Editing Belle and Sebastian (section)

===''Dear Catastrophe Waitress'', ''The Life Pursuit'' and hiatus (2003–2010)===
The band left Jeepster in 2002, signing a four-album deal with [[Rough Trade Records]].<ref name="dcw">{{Citation |last=McGregor |first=Andrew |title=Belle and Sebastian, Dear Catastrophe Waitress |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/znrg |publisher=BBC |date=21 June 2001 |access-date=4 November 2007}}</ref> Their first album for Rough Trade, ''[[Dear Catastrophe Waitress]]'', was released in 2003 and was produced by [[Trevor Horn]].<ref name="secret">{{Citation|last=McCracken |first=Edd |title=Secret seven win through |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_20031005/ai_n12586361 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210184142/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_20031005/ai_n12586361 |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 December 2007 |work=Sunday Herald |date=5 October 2003 |access-date=4 November 2007 }}</ref> The album showed a markedly more "produced" sound compared to their first four LPs,<ref name="eye">{{Citation|last=Grant |first=Kieran |title=Belle and Sebastian Q&A |url=http://www.eyeweekly.com/eye/issue/issue_11.06.03/music/qa2.php |work=Eye Weekly |date=6 November 2003 |access-date=5 November 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522151712/http://www.eyeweekly.com/eye/issue/issue_11.06.03/music/qa2.php |archive-date=22 May 2011}}</ref> as the band was making a concerted effort to produce more "radio-friendly" music.<ref name="secret" /> At this point, the band began to engage more with the press and started appearing in publicity shots. The album was warmly received and is credited with restoring the band's "indie cred".<ref name="grd" /> The album also marked the return of Murdoch as the group's primary songwriter, following the poorly received ''Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant'' and ''Storytelling'', both of which were more collaborative than the band's early work.<ref>{{Citation |last=Raihala |first=Ross |title=Belle and Sebastian pouring out their souls – again |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2002878317_bellesebastian21.html |work=The Seattle Times |date=21 March 2006 |access-date=6 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210215308/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2002878317_bellesebastian21.html |archive-date=10 December 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> A documentary DVD, ''[[Fans Only]]'', was released by Jeepster in October 2003, featuring promotional videos, live clips and unreleased footage.<ref name="notebook" /> A single from the album, "[[Step into My Office, Baby]]" followed in November 2003; it would be their first single to be taken from an album,<ref name="dcw" /> and included a track recorded with [[The Divine Comedy (band)|Divine Comedy]] producer [[Darren Allison]] entitled ''Love on the March''.

The [[Thin Lizzy]]-inspired "[[I'm a Cuckoo]]" was the second single from the album.<ref name="eye" /><ref>{{Citation |last=Devenish |first=Colin |title=Belle & Sebastian Back in Town |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/belleandsebastian/articles/story/5936950/belle__sebastian_back_in_town |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210214213/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/belleandsebastian/articles/story/5936950/belle__sebastian_back_in_town |archive-date=10 December 2007 |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=27 October 2003 |url-status=dead |access-date=5 November 2007}}</ref> It achieved their highest chart position yet, reaching No.&nbsp;14 in the UK.<ref name="mtv" /> The ''[[Books (EP)|Books]]'' EP followed, a double A-side single led by "Wrapped Up in Books" from ''Dear Catastrophe Waitress'' and the new "Your Cover's Blown". This EP became the band's third top 20 UK release, and the band was nominated for both the [[Mercury Music Prize]] and an [[Ivor Novello Award]]. In January 2005, B&S was voted Scotland's greatest band in a poll by [[The List (magazine)|The List]], beating [[Simple Minds]], [[Idlewild (band)|Idlewild]], [[Travis (band)|Travis]], [[Franz Ferdinand (band)|Franz Ferdinand]], and [[The Proclaimers]], among others.<ref name="erd">{{Citation |last=Strong |first=Martin C. |title=The Essential Rock Discography |publisher=[[Open City Books]] |year=2006 |page=80 |isbn=1-84195-860-3}}</ref>

