Scala & Kolacny Brothers
Scala & Kolacny Brothers is a Belgian womens' choir conducted by Stijn Kolacny, and arranged and accompanied by Steven Kolacny on the piano. They have made five studio albums starting with On The Rocks in 2002. Most of their songs are specially arranged renditions of songs by well-known musicians and bands such as Oasis, Björk, Radiohead, U2, Nirvana, Depeche Mode, Muse, Rammstein, etc. although they have also been very successful with their own compositions.
History
Early years
Formed in 1996, Scala & Kolacny Brothers won the Belgian "Choir of the Year" contest in 2000. In 2006, Rammstein released their live album Völkerball which features Scala & Kolacny Brothers' "Engel" in the closing credits of the DVD. In 2008, the group was asked to do a project in remembrance of the legendary Belgian singer Pierre Rapsat, who died in 2002. The sold out "Dans les yeux d’Aurore" tour strengthened the group's relationship with Belgium’s French-speaking audience. The number of concerts in Germany also increased steadily, and they performed more and more songs in German, including its version of the MIA. hit, "Hungriges Herz". A top national German television commercial used this version.International breakthrough
Scala & Kolacny Brothers' album Circle was released through VIVA/NOVA in Belgium in June 2010. Also in 2010, they signed with ATCO Records for North American distribution and re-signed with independent label PIAS for Europe. ATCO digitally released a limited edition EP DAWN on October 26, 2010. A special German edition of Circle was released as a double CD on November 26, 2010 in Germany.In July 2010, a trailer for the film The Social Network featuring Scala & Kolacny Brothers' cover of Radiohead's "Creep" was released around the world. This trailer was seen over 250 million times in cinemas and on TV, as well as over 10 million times in various forms on YouTube. The group's version of The Police's "Every Breath You Take" was featured in the trailer for ITV1's period drama Downton Abbey in the fall of 2010. The song was again used on television in New Zealand, Spain and Belgium, as well as in many other countries upon the release of Downton Abbey around the world. The group's version of U2's "With or Without You" was used in Downton Abbey's season two trailer in the fall of 2011. Both the single and album hit #1 in Ireland. In December 2011, the trailer for Downton Abbey season two hit the United States on PBS. In the UK, ITV used the group's version of Wham!'s "Last Christmas" for the Downton Abbey Christmas special in December 2011. Scala & Kolacny Brothers performed at the VIP premiere of the Christmas special at the Corinthia Hotel in London and became fast friends with the show's cast.
Scala & Kolacny Brothers' music video for their version of the Kings of Leon track "Use Somebody" had its world premiere on Yahoo Music on March 14, 2011. A subsequent video for the Foo Fighters' "Everlong" was directed by Mark Woollen, who was also responsible for the trailer for The Social Network. On April 18, 2011, Scala appeared as a musical guest on the TBS show Conan.
The self-titled Scala & Kolacny Brothers CD was released by ATCO in the United States on March 15, 2011. This CD is somewhat different from the European Circle release. The group performed their first US concert as part of the South by Southwest Music Festival on March 18, 2011, at the legendary Stubb's BBQ restaurant. A North American tour started in Vancouver on April 7, hitting most major markets in the US including Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City, as well as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival before concluding May 2 in Montreal. On June 8, they performed for the first time in the UK - a sold out show at the legendary Union Chapel in London. On June 18–19, they performed at the Heineken Dia de La Musica in Madrid. On July 17, they were the special guest at the Latitude Festival in the UK, playing for about 20.000 fans. On December 13, they played what is now called the "Ice Show" at the HMV Forum in London, followed by a real ice show in Ingolstadt, Germany.
The album Scala & Kolacny Brothers was released by PIAS in the UK, Spain, and France on June 6, 2011. A special version of the album, with two Italian language tracks, was released in November 2011 in Italy by independent label Carosello and hit the top 10 in Italy during December. The German version of the television special "Live From Bruges" aired on SIXX on August 17, 2011, after prior airings in Flemish and French in Belgium. The US version began airing on PBS in November 2011, with a launch on WGBH-TV in Boston. PIAS UK re-released the Scala & Kolacny Brothers album with two additional covers of Coldplay tracks on December 12, 2011. The group appeared on the Royal Variety Show and the Sports Personality of the Year show in that month.
