Not to be confused with Austin’s own country-rockers Crooks, the Crookes hail from Sheffield, England, yet they do have a local connection. After a week of sweaty shows and surviving on pizza at SXSW this past year, the U.S. label Modern Outsider came calling, impressed by the Crookes’ hook-filled energy. A deal resulted, but it came after six years of hard work in their native country.
Critical and commercial buzz followed the Crookes almost immediately after forming in 2008, thanks to the band’s near-constant touring and luminous sound. The Smiths and Belle And Sebastian are obvious influences, but there’s a certain darkness and attitude lurking in frontman George Waite’s delivery. The group recently stopped by our Studio 1A while touring with Young Buffalo (another recent 1A guest and Song of the Day veteran) to play a few songs from their third album, this year’s Soapbox. The live version of “Don’t Put Your Faith In Me” shows off what the Crookes do best: pack their songs with hooks and charm, while simultaneously twisting the emotional knife.
