Public Service Broadcasting (band)

Public Service Broadcasting are a London-based musical group consisting of J. Willgoose, Esq. on guitar, banjo, other stringed instruments, samplings and electronic musical instruments, Wrigglesworth on drums, piano and electronic musical instruments, and J F Abraham on flugelhorn, bass guitar, drums and assorted other instruments including a vibraslap.[3] The band has toured internationally and in 2015 was announced as nominee in the Vanguard breakthrough category of the fourth annual Progressive Music Awards, staged by Prog magazine,[4] which they won.[5]

Not to be confused with PBS.

Public Service Broadcasting
Public Service Broadcasting performing during their The Race for Space Tour in 2015.[lower-alpha 2]
Background information
OriginLondon, England
GenresAlternative,[1] art rock, indie rock, electronica, dance-punk, krautrock[2]
Years active2009–present
LabelsTest Card Recordings, Believe Recordings, PIAS Recordings
Websitepublicservicebroadcasting.net
Members
  • J. Willgoose Esq.
  • Wrigglesworth
  • JF Abraham

History

At first, the band consisted solely of Willgoose. He made his public debut at The Selkirk pub in Tooting, London, England in August 2009. Shortly afterwards he issued EP One. Teaming up with Wrigglesworth on drums the band played its first festival in September 2010, Aestival in Suffolk, and work began on a second EP, The War Room, which was released in May 2012. Since then, the band has released three albums, Inform-Educate-Entertain (2013); The Race for Space (2015); and Every Valley (2017). The Race for Space was supported by two shows at the National Space Centre in Leicester celebrating the album's launch. The album charted just outside the top 10 in 11th place in the UK in its release week and reaching Number 1 in the UK Independent Charts for that week. A follow-up EP was released at the tail end of 2015 (Sputnik/Korolev) which was backed up by a UK tour, climaxing in the band's biggest headline show, a sold-out night at the O2 Academy Brixton, of which a live album was released in 2016. While writing The War Room the band formed a close relationship with the British Film Institute, using their material during live shows.[6]

On 10 March 2017, PSB released a new single titled Progress featuring vocals from Tracyanne Campbell from Camera Obscura with photo shoots showing the band as a three-piece with new member JF Abraham featured on promotional photos. Their third studio album, entitled Every Valley, about the coal mining industry's rise and fall in the Welsh Valleys between the 1950s and 1980s, was released on 7 July 2017. As with The Race for Space, the band had two album launch concerts, this time in Ebbw Vale, where the LP was recorded.

In June 2018, PSB appeared at the BBC Music "Big Weekend", playing at the Titanic Quarter in Belfast. As part of this a series of four new pieces, based on the story of the RMS Titanic, was debuted. These tracks were released as the EP White Star Liner on 26 October 2018.

They performed a "specially commissioned new arrangement" of The Race for Space on 25 July 2019 in a late-night Prom, joined by London Contemporary Voices and the Multi-Story Orchestra, the performance being shown on BBC television the following night.[7]

Music style and live performances

The band mostly plays instrumental music; Willgoose has said that "singing is never going to work. I'm not going to be happy with it, I'm not going to be comfortable playing it to other people."[6] They take samples from old public information films, archive footage and propaganda material.[8] Despite Willgoose's prior reservations about singing, he did later contribute vocals to the duet piece 'You + Me' from Every Valley, because the intended vocalist was not available.

Discography

Studio albums

Remix albums
  • The Race for Space / Remixes (17 June 2016)[10] UK no. 59

Live albums
  • Live at Brixton (2016)[11]

EPs

Singles
  • "ROYGBIV" – 5 March 2012[17] which won the BBC Radio 6 Music Rebel Playlist.[18]
  • "Spitfire" – 26 March 2012[19][20][21][22] which won the BBC Radio 6 Music Rebel Playlist.[23] The song sampled dialogue and sound from the 1942 film "The First of the Few", and the video incorporated footage from the same film.
  • "London Can Take It" – 13 August 2012[24][25]
  • "Everest" – 12 November 2012 only for digital downloading. The song is based around The Conquest of Everest, a 1953 film charting Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay's first successful ascent of the mountain.[26]
  • "Signal 30"[27]
  • "Night Mail"[28]
  • "Elfstedentocht" (Record Store Day single; 11 November 2013)[29][30]
  • "Gagarin" – 1 December 2014 (first single of the album "The Race For Space")
  • "Go!" – 23 February 2015
  • "Sputnik/Korolev" – 20 November 2015 No. 4 UK Physical[31]
  • "Progress" – 10 March 2017 (first single of the band's third album) [32]
  • "They Gave Me a Lamp"
  • "People Will Always Need Coal"
  • "White Star Liner"