In the fall of 2011, a special collaboration with German hip hop star Kool Savas resulted in a special video. From September 23 to October 31, 2011, the group's version of Marilyn Manson's "The Beautiful People " was used as the background music for the 7 Scarezone in Halloween Horror Nights 21 at Universal Orlando. Ironically, the original version by Manson was also used in the scarezone. The group's version of "Creep" was also used in The Simpsons episodes "The Ten-Per-Cent Solution", which aired on December 4, 2011, and "The D'oh-cial Network", which aired on January 15, 2012. The song was also used in the French movie Poisson Violent, the German movie Wir Sind Die Nacht, and in the UK soap opera Hollyoaks. Hollyoaks also used the group's version of "With or Without You" in December 2011. Other major Scala & Kolacny Brothers appearances in America include The CW TV series Nikita and one of Steven Kolacny's own songs, "Our Last Fight", in season three of the FX drama series Sons of Anarchy.
Recent years
In February 2012, Scala & Kolacny Brothers performed with Francesco Renga at the Sanremo Music Festival. Their single "Engel" was featured in the trailer for the horror movie, The Possession, starring Kyra Sedgwick and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. The group sang the "Greek National Anthem" at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony on August 12, 2012. Also In 2012, their version of Damien Rice's "Blower's Daughter" was featured in the final scene of the season 3 episode 8 "Glass Spider" of the USA Network show Covert Affairs.In January 2013, the group's version of Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" was featured in the television trailer for the film Zero Dark Thirty. In February 2013, their version of "The Beautiful People " was used in both the extended and short TV spots for the film Beautiful Creatures. In March 2013, their version of The Mamas & the Papas "California Dreamin'" was featured prominently in a commercial for the California State Lottery Powerball.
In March 2014, their version of "Nothing Else Matters" was played at the end of the pilot episode of NBC's new drama Crisis. The same song was used in a promo for NBC's Heroes Reborn. Also in 2014, their version of "Creep" was featured at the end of the documentary Kids for Cash.
In 2015, the group was asked to make a custom music track for the trailers of the long-awaited new video game Evolve. They recorded a cover of "Ready Or Not" by The Fugees.
In 2016, their version of "Creep" was used in a Criminal Minds episode. Gotham also featured their version of "Górecki" in Season 2. A television advertisement in the U.S. for PlayStation 4 featured their cover of The Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams."
In 2020, their version of "I Touch Myself" accompanied the opening scene of Sex Education season two.
Also in 2020, their version of R.E.M's "The One I Love" was used in the final scene of the season 3 episode "Unsaid" of The Good Doctor.
Discography
Albums
- 2002 – On the Rocks
- 2004 – Dream On
- 2004 – Respire
- 2005 – On the Rocks
- 2005 – Grenzenlos
- 2006 – It All Leads to This
- 2007 – One-Winged Angel
- 2008 – Paper Plane
- 2008 – Dans les yeux d'Aurore
- 2010 – Circle
- 2011 – Scala & Kolacny Brothers
- 2011 – Scala & Kolacny Brothers
- 2012 – December
- 2013 – Black Moon
- 2015 – Unendlich
- 2016 – Solstice
Singles
- 2004 – "Engel"
- 2004 – "Schrei nach Liebe"
- 2005 – "With or Without You" / "Clandestino
- 2005 – "Hungriges Herz"
- 2005 – "Last Christmas"
- 2007 – "Friday I'm in Love" / "Somebody"
- 2008 – "Raintears"
Extended discography
''On the Rocks'' (Belgian version)
