The Coral are an English band formed in 1996 in Hoylake on the Wirral Peninsula near Liverpool.
The band's music is a mixture of old-fashioned country, 1960s-style psychedelica and folk with modern rock influences. The Coral have released five albums. Their self-titled debut album was nominated for the 2002 Mercury Prize and later voted the fourth best album of the year by NME Magazine. It was announced on the 9th January that Bill Ryder-Jones would be leaving, but the band would continue as a 5-piece.
History
Meeting in school, the seven friends would meet at each others' houses and the school music room where they would watch films, listen to music and play guitars. After leaving school they went on to jobs and college before quitting both to take up the band full time. The band was soon signed to Liverpool label Deltasonic. The band started as prominent members of the Liverpool music scene, playing many gigs around the city. The Coral's distinctive musical style has strongly influenced many other of the Liverpool-based label's acts, including The Zutons, The Dead 60s and The Basement.
Hailed as the first English band of the "guitar group revival" the band released the critically acclaimed EPs Shadows Fall, The Oldest Path, and Skeleton Key in 2001. Their eponymous debut album The Coral, released in 2002, reached number five on the UK Albums Chart and was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize the day after its release. A successful UK tour and festival slots followed along with the singles "Goodbye" reaching number twenty-one in the UK Top 40 and "Dreaming of You" reaching number thirteen.
Former Band members
From The Coral
From Magic and Medicine
From The Invisible Invasion
From Roots & Echoes