Neil Halstead

Who is Neil Halstead?

Neil Halstead is an English musician, described as "one of Britain's most respected songwriters" by AllMusic. He was a founding member of Slowdive, a band often associated with the shoegazing musical genre. Following the disbanding of Slowdive, Halstead along with some other members of Slowdive formed Mojave 3. Mojave 3 are stylistically distinct from Slowdive and may be regarded as British country/folk. Halstead is the principal singer and songwriter in Mojave 3 and also plays guitar.

In 2002, 4AD released his debut solo album, Sleeping on Roads. Following his departure from 4AD, a second solo album, Oh! Mighty Engine was released by Jack Johnson's Brushfire Records on 29 July 2008. The album was partly recorded in Johnson's solar powered studio in Los Angeles before being completed at a Second World War airfield in Britain. The Guardian has compared Oh! Mighty Engine to the work of Nick Drake and Bert Jansch. Halstead has said of his solo work that it's "really good doing something on my own", having been in Slowdive then Mojave 3 since he was 17 years old.

Halstead's third solo album, Palindrome Hunches, was released on 11 September 2012. In October 2013, Black Hearted Brother, Halstead's collaboration with Mark Van Hoen, released their debut album, Stars Are Our Home.