- "I Think I'm Paranoid" - Garbage
- "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana
- "Can't Get You Out of My Head" - Kylie Minogue
- "Ik Hou Van U" - Noordkaap
- "Satelliet S.U.Z.Y." - Noordkaap
- "Van God Los" - Monza
- "God In My Bed" - K's Choice
- "She Hates Me" - Puddle of Mudd
- "Let Her Down Easy" - Terence Trent D'Arby feat. Jasper Steverlinck
- "All I Did " - Arid feat. Jasper Steverlinck
- "Teenage Dirtbag" - Wheatus
- "Someone New" - Eskobar/Heather Nova
- "Creep" - Radiohead
- "Muscle Museum" - Muse
- "Every Breath You Take" - The Police
''On the Rocks'' (International version)
- "I Think I'm Paranoid" - Garbage
- "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana
- "Can't Get You Out of My Head" - Kylie Minogue
- "Turn" - Travis
- "Somebody" - Depeche Mode
- "She Hates Me" - Puddle of Mudd
- "Let Her Down Easy" - Terence Trent D'Arby feat. Jasper Steverlinck
- "Life on Mars" - David Bowie feat. Jasper Steverlinck
- "Teenage Dirtbag" - Wheatus
- "Someone New" - Eskobar/Heather Nova
- "Creep" - Radiohead
- "Muscle Museum" - Muse
- "Every Breath You Take" - The Police
Charts
''Dream On''
- "Dream On" - Depeche Mode
- "Under the Bridge" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
- "Don't Break My Heart" - UB40
- "21 Things I Want In A Lover" - Alanis Morissette
- "Wrong" - The New Symbol
- "I Touch Myself" - Divinyls
- "Go Where I Send Thee" - Stephen Hatfield
- "Exit Music " - Radiohead
- "Bittersweet Symphony" - The Verve
- "With or Without You" - U2
- "Walking After You" - Foo Fighters
- "Daddy I'm Fine" - Sinéad O'Connor
- "Perfect Day" - Lou Reed
- "Underneath It All" - Nine Inch Nails
Bonus tracks
- "Engel" - Rammstein
- "Kein Zurück" - Wolfsheim
- "Somebody" - Depeche Mode
- "Creep" - Radiohead
- "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana
- "Someone New" - Eskobar/Heather Nova
- "With or Without You" - U2
Charts
''Respire''
- "Electrastar" - Indochine
- "Clandestino" - Manu Chao
- "Marilou Sous La Neige" - Serge Gainsbourg
- "Le Vent Nous Portera" - Noir Désir
- "Jeune Et Con" - Damien Saez
- "Respire" - Mickey 3D
- "J'en Rêve Encore" - Gérald De Palmas
- "Sexy Boy" - Air
- "Un Monde Parfait" - Les Innocents
- "Je N'Veux Pas Rester Sage" - Dolly
- "Le Jour S'est Levé" - Téléphone
- "Remède" - Mass Hysteria
- "Face À La Mer" - Les Négresses Vertes
Bonus tracks
- "Evigheden" - Michael Bojesen
- "Mon Bonhomme" - Steven Kolacny
- "Engel" - Rammstein
- "With or Without You" - U2
Charts
''Grenzenlos''
- "Hungriges Herz" - MIA.
- "Du Trägst Keine Liebe In Dir" - Echt
- "Mensch" - Herbert Grönemeyer
- "Ein Kompliment" - Sportfreunde Stiller
- "Mutter" - Rammstein
- "Perfekte Welle" - Juli
- "Ohne Dich" - Selig
- "Hier kommt Alex" - Die Toten Hosen
- "Denkmal" - Wir sind Helden
- "Tausend Tränen Tief" - Blumfeld
- "Das Model" - Kraftwerk
- "Junimond" - Rio Reiser
Charts
''It All Leads to This''
- "Górecki" - Lamb
- "Everyday I Love You Less and Less" - Kaiser Chiefs
- "Station Approach" - Elbow
- "Wake Up Dead Man" - U2
- "Yellow" - Coldplay
- "Enjoy the Silence" - Depeche Mode
- "The Model" - Kraftwerk
- "Heartbeats" - The Knife
- "You Oughta Know" - Alanis Morissette
- "New Favorite" - Alison Krauss & Union Station
- "The Downtown Lights" - The Blue Nile
- "Self-fulfilling Prophecy" - Steven Kolacny
- "Everything in Its Right Place" - Radiohead
Bonus tracks
- "Górecki" - Lamb
- "Górecki" - Lamb
Charts
''One-Winged Angel''
- "Jóga" - Björk
- "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" - KT Tunstall
- "The Bitter End" - Placebo
- "The Blower's Daughter" - Damien Rice
- "I Believe in You" - Kylie Minogue
- "Fake Plastic Trees" - Radiohead
