Unquiet Nights
Unquiet Nights | |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Labels |
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| Members |
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| Website | unquietnights |
Unquiet Nights are a Northern Irish/Italian alternative rock band formed in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 2010 by songwriter and guitarist Luke Mathers, and drummer Rodger Firmin. Francesco Piciucchi would join on keyboards & bass in 2013. They are known for their melodic rock sound and descriptive lyrical style,[2][3] having released three studio albums and toured extensively.[4][5]
History
2010–2012: Early career, 21st Century Redemption Songs
Following the breakup of Mathers and Firmin's previous band Lovechild, the two started collaborating on songs Mathers had been writing under the name Unquiet Nights. They recorded their first album mostly in a rehearsal space above the Limelight club in Belfast.[6] Early singles like Burning The Tracks and Shoulda Said Something gained the band airplay on UK national radio stations including Absolute[7][3] and BBC Radio 1.[8] Their second single We Were The Ones also made inclusion on the "Best of 2010" sampler by Under The Radar magazine.[9] The band played live frequently during this time including appearances on Balcony TV,[10] and supports for acts including Bloc Party and Toploader.[11]
Their debut album 21st Century Redemption Songs was released on 25 January 2012,[12] with the physical release getting a launch on 24 February at The King's Head, Belfast in support of Paul Casey.[13] [14]
Tom Robinson was an early supporter of the band, calling 21st Century Redemption Songs a "fine debut album" on his BBC 6 Music Introducing Mixtape.[15] Further support came from BBC Northern Ireland,[16] RTÉ 2fm[17] and Amazing Radio,[18] and stations in Italy like Radio Popolare.[19][20] They performed live sessions on Citybeat,[21] Blast 106 as well as Salto 1 in the Netherlands and Radio Galileo in Italy. Touring continued including supports for Little Doses[21] and appearances at Out Eco Festival, Marmore Rockin’ Festival[22] and Youbloom Festival.[23]
In addition to Mathers and Firmin, the live band around this time would often include musicians Francesco Piciucchi, Matteo Bussotti, John Rossi and Richie Montague. By the end of the tour for 21st Century Redemption Songs, the band had performed in nine countries, including more extensive touring between 2012 and 2014 in Italy, Austria,[24] Netherlands, Slovakia,[25] Germany, United Kingdom, Canada[26] and Ireland.[27][28]
2015–2022: Postcards In Real Time
On 21 January 2015, the BBC Northern Ireland Late Show with Cherrie McIllwaine gave the first airing to George Best City, which was the B-side to new single Constellations of She.[29] The single was released on 28 January 2015 ahead of the planned second album, but it was George Best City which gained more attention when Sky Italia used it in their documentary series "Federico Buffa racconta: Storie di campioni", in which journalist Federico Buffa explores the life of footballer George Best.[30][31][32] The series debuted on 7 February 2015, with many repeats occurring in the years that followed across the Sky network.[33][34][2] The official George Best Facebook page had been posting the song beginning on 26 January 2015.[35]
On 9 February 2015 the band would do a live session for Blast 106, followed by a gig at Filthy McNasty's in their native Belfast. Ralph McLean would include George Best City on his BBC Northern Ireland show on 25 February 2015.[36]
On 15 April 2015 Verlag Die Werkstatt would publish the book George Best: Der ungezähmte Fußballer by German Football Book of the Year winner Dietrich Schulze-Marmeling.[37][38] Schulze-Marmeling referenced the lyrics of two Unquiet Nights songs George Best City and Don't Wanna Kill For Religion in the context of Best's cultural legacy, and drew from his interview with Mathers.[39]

On the 3 May 2015 episode of Roxy Bar hosted by Red Ronnie, Mathers appeared alongside other guests including Enrico Ruggeri, Gianmarco Tognazzi and Piotta. New songs George Best City and Don't Wanna Kill For Religion were performed on the main episode, and Constellations of She on the pre-show. In the interview, Mathers confirmed that the band's second album was due before the end of the year.[40]
