Butterfly Girl

Biography

Band from Deventer, Netherlands, that combines US '70s rock and UK noisepop and is especially popular in the UK and US independent scenes. Members: Esther Sprikkelman: vocals Harry Otten: guitar Leon Morselt: drums Petra Van Tongeren: bass guitar History: 1987 - The Nightblooms are inspired by the UK shoegazer scene. Like the shoegazers, the Nightblooms are very introvert on stage and hardly communicate with the audience. Go Eliza is the group's first single. 1989 - The song Crystal Eyes en...

Band from Deventer, Netherlands, that combines US '70s rock and UK noisepop and is especially popular in the UK and US independent scenes.

Members:
Esther Sprikkelman: vocals
Harry Otten: guitar
Leon Morselt: drums
Petra Van Tongeren: bass guitar

History:
1987 - The Nightblooms are inspired by the UK shoegazer scene. Like the shoegazers, the Nightblooms are very introvert on stage and hardly communicate with the audience. Go Eliza is the group's first single.

1989 - The song Crystal Eyes ends up on the compilation LP Let's Have A Picnic (Noet Lachten Records, the record label owned by the band Four One & Only's). The records comes to the attention of BBC DJ John Peel who asks the band to send him more material and invites them to record a Peel session. Interviews in music magazines Melody Maker and New Musical Express are followed by an item in TV show Transmission. The Nightblooms also support UK band Ride.

1991 - The single Butterfly Girl comes out via the UK label Fierce Recordings. Morselt and Otten move to Utrecht. Sprikkelman and Van Tongeren already live there.

1992 - The band's first album is recorded in only two days time and produced by Steve Gregory from UK band Pooh Sticks. The Nightblooms sign to UK label Fire Records. My Bloody Valentine and Dinosaur Jr. are the band's most important sources of inspiration. The album sells especially well in the UK and the US. The band goes on tour and is especially popular in Germany and the UK. At home in the Netherlands there is hardly any interest in The Nightblooms.

1993 - The Nightblooms record a new album produced by Steve Gregory. The album cover is a reference to the 1974 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young album So Far. The band has reached a cult status in the US and visits the country for a short tour.

1995 - The dance-like track Love Is Gone is released as a single. But, fed up as they are with the music industry, lack of appreciation, and personnel troubles, they split up.

2000 - After five years Esther Sprikkelman and Harry Otten are making music again. Together with Steve Mitchell (Pooh Sticks) they record from the safety of their own home new songs under the name Safe Home. Their first single is released by the end of the year via the US label Sunday Records. Influences are '70s music and Belle and Sebastian. Sprikkelman was also a member of Telefunk, a band that rose out of the ashes of the Cords. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.