Pooka (band)

Infobox musical artist
Name = Pooka

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Img_capt =
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Manchester, England
Genre = Folk
Electronic
Pop
Rock
Years_active = 1992—2002
Label = WEA Records
Elektra
Island Records
Rough Trade
Associated_acts =
URL =
Current_members =
Past_members = Natasha Jones
Sharon Lewis

Pooka is the former songwriting duo of UK guitarists/vocalists Sharon Lewis and Natasha Jones. Taking their name from a mythical Irish goblin that first appears friendly but has the habit of turning nasty, the duo likewise had a way of keeping their audience spellbound with sweet melodies, lush arrangements and alluring lyrics only to turn with spine-tingling vengeance toward twisted guitar chords and menacing vocal arrangements.

=Career=

Lewis and Jones began playing gigs in London at an early age and were soon spotted by someone from WEA Records, resulting in a contract. In the US, Pooka's self-titled debut (produced by the renowned John Coxon) was released in 1993 on Elektra. Tours with Everything But The Girl, Tindersticks, Kristin Hersh, and The Levellers soon followed. Between their proper recordings, Pooka co-wrote some tracks with the electronica band Ultramarine for 1995's "Bel Air." After some delay, Pooka's second album, "Spinning," was released in September 1997 on Trade 2, a subsidiary of Island Records. Their second release proved itself a riveting, pop/rock follow-up to their comparably gentle, acoustic debut.

Garnering praise and support while on tour throughout Europe in the next two years, Pooka decided to release a 5-song EP, "Monday Mourning," in 1999 on the French [http://www.telescopic.fr Telescopic Records] label. "Monday Mourning" served as a tender, sentimental revisit to the style of intimate, spare songwriting and arrangements which had characterized the duo early on. In 2001, Lewis and Jones independently released "Fools Give Birth To Angels", a self-produced, classically written and arranged collection of new songs, replete with string sections and a hand bell choir.

Soon thereafter, Sharon and Natasha's ten-year musical partnership came to an abrupt and mysterious end, but not before the Rough Trade release of their compelling electronic finale, "Shift."

Over the years, Pooka's music defied categorization, masterfully spanning genres from avant-folk/pop/rock to classical and electronica, thereby earning them a cultish, devoted following and underground reputation that lingers around the world even to this day as both women tend to their solo careers in the North and South of England.

Discography

tudio albums

* 1993 - "Pooka"
* 1997 - "Spinning"
* 2001 - "Fools Give Birth To Angels"
* 2001 - "Shift"

ingles / 12" Singles / EPs

* 1993 - "City Sick" E.P.
* 1994 - "Graham Robert Wood" E.P.
* 1995 - "Sweet Butterfly" 7" Single
* 1996 - "The Insect" 7" Single
* 1997 - "Mean Girl" E.P.
* 1999 - "Monday Mourning" E.P.

Compilations

* 1993 - "Kale1descope" (Various Artists)
* 1999 - "Playpen - An Album of New Acoustic Music" (Various Artists)
* 2001 - "POPvolume#2" (Various Artists)

Collaborations

* 1995 - "Bel Air" by Ultramarine
* 1996 - "Soundtrack To Spleen" by Spleen (Rob Ellis)
* 1999 - "The Middle of Nowhere" by Orbital
* 1999 - "Style (CD Two)" by Orbital
* 2000 - "Tchin Tchin" by Superflu ('Bonus Tracks' edition)

External links

* [http://www.sharonlewis.net/ Sharon Lewis Homepage]
* [http://www.natashaleajones.com/ Natasha Lea Jones Homepage]
* [http://freespace.virgin.net/pookadot Pooka Fan site]