About Winter Jargon
Winter Jargon are a three-piece, female-fronted rock band from Durham, UK.
Winter Jargon are:
Rachel: Vocals, Electric Guitars, Acoustic Guitars, Piano, Organ, Harpsichord, Clarinet, Violin, Paper Ripping, Hand Clapping...Sam: Drums, Paper Ripping, Manic Laughs and Hand Claps...
Tim: Bass Guitar
The sound that Winter Jargon make is mostly guitar based music consisting of vocals, electric guitar, bass and drums and occasionally - piano.
Winter Jargon belong to (or borrow from) the following musical/art genres:
Rock, Alternative, Grunge, Indie, Gypsy, Punk Cabaret, Dark Cabaret, Acoustic, alt-Classical, Pre-Raphaelite, world, jazz and prog.
(Early) Muse, Tori Amos, The Dresden Dolls, The Cranberries, PJ Harvey, (Early) Radiohead, Alanis Morissette, Janis Joplin, Portishead, and Nirvana.
If you like any of these artists or bands, it could well be that you will also enjoy the music of winter jargon. (Or not)
Please visit music.winterjargon.com if you feel the need to challenge these comparisons, but also bare in mind that they are the opinions of those who have heard our music, and not the band themselves.
Winter Jargon Biography
Back in the day...
The idea to form Winter Jargon began way back in 2001 when Rachel was studying for an A-Level in Art, and Sam was about to sit his G.C.S.E exams under the same roof at Spennymoor School. One day, the pair decided to drag the music area’s battered old drum kit into the school hall for an Electric guitar and Drums combination 'jam'. There were no drumsticks available, so Rachel kindly offered up her paintbrushes to further the musical cause.
Previously, Rachel had spent what seemed like a lifetime of making lonesome bedroom recordings on a cassette 4 track - a luxurious upgrade from old the karaoke machine/microphone-sellotaped-to-guitar technique she had previously employed. In Sam she saw the potential to further her musical ambitions. The pair became good friends.
The following years were spent in failed pursuit to complete the band, along with many disappointments, confidence-knocks, mockery and humiliation in the form of audience rejection, lack of decent musical equipment and a seemingly endless list of acquaintances who were encouraged to join the band, but would never commit - leaving Sam and Rachel in a fairly dismal stalemate situation.
It wasn’t until 2004 when the answer to the solution had been under their noses the entire time. Sam's 'little brother' Tim - picked up a bass guitar for the first time - loaned to him by Rachel - and formed an inseparable bond with the instrument. Rachel provided Tim with songs to learn, and Tim became sponge-like to the extreme, attaining to a level of competence within a matter of months, after which everything else in the band’s musical life began to fall comfortably into place.
Metro Radio Battle Of The Bands 2004
By sheer accident and fluke, the band were then entered into the Metro Radio Battle of The Bands 2004 competition, replacing another band that pulled out last minute. Some - including Rachel – felt that the band wasn’t ready to enter such a competition. Even after getting through to the final, it was clear from the professional standard of the other contestants, that Winter Jargon were the underdogs of the competition.
It came as a great shock then - to the band and many others - that Winter Jargon emerged as the winners of the competition - hosted and announced by Night Owl's Metro Radio Disc Jockey - Alan Robson. The prize money and musical equipment kindly donated by Sound Control musical instrument retailer, was exactly what Winter Jargon needed to further their sound. The judges described winter jargon as a crossover between 'Tori Amos' and 'Muse.' Backstage, Alan Robson was happy to relate personal stories, such as how Tori Amos ended up staying over at his house once when her hotel reservations fell through. He described Tori Amos as a very sweet, down to earth sort of girl, and not quite as 'kooky' as some may believe. It would seem though, that he wasn't really sure what to make of Winter Jargon, as he could later only think to describe the band's style as 'plain weird.'
 Alan Robson and Winter Jargon at the Metro Radio battle of the bands 2004 |
 Winners of Metro Radio Battle of the Bands 2004 - hosted by Alan Robson |
True fact: "They're just plain weird..." - Alan Robson - Metro Radio DJ - on Winter Jargon, Battle of The Bands, 2004
Winter Jargon - The Aftermath
Winter Jargon spent the following years playing local gigs and performing live, whilst writing and recording material at The Forum Music Centre Studio in Darlington.
In 2007 Winter Jargon completed their 13 track debut album, 'The Aftermath'
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The Aftermath is Winter Jargon's first full-length collection of 13 tracks taken from 2005-2007 recordings recorded at the forum music centre studio in Darlington, UK.
The Aftermath was recorded live as a three piece band - guitar/piano, drums and bass - usually all in one take with additional parts such as extra guitar or backing vocals added on afterward. This recording technique is what gives the album its raw, natural quality, whilst the overdubbing and layering brings a rich, depth to the overall sound. The album addresses themes of cloning, pre-Raphaelite art and departure, and hints at gypsy, punk/dark cabaret and alternative-rock musical styles.
To listen to and download the album please visit music.winterjargon.com