A second single in advance of the new album was released on 20 July 2015. Love Leave Your Mark on Me was described as "a huge step forward" and "an anthemic offering" by Hot Press.[41] The band spoke at this time about their preference for releasing their new singles on USB Flash drive as well as other formats so as to offer lossless audio.[42]
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The following day on 21 July 2015 the band made a live appearance on Sky Sports 1 in Milan for an episode of Calciomercato.[43][44][45] The Sky series Buffa Racconta: Storie di Campioni had been running since February, resulting in Mathers and Piciucchi appearing on Calciomercato to discuss the George Best episode in which the band's music featured. The episode was hosted by Alessandro Bonan, who discussed Best as a player, modern football and the band's own career in music. Bonan then asked the band to cover Oh, Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison to end the show. The music video for current single Love Leave Your Mark on Me was also featured on the episode.[42]
Tom Robinson would play George Best City on his BBC 6 Music Introducing Mixtape for 24 August 2015.[46][27] Ahead of the album release, on 29 November 2015 Postcards In Real Time was the featured album of the week on KCLR 96FM's Irish Music Show, with host Roddie Cleere debuting several new songs from the album including Greatest Revival and Destiny Does The Splitstep.[47]
Postcards in Real Time was released on 11 December 2015. Having been recorded mostly at Manor Park Studios in Northern Ireland throughout 2015, the album was noted for its alternative rock sound with Hot Press comparing it to "Gin Blossoms jamming with Jesus and Mary Chain".[41] The band would promote the album with further sessions for Dublin City FM and Roadie TV,[48] and gigs in Dublin as well as Turin and Treviso in Italy.[49]
On 18 August 2016 the band released the music video for Don't Wanna Kill For Religion, filmed on the roof of the Europa Hotel in Belfast.[4] In the summer of 2017, the band were building their own studio called Credential Sound,[50] and also played a series of tour dates in England, including the Daventry Weekender at the Daventry Arts Festival.[51]
2018–2022: First Ten (2012–2022)
The band would then release a trio of singles beginning with Promise of You on 16 January 2018. National award-winning DJ[52] Roddie Cleere would make Promise of You his Song of the Week on his Irish Music Show on KCLR 96FM on 11 February 2018,[53] followed by an in studio session.[54][55] Hot Press would describe Promise of You as "a robust rocker, driven by pounding drums and a massive chorus".[5] The next single was Young Believers, released on 18 April 2018 with a first play on Roddie Cleere's Irish Music Show during an in-studio interview on 10 April.[55] Journalist Stuart Bailie compared Young Believers favourably to Pearl Jam on 18 April 2018 episode of BBC Across The Line.[56] The third single of this trio was Four Winds, released on 14 June 2019. It was described by Edwin McFee of Hot Press as their "darkest offering to date" with references to Dave Gilmour influenced guitar work,[57] while Peter McGoran praised its "surging chorus to die for".[58]
On 24 January 2022, the band released a compilation called First Ten (2012–2022) to mark ten years since their debut album was released. It included the three singles Promise of You, Young Believers and Four Winds that had been released in the lead up to First Ten, as well as a new single recorded for First Ten called In Spite of it All.[59]
2024-Present: Seasons in Exile
On 29 December 2023, the single Diamond and the Missing Son was released in advance of the band's third studio album Seasons in Exile. The track was praised for its "sincerity and anthemic quality" by Record World,[60] and for its "crystal clear vocals and scratchy guitar" by Hot Press.[61]
On 19 January 2024, the band released their third studio album, Seasons in Exile, with The Belfast Telegraph stating that it was "brimming with belters", and comparing it to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.[2][2] The Sunday Life called it "an absorbing and rewarding record".[62] The album received coverage by Cashbox,[63] Chordblossom,[50] Pure M,[6] Next Wave Magazine,[64] Great Music Stories,[65] OriginalRock.net,[66] Tinnitist,[34] Canadian Beats, Maximum Volume,[67] as well as SiriusXM DJ Eric Alper.[68] Radio support for Seasons in Exile included TotalRock,[69][70] and Kerrang! Radio.[71] The second single from this album This Is My Oxygen would reach No. 4 on the UK Independent Indie Radio Alliance Chart.[72]
