The London-based group
Pocketbooks started making their prim yet sprightly indie pop tunes -- ones rooted in the work of twee pop acts like
Belle & Sebastian and, to a lesser extent,
Camera Obscura -- in 2006. The original lineup featured Andy Hudson (vocals, piano), Daniel Chapman (bass), Emma Hall (vocals, keys), Ian Cowen (guitar), and Jonny Tansey (drums).
Pocketbooks' debut single, "Cross the Line," was released on Atomic Beat Records in the spring of 2007. The band played a flurry of festivals and live shows the following year, including an appearance at Sweden's Rip It Up Festival alongside
the Clientele and Pipas, and their first EP, Waking Up, was issued by
Make Do and Mend Records.
Pocketbooks' debut full-length,
Flight Paths, was released on How Does It Feel to Be Loved? in the summer of 2009. The band returned in 2011 with a second album titled Carousel. ~ Tim Sendra