughout the United Kingdom. This album also became commercially successful, however, as well as the second studio album entitled Here We Stand. Although the album gained some popularity, it was far from the overwhelming success produced by the first album. It still peaked at the top of the charts but hasn't received a similar number of awards. Also, sales weren't as phenomenally as high as the first. It happened in 2008. Although the group has released several more independent singles and played several concerts away from their home all over the world (including the headlining on the 50th-anniversary party of Island Records), it is still clear that the group accumulated either fatigue or disappointment after the release of the second album. At the end of 2009, the group announced a planned hiatus.
The Fratelli returned from hiatus in mid-2012. The band's first performance after the break was at a charity concert in 2012. It is worth noting that the band changed their sound style a little, adding an additional keyboard to their sound after their return. The first album since the return was We Need Medicine, the band released it in 2013. The album caught the attention of critics, but this is far from the leading positions that the group held in the 2000s. And then, you might think that the group has lost its popularity; nevertheless, the group takes higher ratings and ranked higher on the music charts with each new album that the group released after their return to the stage. So, if We Need Medicine took 26th place in the UK charts, then the album called In Your Own Sweet Time, released in March 2018, took 5th place.
The new album, which The Fratelli has already managed to announce, is one of the most anticipated releases of 2021. That's all thanks to the growing popularity of the group after the hiatus. The pre-release of Half Drunk Under a Full Moon has already earned the title of one of the most anticipated albums of the year. The group has already released several singles from the new album; but, future performances have not been announced yet due to well-known circumstances that took place in 2020. Well, I would like to wish the band the best in all their creative endeavors, and add that we are looking forward to the new show schedule, despite all the difficulties that have descended on the heads of all the artists lately.
