The Waterboys

The Waterboys are a Scottish rock band formed in 1981 in London by singer-songwriter Mike Scott, who has remained the group's only constant member through numerous lineup changes. Early on, the band developed what Scott dubbed «the Big Music» — a sweeping, anthemic sound built on horns, saxophone and dense arrangements, heard on albums like «A Pagan Place» and «This Is the Sea», home to their best-known song, «The Whole of the Moon».

In the mid-1980s the band relocated to Ireland and, joined by fiddler Steve Wickham, pivoted toward a rootsy, Celtic folk-rock sound. This period produced «Fisherman's Blues» (1988), widely regarded as their masterpiece, and «Room to Roam» (1990), both blending traditional Irish and Scottish influences with Scott's literary, romantic songwriting. Keyboardist Karl Wallinger, who later formed World Party, was also a key contributor to the band's earlier records.

The Waterboys have continued recording and touring in various configurations into the 21st century, exploring blues, poetry settings (including work inspired by W.B. Yeats) and more electric rock textures, while remaining best known for the two distinct eras that bookend their career: the towering «Big Music» of the mid-80s and the folk-infused Irish period that followed.