Amatorski

{{Short description|Belgian post-rock band}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Amatorski | image = Amatorski door Dirk Annemans.jpg | caption = Amatorski (2024) | image_size = | landscape = | genre = [[Post-Rock]], [[Lo-fi music|Lo-Fi]] | origin = [[Belgium]] | years_active = 2008–present | label = [[Amatorski (music label)|Amatorski]] [[Crammed Discs]] | website = {{URL|www.amatorski.be}} | current_members = [[Inne Eysermans]] [[Sebastiaan Van Den Branden]] [[Christophe Claeys]] | past_members = [[Hilke Ros]] [[Laurens Van Bouwelen]] }}

'''Amatorski''' is a Belgian [[post-rock]] band consisting of Inne Eysermans, Sebastiaan Van den Branden and Christophe Claeys.

== History ==

Amatorski was formed in 2008. The group became famous after reaching the final at the [[Humo's Rock Rally]] in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.humo.be/actua/27760/humos-rock-rally-2010-10-finalisten|title=Humo's Rock Rally 2010: 10 finalisten|date=March 8, 2010|publisher=[[HUMO]]}}</ref> The band name comes from the [[Polish (language)|Polish]] word for ''amateurish'', accordingly the group records its music in [[Lo-fi music|low fidelity]]. Apart from that their music is also characterized by a [[Melancholia|melancholic]], blurry style in which the texts are often very narrative. This is expressed in their record ''Come home'' for which singer Inne Eysermans found inspiration by reading the love letters from her grandmother that were written during [[World War II]]. This song gained fame since it was used in Belgium during publicity spots for water brand [[Spa (mineral water)|Spa Reine]].

In 2011 they travelled to London, England to work with producer [[Darren Allison]] ([[Spiritualized]], [[The Divine Comedy (band)|The Divine Comedy]], [[Belle & Sebastian]]) on their debut album ''[[TBC (album)|TBC]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bedroomdisco.de/2013/02/amatorski-interview/|title = Bedroomdisco | Musik, Reviews, Konzerte, Film, Live, Buch, Kultur}}</ref> Upon its release, ''[[TBC (album)|TBC]]'' garnered much critical acclaim, and ascended to number 5 in the Belgian album chart. Later that year, the album received nominations in several categories, at the Belgian [[Music Industry Awards]].

Their style was often compared to that of [[Portishead (band)|Portishead]] and [[Sigur Ros]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/amatorski|publisher=kindamuzik.net|title=Amatorski|access-date=February 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223012444/http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/amatorski|archive-date=February 23, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Entitled ''from clay to figures'', Amatorski's second album is coming out in April 2014, on [[Crammed Discs]] (who have also given ''TBC'' an international release in 2013).

In 2014, [[Dominik Scherrer]] composed a new orchestral version of their song "Come Home", which is used as the opening theme of acclaimed [[BBC One]] and [[Starz]] drama [[The Missing (British TV series)|The Missing]].

In December 2020, a cover of the band's song "Come Home" was featured in [[Toyota]]'s annual Christmas commercial, titled "Mailbox," in partnership with the [[USO]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H75ZRlVwrmY | title=- YouTube | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pressroom.toyota.com/toyota-debuts-annual-heartwarming-holiday-commercial-during-nbcs-christmas-in-rockefeller-center/|title=Toyota Debuts Annual Heartwarming Holiday Commercial During NBC's "Christmas in Rockefeller Center"|date=December 3, 2020}}</ref>

==Music Industry Awards== In 2010 they were nominated for three Belgian [[Music Industry Awards|MIAs]]. However, they did not win any of the prizes: * Hit of the year (''Come Home'') * Best artwork (''[[Same Stars We Shared]]'' -artwork done by Femke Vanbelle<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.amatorski.be/news|title = Amatorski}}</ref>) * Best breakthrough

==Band members== * Inne Eysermans (singing, piano, guitar, [[accordion]]) * Sebastiaan Van den Branden (singing, guitar) * Christophe Claeys drums, percussion

==Former members== * Hilke Ros ([[contrabass]], synthbass) * Laurens Van Bouwelen (drums, [[vibraphone]])

== Discography == <ref>[https://www.ultratop.be/nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Amatorski Amatorski in the Ultratop 50, ultratop.be]</ref>

=== Albums === * ''Curves And Bends, Things Veer'' (Crammed Discs, 2024) * ''From Clay To Figures'' (Crammed Discs, 2014) * ''RE:TBC'' (Amatorsk Records, 2012) * ''TBC'' (Munich Records, 2011)

{| class="wikitable" |- !style="width:200px;"|Album(s) with hits in the Dutch Top 100 !style="width:100px;"|Date of appearance !style="width:100px;"|Date of entrance !style="width:70px;"|Highest position !style="width:70px;"|Number of weeks !style="width:100px;"|Remarks |- |align="left"|''Same stars we shared''||June 11, 2010||-|||||| |- |align="left"|''[[TBC (album)|TBC]]''||May 13, 2011||October 8, 2011||37||3|| |- |From Clay To Figures |April 11, 2014 | | | | |}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" |- !style="width:200px;"|Album(s) with hits in the Flemish [[Ultratop 50]] !style="width:100px;"|Date of appearance !style="width:100px;"|Date of entrance !style="width:70px;"|Highest position !style="width:70px;"|Number of weeks !style="width:100px;"|Remarks |- |align="left"|''TBC''||2011||May 21, 2011||5||23|| |}

=== Singles ===

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" |- !style="width:200px;"|Single(s) with hits in the Dutch Top 40 !style="width:100px;"|Date of appearance !style="width:100px;"|Date of entrance !style="width:70px;"|Highest position !style="width:70px;"|Number of weeks !style="width:200px;"|Remarks |- |align="left"|''Soldier''||April 24, 2011||-|||||| Nr. 78 in the [[Single Top 100]] |}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" |- !style="width:200px;"|Single(s) with hits in the Flemish [[Ultratop 50]] !style="width:100px;"|Date of appearance !style="width:100px;"|Date of entrance !style="width:70px;"|Highest position !style="width:70px;"|Number of weeks !style="width:200px;"|Remarks |- |align="left"|''Come home''||April 19, 2010||May 15, 2010||10||30|| Nr. 9 in the [[VRT Top 30|Radio 2 Top 30]] |- |align="left"|''The king''||October 11, 2010||October 23, 2010||tip13||-|| |- |align="left"|''Soldier''||2011||May 28, 2011||33||3|| |- |align="left"|''Never told''||2011||September 10, 2011||tip27||-|| |- |align="left"|''22 Februar''||December 12, 2011||December 17, 2011||tip49||-|| |- |align="left"|''How are you?''||2013||April 20, 2013||tip85*|||| |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[https://www.amatorski.be/ Official website] *[https://www.bedroomdisco.de/2013/02/amatorski-interview/ Interview with Amatorski at Bedroomdisco] *{{Discogs artist}} *{{MusicBrainz}}

[[Category:Belgian post-rock groups]] [[Category:English-language Belgian musical groups]] [[Category:Musical groups established in 2008]] [[Category:Crammed Discs artists]]