The band gave several interviews about how Seasons in Exile was the furthest exploration into Progressive Rock that they had done to that point, with all the songs on the album forming one singular story.[50] The progressive nature of this album was noted widely in the reviews at the time,[34][64] with Sunday Life saying "the album continues the story of the two titular characters in Diamond and the Missing Son and marks a bold new chapter for the band".[62]
Musical Style
The band's style has been described as Rock & Roll,[8] Indie Rock,[73] and Progressive Rock.[34][64] They have been compared to Genesis,[2][62] Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers,[17] The Rolling Stones,[21] Feeder, Ghost, Blue Öyster Cult,[71] The Gaslight Anthem,[62] Bloc Party, The Strypes, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Gin Blossoms[41] and The Charlatans. Mathers' guitar work has been compared to David Gilmour.[57]
Despite these comparisons, publications such as Record World note that Unquiet Nights are "a group everybody claims to get but nobody can seem to pin down".[60]
The band have often spoken of being influenced by bands like Genesis,[65][50] The Rolling Stones and Tom Petty, among many others. Mathers has spoken of recording much of the band's output from the second album onwards using a guitar pick given to him by Tom Petty after a gig in Italy in 2012, and that the band's second album Postcards In Real Time features Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers drummer Steve Ferrone on two songs.[74][42] Roy Orbison was Mathers' first musical influence, leading to being asked to cover Oh, Pretty Woman on Sky Sport 1.[42][56]
Media and literature
Unquiet Nights have been featured in international television, sports media, and literature. In 2015, the band's song George Best City featured in the final scene of the Sky Italia documentary Buffa Racconta: Storie di Campioni George Best. Hosted by journalist Federico Buffa, it focuses on the life of George Best, and broadcast in several countries across the Sky network.[30][31][32]
The band have made live appearances on national TV including the Sky Sport 1 show Calciomercato – L'Originale, hosted by Alessandro Bonan and Riccardo Trevisani,[43][44][45] and Roxy Bar hosted by Red Ronnie.[40]
In literature, the band is discussed in the biography George Best: Der ungezähmte Fußballer by the "German Football Book of the Year" winner[37][38] Dietrich Schulze-Marmeling which was published by Verlag Die Werkstatt.[39]
The band's music often appears in sports media, including Surfline TV,[75] Alli Sports (NBC)[76] and O'Neills.[77]
Members
Current members
- Luke Mathers – lead vocals, guitar (2010–present)
- Rodger Firmin – drums (2010–13, 2017–present)
- Francesco Piciucchi – keyboards, bass guitar (2013–present)
Former members
- Richie Montague – bass (2011–2012; touring)
- John Rossi – bass, keyboards, backing vocals (2011–2013)
- Matteo Bussotti – drums (2013–2015; touring)
- Francesco Giacomini – drums (2016; touring)
Discography
Studio albums
- 21st Century Redemption Songs (2012)
- Postcards in Real Time (2015)
- Seasons in Exile (2024)
Compilation Albums
- First Ten (2012–2022) (2022)
References
- ↑ "AllMusic.com Modirn Records Music Sampler, Vol. 4". AllMusic.com. 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 5 McFee, Edwin (5 January 2024). "Northern Exposure: The local music acts that will have our ear in 2024". The Belfast Telegraph. Belfast. p. 21.
- 1 2 Tony Simon (12 June 2012). "Unquiet Nights: 21st Century Redemption Songs – album review". Louder Than War. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
- 1 2 Cousins, Graeme (26 September 2013). "Band on European Tour". Lurgan Mail. Lurgan. p. 19.
- 1 2 McFee, Edwin (11 April 2018). "Tracks of the Fortnight". Hot Press. Vol. 42, no. 4.
the NI/Italy-bred bunch's comeback track is a robust rocker, driven by pounding drums and a massive chorus, "Promise of You" is an absolutely electric listen.
- 1 2 Moore, Tristan (23 February 2024). "Pure M - "Seasons in Exile" Review". puremzine.com.
From their humble beginnings above Belfast's Limelight club to international acclaim.