- "One-Winged-Angel" - Steven Kolacny
- "Somebody" - Depeche Mode
- "It's All Over" - Steven Kolacny
- "Friday I'm in Love" - The Cure
- "Colorblind" - Counting Crows
- "If You Could Read My Mind" - Gordon Lightfoot
- "The Beautiful People" - Marilyn Manson
- "Our Last Fight" - Steven Kolacny
Charts
''Paper Plane''
- "It Never Will Come Back" - Steven Kolacny
- "Splinter" - Steven Kolacny
- "Seashell" - Steven Kolacny
- "I Will Bleed For You" - Steven Kolacny
- "Raintears" - Steven Kolacny
- "Woorden" - Steven Kolacny
- "Paper Plane" - Steven Kolacny
- "A Little More Each Time" - Steven Kolacny
- "Kleine Man" - Steven Kolacny
- "Magic" - Steven Kolacny
Charts
''Scala & Kolacny Brothers'' (debut UK album)
- "Nothing Else Matters" - Metallica
- "Solsbury Hill" - Peter Gabriel
- "Champagne Supernova" - Oasis
- "Ironic" - Alanis Morissette
- "With or Without You" - U2
- "Everlong" - Foo Fighters
- "I Feel You" - Depeche Mode
- "Use Somebody" - Kings of Leon
- "Our Last Fight" - Steven Kolackny
- "Seashell" - Steven Kolacny
- "Masquerade" - Steven Kolacny
- "Creep" - Radiohead
- "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana
Charts
December (2012)
- "My December" - Linkin Park
- "Christmastime" - Smashing Pumpkins
- "Christmas Lights" - Coldplay
- "River" - Joni Mitchell
- "Christmas Must Be Tonight" - The Band
- "Let Me Sleep " - Pearl Jam
- "2000 Miles" - The Pretenders
- "It’s Christmas! Let’s Be Glad" - Sufjan Stevens
- "Tears Can Sparkle Too" - Kolacny
- "Sun-kissed Snow" - Kolacny
- "Wintersong" - Sarah McLachlan
- "When Doves Cry" - Prince
- "Did I Make The Most Of Loving You" - John Lunn / Don Black
- "Eskimo" - Damien Rice
Black Moon (2013)
- "White Moon" - Koen Buyse / Steven Kolacny
- "Futility" - Jo Dawson / Steven Kolacny
- "Love in Primary Colours" - Koen Buyse / Jo Dawson / Steven Kolacny
- "Butterflies" - Jo Dawson / Steven Kolacny
- "Black Moon" - Koen Buyse / Steven Kolacny
- "Little Angel" - Jo Dawson / Steven Kolacny
- "Masquerade " - Steven Kolacny / Vincent Neyt
- "Crystalline Skies" - Koen Buyse / Steven Kolacny
- "Sights and Sounds" - Steven Kolacny / Vincent Neyt
- "Red Moon" - Koen Buyse / Steven Kolacny
Unendlich (2015)
- "Liebe Ist Meine Rebellion" - Filippo Andrea Carmeni*, Gala Rizzatto, Maurizio Molella*
- "Applaus Applaus" - Florian Weber
- "Bei Meiner Seele" - Xavier Naidoo
- "Schönste Zeit" - Axel Bosse
- "Wie Soll Ein Mensch Das Ertragen" - Philipp Dominik Poisel
- "Tage Wie Diese" - Andreas Frege, Birgit E. F. Minichmayr*
- "Für Mich Soll's Rote Rosen Regnen " - Hildegard Knef
- "Auf Uns" - Andreas Bourani, Julius Hartog, Thomas Olbrich*
- "Landungsbrücken Raus" - Marcus Wiebusch
- "Stark" - Sebastian Kirchner
- "Cello" - Udo Lindenberg
- "Berlin" - Annette Humpe
- "Universal Tellerwäscher" - Christoph Leich, Frank Spilker, Frank Will, Julius Block
- "Ready Or Not" - Eith Ni Bhraonain*, Nicky Ryan, Roma Shane Ryan*, Thomas Randolph Bell*, William Alexander Hart*
Solstice (2016)
- "Boys Don't Cry" - The Cure
- "Sweet Dreams" - Eurythmics
- "All of Me" - John Legend
- "Crash Into Me" - Dave Matthews Band
- "Cloudbusting" - Kate Bush
- "Fat Bottomed Girls" - Queen
- "Heroes" - David Bowie
- "Hungry Heart" - Bruce Springsteen
- "Survival" - Muse
- "Dirty Diana" - Michael Jackson
- "The One I Love" - R.E.M
- "Piggy" - Nine Inch Nails
- "Strong Enough" - Sheryl Crow
- "Wake Me Up When September Ends" - Green Day
- "Womanizer" - Britney Spears
- "Follow You, Follow Me" - Genesis
- "In The Air Tonight" - Phil Collins
- "Barbie Girl" - Aqua
- "I Don't Like Mondays" - The Boomtown Rats
- "Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden
Performances (selection)
- Festspiele Balver Höhle