From Edinburgh, Scotland, Broken Records initially began life in 2007 as a three-piece, forming around the nucleus of brothers Jamie and Rory Sutherland, and Ian Turnbull. Following a small number of low-key performances, the band expanded to a seven piece, with Arne Kolb (cello), Dave Smith (piano, trumpet), Andrew Keeney (drums), and David Fothergill (bass) completing the line up.
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From Edinburgh, Scotland, Broken Records initially began life in 2007 as a three-piece, forming around the nucleus of brothers Jamie and Rory Sutherland, and Ian Turnbull. Following a small number of low-key performances, the band expanded to a seven piece, with Arne Kolb (cello), Dave Smith (piano, trumpet), Andrew Keeney (drums), and David Fothergill (bass) completing the line up. Soon after, the band self released their debut EP, its scope and ambition fittingly providing the catalyst for the release of a series of singles across three different independent labels in 2008. In the latter half of that year the band signed to 4AD, capping their burgeoning status by playing at the Edinburgh Hogmanay Street Party amidst a flurry of one’s to watch tips for 2009. Just six months later, their debut album, Until the Earth Begins To Part, was released, its central themes described by frontman Jamie as "based around all the shit things men do." Having released digital EP, Out On The Water as a makeweight between albums, the formative parts of Broken Records’ second record Let Me Come Home first emerged into the world in the winter of 2009. Due to the fragmented routine of touring their debut, the new material originated from a series of acoustic sketches conceived in Jamie’s kitchen. Influenced in equal measure by the barren landscape of films such as Badlands, Rumble Fish and East of Eden, as well as the emotional austerity of Springsteen's Nebraska, Nick Cave's Murder Ballads, and Calexico's Feast of Wire, Let Me Come Home was destined from the start to be tinged with a certain darkness. With the seeds of the album planted, the rest of the band reconvened to begin demo sessions in an old distillery grain store in the Highlands, the rugged landscape of which helped cement the tone of the songs Jamie had penned. As work progressed, the songs began to take on an understated grandeur, moving away from the lush orchestration of the first album to a more aggressively sparse sound with greater emphasis on rhythms and varied textures. With the album fully written, the band began recording with Tony Doogan at his COD Studio in Glasgow in April 2010, resulting in the desired harder sound without entirely abandoning the expansive and cinematic feel for which Broken Records have become known. In August 2010 the band also announced the move from being a seven-piece band to a six-piece for live touring with the departure of Arne and Gill, and the introduction of new member, Craig Ross taking up bass and guitar duties.