- ↑ Emerging Icons [@emergingicons] (24 October 2011). "Absolute Radio - Sunday Night Music Club w/ Pete Donaldson" (Tweet). Retrieved 3 April 2026 – via Twitter.
- 1 2 In Elegance in Session!. BBC. BBC Radio 1. 2 April 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- ↑ "Under the Radar Magazine: Issue 34". Under the Radar. Mark Redfern and Wendy Lynch Redfern. 20 December 2010. ISSN 1553-2305.
Best of 2010 Issue (Sampler)
- ↑ "Unquiet Nights Balcony TV". Dailymotion. Balcony TV. 19 February 2012.
- ↑ "BBC 6 Music Tom Robinson Fresh on the Net: Fresh Faves #52". 11 March 2013.
Unquiet Nights have already tasted success, having supported the likes of Toploader and Bloc Party.
- ↑ Cousins, Graeme (8 March 2012). "Ex-Snow Patrol man in new band". Lurgan Mail. Lurgan.
Also on the bill are local band Unquiet Nights who are touring in support of the new album "21st Century Redemption Songs".
- ↑ "Belfast Nashville Songwriter's Festival 2012. Paul Casey, Unquiet Nights". 24 February 2012.
- ↑ "Belfast Nashville Songwriter's Festival 2012. Paul Casey, Unquiet Nights". 24 February 2012.
- ↑ "Tom Robinson BBC 6 Music Introducing Mixtape 08/10/2012"". 8 October 2012.
Someone's Love on Drugs comes from their fine debut album 21st Century Redemption Songs - for which recording started in their native Belfast and was completed in their adopted home of Umbria, Northern Italy.
- ↑ "BBC Northern Ireland - That New Band Smell: Katharine Philippa". BBC. 4 October 2011.
- 1 2 McFee, Edwin (5 September 2012). "Up Front". Hot Press. Vol. 36, no. 17.
The trio, who are based in N.I. and Italy, have been receiving airplay from RTE 2fm, and if you're a fan of The Charlatans, Tom Petty and rock songs with classic choruses then you should have a listen.
- ↑ "Amazing Rock Show w/ Aaron Phillips". Amazing Radio. 20 August 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- ↑ Radio Popolare - Impaziente Inglese (5 September 2012). Impaziente Inglese w/ Ricky Britpop.
- ↑ Radio Popolare - Beetlebum w/ Tommaso Toma (25 September 2012). Beetlebum.
- 1 2 3 Cousins, Graeme (5 April 2012). "Big Waves from Unquiet Nights". Lurgan Mail. Lurgan. p. 19.
- ↑ "Marmore Rockin' Festival Lineup 2013". Umbria Eventi. Umbria Eventi. 6 August 2013.
- ↑ "Youbloom Dublin Lineup 2013". Golden Plec. 29 June 2016.
- ↑ "Unquiet Nights @ The Hot Rod, Oberalm, Austria". TheHotrod.at. 28 September 2013. Archived from the original on 7 November 2013.
- ↑ "Unquiet Nights @ Hlava 22, Bratislava". WhereEvent.com. 24 September 2013. Archived from the original on 19 October 2019.
- ↑ "Indie Week Toronto 2014 Lineup". Alicia Atout. 22 October 2014.
- 1 2 Tom Robinson (24 August 2015). "BBC Mixtape: 24 Aug 2015". Fresh On The Net. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- ↑ Cousins, Graeme (31 January 2013). "Unquiet Nights homecoming gig". Lurgan Mail. Lurgan.
Unquiet Nights return to their native land for the first time in a year for two gigs in The Mercantile in Dublin on Wednesday, February 13 and The Stiff Kitten in Belfast on Friday February 15th.
- ↑ Cherrie McIlwaine (host) (21 January 2015). "The Late Show with Cherrie McIlwaine, 21/01/2015". The Late Show. BBC Northern Ireland. BBC Radio Ulster. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- 1 2 Unquiet Nights on Sky Sports 1 (5 February 2015). "Sky Italia - Buffa Racconta: Storie di Campioni (George Best Episode)". Buffa Racconta: Storie di Campioni (in Italian). Milan, Italy. Sky Italia.
