The Arctic Monkeys are one of the most popular English rock bands in the world. Formed back when they had only four members, their popularity soon skyrocketed with Matt Heideners on drums joining less than three years later after bassist Andy Nichols left due to personal reasons. They have released six albums and a number of singles that have been extremely successful in the UK and US charts. Find out more about who these Arctic Monkeys are and what they’ve done here!
The Arctic Monkeys were discovered through the Internet, with experts stating that they represented a new approach to promote and market new acts.
Early Work
After forming in 2002 while all being teenagers from High Green near Sheffield, England band leader Alex Turner met his future Arctic Monkey band mates at Stocksbridge High School where he was studying music technology while the Arctic Monkeys’ other members were studying music as well. The first drummer of the Arctic Monkeys was Matt Helders who has been with them since 2002 and he is also a talented artist, drawing album covers for the Arctic Monkeys albums Favourite Worst Nightmare, Humbug, and Suck It And See respectively.
The band’s second full-length, Favourite Worst Nightmare, was released on 23 April 2007, roughly a week after the debut of its first single “Brianstorm.” Like the previous album, Favourite Worst Nightmare rapidly rose to No. 1 in the album’s charts soon after its release.
Now
In a 2018 interview with BBC Radio 1, Alex Turner explained that he had been writing songs on piano instead of guitar for the past two albums. The new Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino album made use of this sound and is described as psychedelic pop or lounge-folk music in some reviews but definitely worth your time if you’re into complex indie rock!
After a two-year absence, the band returned with a softer sound than previously. Turner completed his second Last Shadow Puppets album alone in 2016, while Arctic Monkeys emerged from their own break and many fans were dissatisfied with the less intense tone of Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino as opposed to previous albums.
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino was a more peaceful and tranquil album than its predecessors, as the name implies. Influenced by psychedelic pop (instrumental), lounge music (singer-songwriter), and space rock, it achieved this unique sound through intricate piano compositions written by Alex Turner’s dynamic writing style rather than guitar riffs like previous albums with down-tuned guitars that emanate an alien vibe rather than your typical rock genre – a change so distinct you’d never guess they were connected!
