# Neil Halstead
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{{Short description|English musician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2013}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Neil Halstead
| image = 2014 WGT 287 Slowdive.jpg
| caption = Halstead performing with Slowdive in 2014
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|10|7|df=y}}
| birth_place = [Reading, Berkshire](/source/Reading%2C_Berkshire), England
| genre = {{flatlist|
*[Alternative rock](/source/Alternative_rock)
*[indie rock](/source/indie_rock)
*[shoegaze](/source/shoegaze)
*[dream pop](/source/dream_pop)
*[folk](/source/Folk_music)}}
| instrument = {{flatlist|
*Vocals
*guitar}}
| occupation = {{flatlist|
*Musician
*singer
*songwriter
*record producer}}
| current_member_of = [Slowdive](/source/Slowdive)
| past_member_of = [Mojave 3](/source/Mojave_3)
}}
'''Neil Halstead''' (born 7 October 1970) is an English musician known as the singer, primary songwriter, producer and guitarist of [shoegaze](/source/shoegaze) band [Slowdive](/source/Slowdive). He has been hailed by [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic) as "one of Britain's most respected songwriters",[{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/neil-halstead-mn0000329602/biography|title=Neil Halstead – Biography & History – AllMusic|website=[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)|access-date=17 October 2018}}] and ''[Time Out](/source/Time_Out_(magazine))'' as "one of Britain's greatest songwriters".[{{cite web|url=http://wutc.org/post/richard-winham-interviews-neil-halstead#stream/0|title=Richard Winham Interviews Neil Halstead|website=Wutc.org|access-date=17 October 2018}}]
==Career==
Halstead was born in [Reading, Berkshire](/source/Reading%2C_Berkshire), England. He is a singer/guitarist and served as frontman and primary songwriter for the shoegaze band Slowdive, formed in 1989 out of his first band, the Pumpkin Fairies. Slowdive released the albums ''[Just for a Day](/source/Just_for_a_Day)'' (1991), ''[Souvlaki](/source/Souvlaki_(album))'' (1993), ''[Pygmalion](/source/Pygmalion_(album))'' (1995), ''[Slowdive](/source/Slowdive_(album))'' (2017) and ''[Everything Is Alive](/source/Everything_Is_Alive_(album))'' (2023).
Halstead also recorded with a side project called Zurich with members of [Seefeel](/source/Seefeel) and Knives ov Resistance; the trio's sole album was released in 2014.[{{cite web|url=https://www.tinymixtapes.com/news/important-records-announces-upcoming-lps-by-ashley-paul-zurich-aidan-baker-and-mugstar-damo-suz|title=Important Records announces upcoming LPs by Ashley Paul, Zurich, Aidan Baker, and Mugstar + Damo Suzuki|website=Tinymixtapes.com|access-date=17 October 2018}}]
After their 1995 breakup, Slowdive morphed into the Halstead-helmed [Mojave 3](/source/Mojave_3) and released a string of highly celebrated records that merged jangly [alt-country](/source/alt-country) with dusky psychedelic [dream pop](/source/dream_pop).
In 2006, Mojave 3 went on an indefinite hiatus, prompting Halstead to embark on an acoustic-driven solo career marked by an emphasis on British [folk](/source/Folk_music)-inspired melody and a love of [surfing](/source/surfing). An occasional drift into more whimsical territory prompted ''[NME](/source/NME)'' to describe Halstead as "like [Syd Barrett](/source/Syd_Barrett) if he’d ever set foot on a surf board". Halstead's first solo album, ''Sleeping on Roads'', was released in 2001,[[http://www.allmusic.com/album/sleeping-on-roads-mw0000213652 Sleeping on Roads – Neil Halstead], [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic). "Release Date: January 28, 2002; Duration: 48:20"][[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000SFSRFC/ Neil Halstead: Sleeping on Roads], [Amazon.com](/source/Amazon.com). "Release Date: January 28, 2002; Label: 4AD; Copyright: 2002 4AD Ltd; Length: 48:19"
][[https://music.apple.com/album/sleeping-on-roads/498304901 iTunes – Music – Sleeping on Roads by Neil Halstead]. "Released: Jul 01, 2001; ℗ 2001 4AD; Length: 48:19"] followed by ''Oh! Mighty Engine'' (2008), released on friend and fellow surfer [Jack Johnson](/source/Jack_Johnson_(musician))'s [Brushfire Records](/source/Brushfire_Records) label. Halstead's third solo album, ''Palindrome Hunches'', was released in 2012; it was described as "an exquisite set of dark folk music" by ''[The Times](/source/The_Times)'',[{{cite web|url=https://www.roughtrade.com/music/palindrome-hunches-12010cad-82bc-4358-89e7-3f227eaac367|title=Neil Halstead – Palindrome Hunches|website=Rough Trade|access-date=17 October 2018}}] while God Is In The TV called it "undoubtedly one of the finest British records released this year".[{{cite web|url=http://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/2012/10/01/neil-halstead-palindrome-hunches-sonic-cathedral/|title=Neil Halstead – Palindrome Hunches (Sonic Cathedral) – God Is In The TV|date=1 October 2012|website=Godisinthetvzine.co.uk|access-date=17 October 2018}}]
Halstead formed the project Black Hearted Brother in 2013,[{{cite web|url=http://www.popmatters.com/review/176816-black-hearted-brother-stars-are-our-home/|title=Black Hearted Brother: Stars Are Our Home|date=16 January 2014|website=Popmatters.com|access-date=17 October 2018}}] releasing one album, ''Stars Are Our Home''.[{{cite web|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/13662-black-hearted-brother-stars-are-our-home-review|title=The Quietus – Reviews – Black Hearted Brother|website=Thequietus.com|access-date=17 October 2018}}]
Slowdive, including Halstead, reformed in 2014, and released their fourth, [self-titled, album](/source/Slowdive_(album)) in 2017.[{{cite web|url=http://www.slowdiveofficial.com/uncategorized/new-album-announcement/|title=New Album Announcement|website=Slowdiveofficial.com|access-date=17 October 2018}}]
In 2015, Halstead served as the touring guitarist for [Sun Kil Moon](/source/Sun_Kil_Moon) on select European dates, including their appearance at the [Primavera Sound](/source/Primavera_Sound) festival.[{{Cite web |last=Weiss |first=Dan |date=May 14, 2015 |title=Stream Another New (Ten-Minute!) Track From Sun Kil Moon's Upcoming Album |url=https://www.spin.com/2015/05/stream-sun-kill-moon-exclusive-universal-themes-new-song/ |website=Spin}}]
Halstead produced [Mary Lattimore](/source/Mary_Lattimore)'s 2020 album ''[Silver Ladders](/source/Silver_Ladders_(album))''.[{{Cite web |last=Interviews |first=Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & |last2=Murray |first2=Robin |date=2020-07-15 |title=Mary Lattimore Teams With Slowdive's Neil Halstead On New Album |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/news/mary-lattimore-teams-with-slowdives-neil-halstead-on-new-album/ |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews |language=en-GB}}]
==Solo discography==
===Studio albums===
* ''Sleeping on Roads'' (2001, 4AD)