- 1 2 "La Stampa - Sky Buffa Racconta Storie di Campioni George Best" (in Italian). La Stampa. 14 February 2015.
- 1 2 "Buffa racconta i grandi campioni: si parte con George Best" (in Italian). Sky Italia. 5 February 2015. Archived from the original on 11 November 2016.
- ↑ "Buffa racconta Storie di Campioni - Season 1 (2024)". MovieFone.com.org (in Italian). 3 February 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
Season 1 Episode 1: George Best.
- 1 2 3 4 Sterdan, Darryl (22 February 2024). "Unquiet Nights Spin The Tale Of Diamond And The Missing Son".
- ↑ "Unquiet Nights - "George Best City" BBC Northern Ireland". Facebook.com. Official George Best Facebook Page. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ Ralph McLean (host) (25 February 2015). "Local Voices with Ralph McLean, 25/02/2015". Local Voices. BBC Northern Ireland. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- 1 2 Morton, Johnny (25 July 2017). "German football journalist full of praise for Glentoran youth side". Belfast Live. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
Schulze-Marmeling is well-known for his works regarding Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, and his book 'FC Bayern and its Jews' won Football Book of the Year in 2011.
- 1 2 Deutsche Akademie für Fußball-Kultur. "Hall of Fame / Fußballbuch des Jahres" (in German). Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- 1 2 Schulze-Marmeling, Dietrich (2015). George Best: Der ungezähmte Fußballer. Verlag Die Werkstatt GmbH. pp. 250–251. ISBN 978-3-7307-0172-0.
Google Books
- 1 2 Unquiet Nights on Roxy Bar (3 May 2015). "Altre 4 puntate per Roxy Bar: il 3 maggio ospiti Ruggeri, Piotta e Tognazzi". Roxy Bar (in Italian). Bologna, Italy. Roxy Bar TV.
- 1 2 3 McFee, Edwin (5 August 2015). "Critical Mass Tracks". Hot Press. Vol. 39, no. 12.
- 1 2 3 4 McFee, Edwin (10 August 2015). "Q&A With Unquiet Nights". The Big List. No. 262. Flagship Media Group Ltd. p. 8.
- 1 2 Staff (21 July 2015). "Programmi TV: Sky Sport 1". La Stampa (in Italian). Turin, Italy. p. Entertainment/Spettacoli.
Ospiti della puntata di 'Calciomercato – L'Originale' la band Unquiet Nights.
- 1 2 "Cosa vedere in TV: Calciomercato su Sky". Il Messaggero (in Italian). 21 July 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
Listings for Sky Sport 1 HD featured Unquiet Nights as musical guests.
- 1 2 Alessandro Bonan (Host) (21 July 2015). "Calciomercato – L'Originale". Season 2015. Season Summer Edition (in Italian). Milan, Italy. Sky Sport 1. Sky Italia.
- ↑ "BBC 6 Music - "George Best City"". X.com. BBC 6 Music. 24 August 2015.
- ↑ "Roddie Cleere's Irish Music Show – Sun 29th Nov 2015". kclr96fm.com. KCLR. 29 November 2015.
- ↑ Unquiet Nights (27 November 2015). Roadie TV - Unquiet Nights (Video). The Hudson Bar, Belfast: Roadie TV via YouTube. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
- ↑ "Istrana, Barbarotta dal vivo: Giorgio Barbarotta sarà ospite..." Il Gazzettino (in Italian). Treviso, Italy. 12 March 2016. Archived from the original on 21 July 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
domenica 13 marzo... al Mattorosso di via San Pio X a Badoere di Morgano ci sono invece gli Unquiet Nights.
- 1 2 3 4 "Track by Track: Unquiet Nights – Seasons in Exile". Chordblossom. 3 April 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ↑ ""Daventry Weekender" – Daventry Arts Festival 2017". Daventry Town Council. 22 May 2017.
- ↑ O'Connor, Rachael (8 June 2018). "Roddie Cleere wins Irish Post Music Awards Outstanding Contribution to Music in Ireland (Medium: Radio/Television)". The Irish Post. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
- ↑ "KCLR 96fm Roddie Cleere's IMS Song of the Week: "Promise of You" by Unquiet Nights". Roddie Cleere's Irish Music Show. 11 February 2018. KCLR 96FM.