Notes
  1. In this view of the band, taken on 26 February 2015, during the launch event for The Race for Space, J. Willgoose Esq., who performs on guitar and electronics, is pictured at right, and Wrigglesworth is pictured on drums at left. Live member JF Abraham is pictured at centre on bass guitar and electronics.
  2. In this view of the band, taken on 26 February 2015, during the launch event for The Race for Space, J. Willgoose Esq., who performs on guitar and electronics, is pictured at right, and Wrigglesworth is pictured on drums at left. Live member JF Abraham is pictured at centre on bass guitar and electronics.

References
  1. "Public Service Broadcasting". iTunes. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  2. "Public Service Broadcasting discography". RateYourMusic. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  3. Lester, Paul (12 December 2012). "New band of the week: Public Service Broadcasting". The Guardian.
  4. Sherwin, Adam (25 June 2015). "Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, Public Service Broadcasting all nominated for Progressive Music Awards 2015". The Independent. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  5. "Singer Steven Wilson crowned prog rock king". BBC News. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  6. Sheffield, Hazel (6 February 2014). "Public Service Broadcasting keep calm and carry on". The Guardian.
  7. BBC Proms 2019: Public Service Broadcasting. BBC Proms. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2019. Cerys Matthews introduces cult London band Public Service Broadcasting who take to the Royal Albert Hall stage for their Proms debut. To mark the 50th anniversary of the first Apollo moon landings, they are joined by the Multi-Story Orchestra to perform a specially commissioned new orchestral arrangement of the band’s 2015 studio album The Race for Space.
  8. "Public Service Broadcasting + guests". Picture House Hackney. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  9. "The Official UK Top 40 Albums Chart". BBC Radio 1. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  10. "The Race For Space / Remixes". Public Service Broadcasting. 3 May 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  11. "PSB Live at Brixton – 2x LP/CD + DVD Release!". Public Service Broadcasting. 4 October 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  12. "EP One". MusicBrainz. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  13. "Review: Public Service Broadcasting – The War Room EP". Spindle Magazine. 5 May 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  14. "The War Room". MusicBrainz. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  15. "Public Service Broadcasting are going to W*A*R!". Artrocker. Archived from the original on 23 November 2012. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  16. "Radcliffe and Maconie: Today Mark's joined by J. Willgoose Esq from the very appropriately named band Public Service Broadcasting". BBC 6 Music. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  17. "ROYGBIV". MusicBrainz. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  18. "Public Service Broadcasting win the BBC 6 Music Rebel Playlist!". Popular News. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  19. "Public Service Broadcasting – Spitfire". Caffeine Nicotine. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  20. "Spitfire". MusicBrainz. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  21. "Public Service Broadcasting – Spitfire video". NME. 20 May 2012.
  22. "Chris Hawkins: J.Willgoose interviewed about the making of the single Spitfire". BBC 6 Music programmes. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  23. "Public Service Broadcasting win Rebel Playlist at 6 followed by an addition to the main daytime playlist!". Popular News. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  24. "Public Service Broadcasting 'London Can Take It' video". Access All Areas Music. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  25. "London Can Take It". MusicBrainz. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  26. PSBHQ (2 September 2012). "Public Service Broadcasting – Everest". YouTube.
  27. "Single Announcement & Another Tour Poster". Public Service Broadcasting.
  28. "Night Mail". Banquet Records. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  29. "Elfstedentocht Parts 1 & 2". Banquet Records. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  30. "Elfstedentocht (Pt. 1 & 2) – Public Service Broadcasting". Amazon.com. 11 November 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  31. "Official Physical Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  32. "Public Service Broadcasting announce their return with 'Progress'". DIY. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
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