Middleton
(vocals / guitar / bass / drums / etc.) cut his teeth in local acts like Pigtube,
Angelbaby, Oral
Groove & The Laughing Stock
before forming the successful Arab Strap
in 1995. During 2002, a quiet time for Arab Strap, he found time to write, record
and release his own solo debut album, "5:14 fluoxytine seagull alcohol john
nicotine", which was a much more commercial (if that word could be used)
affair than he had previously been involved in. Scattered solo dates over the
next two years, and a limited edition 7 inch single ("Ryanair Song")
for Nowhere Fast Records, were all that was heard of Middleton until the follow
up album, "Into The Woods" was released in 2005. This album featured
guest performances from Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite and Barry Burns (piano), The
Delgados’ Paul Savage (drums) and his fellow Arab
Strap collaborator Aidan Moffat. Middleton also recruited a band for live
work which included former Delgados members Alan Barr (keyboards), Stewart Henderson
(bass) and Paul Savage (drums). The second single to be taken from the album was
intended at be a double a-side ("Break My Heart" / "A New Heart"),
released in September 2005, but complications led to it being an internet only
release. He toured Europe at that time, followed by a short UK tour (including
a "Way To Blue" Festival date supporting Teenage Fanclub at Falkirk
Town Hall). 2005 ended with the album being voted 8th best album of the year in
Mojo Magazine.The split of Arab Strap at the end of 2006 allowed Middleton to concentrate on his solo career, and he began work on his third album, "A Brighter Beat", which was released in February 2007. Recorded at Mogwai’s Castle Of Doom studio in Glasgow with co-producer Tony Doogan (Mogwai, Belle & Sebastian, Dirty Pretty Things), the album features the talents of numerous luminaries from the Glasgow scene. Barry Burns (Mogwai), Jenny Reeve (Reindeer Section), Paul Savage (Delgados) and Mick Cooke (Belle & Sebastian) appear alongside numerous string and brass players. The title track of the album was released at the same time, and was playlisted on BBC 6Music.
February 2007 also saw Middleton tour the UK solo, supporting Badly Drawn Boy, followed by a full band headline UK tour in March. These were interspersed with dates supporting old friends Bright Eyes. April & May saw Middleton complete a European tour, before returning home for a date at T In The Park in July. Around this time he released another single, "Fight Like The Night", and played a few other UK festivals. Towards the end of the summer Middleton returned to the studio to record what was intended to be an acoustic mini-album. The year was rounded off with a short full band UK tour, and a date at the Portishead-curated All Tomorrow's Parties Festival.
December 2007 saw Middleton make an odd bid for the Christmas charts with the release of the festive sounding (not) internet single "We're All Going To Die", supported by a campaign on Radio 1, led by Zane Lowe. In December Middleton also supported The Verve at the SECC, Glasgow. Whilst the single did not top the charts, it did enter at number 31, making Middleton the first local act to hit the top forty for over ten years.
In March 2008 Middleton released a new album, "Sleight Of Heart", which was originally meant to be an acoustic mini-album, promoting it with a UK tour. The album featured Burns (piano), Savage (drums), Steve Jones (bass) and former Arab Strap member Jenny Reeve (violin / vocals), and contained covers of tracks by Madonna & King Creosote. He then toured Europe in April, to co-incide with a limited edition vinyl single, "Blue Plastic Bags", and Australia & Japan in May. Middleton played guitar on a couple of dates with the band Sophia in the summer, just as he released a limited edition acoustic album, "Live At The Bush Hall", recorded in late 2005. October saw Middleton back out playing live again, including a date supporting hot new things Glasvegas, whilst in December he staged his own miserable Christmas party at a working man's club in Govan. Christmas also found him playing a couple of London dates, with James Yorkston and Richard Dawkins!
2009 began with an appearance at a Parisian festival, followed by an appearance at The Fence Festival in Fife. Middleton's new single, "Red Travellin' Socks", was released in May, followed by a new album, "Waxing Gibbous" in June. Summer was spent touring the UK along with The Pictish Trail, before undertaking a European tour in September / October. This was accompanied by a new single, "Zero".
2010 saw Middleton ending his solo career to all extents and purposes, by releasing two live albums. He announced that all future work would be under the name of Human Don't Be Angry, however a split single, "The Whole World's Gone To Fuck" was released on De-Fence records in November, followed by a UK tour in December.
RELEASES:
"5:14 fluoxytine seagull alcohol john nicotine" (CD album, Chemikal Underground Records, 2002)
"Ryanair Song" (7 inch single, Nowhere Fast Records, 2004)
"Lonliness Shines" / "No Modest Bear" (7 inch single, Chemikal Underground Records, 2005)
"Into The Woods" (CD / vinyl album, Chemikal Underground Records, 2005)
"Break My Heart" / "A New Heart" (internet single, 2005)
" A Brighter Beat" (7 inch / download single, Full Time Hobby Records, 2007)
"A Brigher Beat" (CD album, Full Time Hobby Records, 2007)
"Fuck It, I Love You" (Internet single, 2007)
"Fight Like The Night" (Internet single, 2007)
"We're All Going To Die" (Internet single, 2007, UK #31)
"Sleight Of Heart" (Album, Full Time Hobby Records, 2008)
"Blue Plastic Bags" (7 inch single, 2008)
"Live At The Bush Hall" (CD album, 2008)
"Red Travellin' Shoes" (7 inch / internet single, 2009)
"Waxing Gibbous" (CD / internet album, 2009)
"Zero" (CD / internet single, 2009)
"Long Dark Night" (live album, 2010)
"Live In Zurich" (live album, 2010)
"The Whole World's Gone To Fuck" (10 inch single, De-Fence Records, 2011)
GUEST APPEARANCE:
"The Ballad Of The Books" (CD album, various artists featuring Middleton, 2007)
WEBSITE:
http://www.malcolmmiddleton.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/malcolmmiddleton