Mekons | Artist

The Mekons are a British-American rock band formed 1976 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, by Jon Langford (lead vocals, guitar, bass, piano, synthesizer), Tom Greenhalgh (vocals, guitar, piano, synthesizer), Kevin Lycett (bass, drums, percussion, synthesizer), Mark White (vocals) and Andy Corrigan (vocals). In the mid '80s the lineup included Susie Honeyman (violin), Sally Timms (vocals), Roz Allen (bass), Marry Jenner (bass), Rico Bell (accordion, vocals), Lu Edmonds (guitar) and Stephen Goulding (drums). The founders were all University of Leeds art students when they met. The bands Gang of Four and Delta-5 also emerged from the same loose group of art students. The Mekons are one of the longest-running and most prolific of the first-wave British punk rock bands. After two solid but unspectacular early albums, the band punched out a string of seven excellent albums commencing with 1985's Fear and Whiskey, through to I (Heart) Mekons from 1993. Starting out as a noisy, bare-bones post-punk outfit, their style changed over time to incorporate cow-punk, alt-country and indie rock styles. Prolific recording artists, to-date the band has released 22 albums, one live album, and a swag of EPs and Singles. Standout albums include Fear and Whiskey, The Edge of the World, The Mekons Honky Tonkin', So Good it Hurts, The Mekons Rock 'n' Roll, The Curse of the Mekons, I (Heart) Mekons, and OOOH! (out of Our Heads). Most band members have also released other solo and collaborative recordings. Jon Langford has released 10 solo albums, and also works with several Mekons and non-Mekons in the band Waco Brothers, who themselves have released 10 albums. In 2013, and again in 2017, Jon Langford and Sally Timms joined with Janet Bean and Catherine Irwin of Freakwater to be the Freakons, performing original and cover songs about coal mining in Appalacia, England and Wales.

Artist Website: themekons.co.uk

Featured Albums: Mekons

Related Artists: Waco Brothers, Jon Langford, Freakwater