- ↑ Cleere, Roddie [@AreYouRoddie] (1 April 2018). "This Wednesday evening on Roddie Cleere's IMS on KCLR @unquietnights are my live guests. Join us at 10pm. @kclr96fm @kclr96fmsport" (Tweet). Retrieved 9 April 2026 – via Twitter.
- 1 2 "KCLR 96fm Unquiet Nights Studio Guests". KCLR96FM.com. 8 April 2018.
- 1 2 BBC Radio Ulster ATL Introducing NI Music: Brand New Friend BBC Radio Ulster ATL Introducing NI Music: Brand New Friend. 18 April 2018.
- 1 2 "Four Winds". Hot Press. Vol. 43, no. 10. 17 July 2019.
Their darkest offering to date, it tips a cap to Dave Gilmour's famous guitar-work.
- ↑ "Unquiet Nights are back with a roar on soaring new single 'Four Winds.'". HotPress.com. 14 June 2019.
- ↑ Arculeta, Jeff (24 January 2022). "Single Review: "In Spite of It All"". EclecticMusicLover.com.
- 1 2 "High Fidelity: Belfast's Unquiet Nights Back Up Their Promises On Latest Single". Record World International. 23 February 2024.
- ↑ "New Irish Songs To Hear This Week". Hot Press. 19 January 2024.
With crystal clear vocals and scratchy guitar, the track will have you nostalgic for a time you never experienced.
- 1 2 3 4 McFee, Edwin (31 December 2023). "Unquiet Nights' first single in two years is worth the wait". Northern Stars. Sunday Life. Belfast.
- ↑ "High Fidelity: Belfast's Unquiet Nights Back Up Their Promises On Latest Single "Diamond And The Missing Son"". Cashbox Canada. 2024.
- 1 2 3 Romero, Aura (19 January 2024). "Unquiet Nights' Seasons In Exile is cinematic magic". nextwavemag.com.
The album is made up of ten tracks, each one with its own complexity and uniqueness, yet they come together to create a conceptual album that brings to mind the haunting works of Dream Theater's 'Scenes From a Memory'.
- 1 2 Bellamy, Guy (13 February 2024). "New Horizons 2024: Unquiet Nights". greatmusicstories.com.
Luke from the band talks about his fondness for Genesis and the making of the band's third studio album.
- ↑ Pathan, Azra (13 February 2024). "Nights In White Satin".
- ↑ "Band Of The Day: Unquiet Nights". 1 March 2024.
- ↑ Alper, Eric (2 March 2024). "Belfast's Unquiet Nights Back Up Their Promises". ThatEricAlper.com.
- ↑ "Total Rock - Skid's House of Loud". 14 April 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
- ↑ Alex Alicia (presenter) (25 May 2024). The New Rock Show w/ Alex Alicia (Radio broadcast). London: TotalRock. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
- 1 2 Johnny Doom (presenter) (22 May 2024). Unleashed with Johnny Doom. Kerrang! Radio Unleashed (Radio broadcast). London: Kerrang! Radio. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ↑ "UK Independent (United Kingdom)... - Radio Indie Alliance".
- ↑ "BBC Across The Line: That New Band Smell". BBC Across The Line: That New Band Smell. 4 October 2011.
- ↑ Cousins, Graeme (5 February 2015). "Band's George Best Single Goes Global". Lurgan Mail. p. 48.
It was a collaboration the band found impossible to resist, when we found out that Steve Ferrone was a friend of a friend.
- ↑ Leif Engstrom's 540. Surfline. 8 September 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 – via Surfline.com.
- ↑ AlliSports - Sage Kotsenburg Snowboard Setup. AlliSports. 22 December 2011 – via YouTube.
- ↑ O'Neill Coldwater Classic 2012 – Jim Phillips. O'Neill. 5 November 2012 – via YouTube.
External links
- Official website
- Unquiet Nights discography at Discogs
- Unquiet Nights discography at MusicBrainz
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