GoodBooks

GoodBooks
GoodBooks live in 2006
Background information
Origin	Kent,England
Genres	Indie rock
Years active	2005–2009
Labels	Transgressive Records Columbia Records
Members	Max Cooke Chris Porter JP Duncan Leo von Bülow-Quirk
Website	blog.ilovegoodbooks.com

GoodBookswere anEnglishindie rockband fromSevenoaksinKent.They first received media attention upon releasing their self-published EPValves and Robotsin June 2005.

The band signed toTransgressive Recordsin late 2005 for one single (bassist Christopher Porter has the date the band signed their record deal tattooed on his left wrist) and released "Walk With Me" in April, before being signed byColumbia Recordsshortly after. GoodBooks disbanded after their last gig on 28 June 2009.

The name GoodBooks was suggested to Max Cooke at a gig by the children's TV presenterHolly Willoughby.

History

GoodBooks's evolution began when Max Cooke and Leo von Bülow-Quirk started doingBeatlescovers in their attic when they were 8. It took till 2001 for the band to take shape when atSevenoaks Schoolin Kent, Cooke and von Bülow-Quirk came together with Chris Porter and JP Duncan to form The Fingerprints. The Fingerprints set about their musical career by self-recording two albums;Cards on the Table, Clothes on the FloorandMiranda.Tracks such as "Tangerine" appeared on local radio stations such asBBC Radio KentandKMFM.The band also started gigging locally in the South-East during this time, with regular gigs at theTunbridge Wells Forumhelping them to develop a modest regional fanbase, performing in front of 8,000 people on one eventful Christmas.

The Fingerprints disbanded in late 2004 when their bassist left. The band decided to continue as a four-piece and on the day of their first rehearsal "Walk With Me" was created. The band continued to write more songs but this time they had a maturer moreelectronic-influenced sound. The sessions created tracks for theValves and RobotsEP such as "Passchendaele" and "Isabella" which not only became fan favourites but impressed influential members of the industry and in late 2005 the band signed a deal for a one-off single with indie labelTransgressive Records.

The following months saw GoodBooks establishing a place within theUKalternativescene on a wider scale with gigs all over the country, notably supportingArt Brutand a gig withThe Magic NumbersinSweden."Walk With Me" was rerecorded and was released as the band's debut single on Transgressive on 3 April 2006 on 7 "vinyl and cassette only (one of only a very small number of cassette singles released that year). The video was shown onMTV2andNMEawarded it Runner-Up in its track of the week section, proclaiming GoodBooks "the best new band in Britain".

The band were approached byColumbia Recordsat the start of 2006 and signed a deal in May, releasing the singles "Turn it Back" and "Leni" in the second half of 2006 as well as making important and well-receivedperformances at theCarling Reading and Leeds Festivalsand theTruck Festival;their debut album,Control,was released on 30 July 2007 in theUK.The band maintained a Myspace page with updates on their progress. This page reported that their second album, with the working title 'Cry Of The Hunters', was completed and would be released in Summer 2009.NMEclaimed that this would occur on 4 May, although the album has yet to be released.

GoodBooks disbanded afterGlastonbury 2009,where they played their last set on the John Peel Stage on 28 June 2009.

Discography

Studio albums

• Control(2007)
• Control Freaks - The Remixes(2021)

EPs and singles

• Valves And Robots EP(2005)
• Walk With Me(2006)
• "You Can't Fool Me Dennis" (Mystery Jets Cover) (2006)
• "Turn It Back" (2006)
• Leni Mixes(2006)
• Leni(2006)
• "The Illness" (2007)
• The Illness Mixes(2007)
• "Passchendaele" (2007) No. 73UK
• Passchendaele Mixes(2007)
• Lovesongs on Casio(2007)

External links

• Goodbooks on The Mag