• 1996-

  James SkellyVocals1996-

  Paul DuffyBass1996-

  Ian SkellyDrums1996-

  Bill Ryder-JonesGuitar1996–2005, 2006–2008

  Lee SouthallGuitar1996-2015

  Nick PowerKeyboards1998-

  Paul MolloyGuitar2015-
• The Coral are a British rock band that originated in Hoylake, Wirral. Their music blends elements of rock, psychedelia, folk, and even incorporates a touch of Merseybeat, reflecting their Liverpool roots. This eclectic mix set them apart in the indie music scene.
• The Coral caught the attention of Alan Wills, a former Shack drummer who started a label just to sign them. All five original members were attending Hillbury high school in Hoylake, a relatively affluent suburb of Liverpool, when the band formed.
• Alan Wills encouraged the teenage musicians to pursue their unique sound. "We played him a few songs, and then we played Shadows Fall," frontman James Skelly told the BBC. "And he was like, 'that's what you need to do - the rest of your tunes are like Happy Days.' So we sacked all our other tunes and did that."
• Their first album, The Coral, came out in 2002 and was nominated for the Mercury Prize. The media hailed them as the heirs of Britpop and tried to create a new movement called "Cosmic Scouse" around them and other local bands.
  
  The Coral resisted the hype and turned down invitations to the Brit Awards, claiming they didn't feel like they belonged to the mainstream music industry. Instead, they focused on making more music, releasing five albums in six years. Some of their songs, like "In The Morning" and "Dreaming Of You," became big hits. "We were discouraged from releasing that many albums," keyboardist Nick Power told the BBC. "We wanted to do more. Major labels don't want you to do that."
• The Coral went on a hiatus in 2010, with members pursuing individual projects. They reunited in 2016 and continued to release albums that explore different musical styles while maintaining their distinctive sound.
• The band are occasionally mistaken for Coral Racing, the UK bookmakers chain, and sometimes receive complaints from punters about lost bets or poor customer service, unaware they're messaging a Merseyside indie band rather than a high street bookmaker.

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