In April 2005, members of the band visited Israel and the [[Palestinian territories]] with the UK charity [[War on Want]];<ref name="guardian" /> the group subsequently recorded a song inspired by the trip titled "The Eighth Station of the Cross Kebab House", which would first appear on the digital-download version of the charity album [[Help!: A Day in the Life]] and would later have a physical release as a B-side on 2006's "[[Funny Little Frog]]" single. ''[[Push Barman to Open Old Wounds]]'', a compilation of the Jeepster singles and EPs, was released in May 2005 while the band were recording their seventh album in California. The result of the sessions was ''[[The Life Pursuit]]'', produced by [[Tony Hoffer]].<ref name="guardian">{{Citation |last=Petridis |first=Alexis |title=Belle and Sebastian, The Life Pursuit |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/feb/03/popandrock.shopping9 |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=3 February 2006 |access-date=5 November 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Beaujon |first=Andrew |title=The Happiness Of 'Pursuit' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/07/AR2006020701798.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=8 February 2006 |access-date=5 November 2007}}</ref> The album, originally intended to be a double album,<ref>{{Citation |last=McBay |first=Nadine |title=Belle & Sebastian: We managed to do things without pandering to the London machine |url=http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/580171-belle-sebastian--we-managed-to-do-things-without-pandering-to-the-london-machine |work=Drowned in Sound |date=19 January 2006 |access-date=4 November 2007 |archive-date=27 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110127165407/http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/580171-belle-sebastian--we-managed-to-do-things-without-pandering-to-the-london-machine |url-status=dead }}</ref> became the band's highest-charting album upon its release in February 2006, peaking at No.&nbsp;8 in the UK and No.&nbsp;65 on the US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]].<ref>{{Citation |last=Harris |first=Chris |title=Jack Johnson Scores First Billboard No.&nbsp;1 With 'Curious' Tunes |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1524351/20060215/johnson_jack.jhtml |publisher=MTV |date=15 February 2006 |access-date=5 November 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071213055146/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1524351/20060215/johnson_jack.jhtml| archive-date= 13 December 2007 | url-status= dead}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Belle & Sebastian get the 'Blues' on new single |url=https://www.nme.com/news/belle-and-sebastian/22384 |website=NME |location=UK |date=3 March 2006 |access-date=5 November 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071130035714/http://www.nme.com/news/belle-and-sebastian/22384| archive-date= 30 November 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref> "Funny Little Frog", which preceded it, also proved to be their highest-charting single, debuting at No.&nbsp;13.<ref name="notebook">{{Citation |last=Sanneh |first=Kelefa |title=CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; A Quiet Band Worth Fighting Loudly About Makes Some More Noise |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/02/arts/music/02sann.html |work=The New York Times |date=2 February 2006 |access-date=5 November 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071211024132/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980CEFDB1F3FF931A35751C0A9609C8B63| archive-date= 11 December 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref>

On 6 July 2006, the band played a historic<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2006/music/markets-festivals/belle-sebastian-l-a-philharmonic-the-shins-1200514908/|title=Belle & Sebastian / L.A. Philharmonic; the Shins|last=Gallo|first=Phil|date=2006-07-09|work=Variety|access-date=2018-02-01}}</ref> show with the [[Los Angeles Philharmonic]] at the [[Hollywood Bowl]].<ref>{{Citation|last=Rosen |first=Steven |title=Belle & Sebastian with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra |url=http://harpmagazine.com/reviews/concert_reviews/detail.cfm?article=10382 |work=Harp Magazine |date=6 June 2006 |access-date=4 November 2007 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213205947/http://harpmagazine.com/reviews/concert_reviews/detail.cfm?article=10382 |archive-date=13 December 2007}}</ref> The opening act at the 18,000 seat sell-out concert was [[The Shins]].<ref>{{Citation |last=Mancina |first=Kristin |title=Belle & Sebastian and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Featuring the Shins |url=http://www.lasplash.com/publish/Entertainment/cat_index_la_events/Belle_Sebastian_and_the_Los_Angeles_Philharmonic_Featuring_the_Shins.php |work=L.A. Splash Magazine |access-date=4 November 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071210221900/http://www.lasplash.com/publish/Entertainment/cat_index_la_events/Belle_Sebastian_and_the_Los_Angeles_Philharmonic_Featuring_the_Shins.php| archive-date= 10 December 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref> The members of the band see this as a landmark event, with Stevie Jackson saying, "This is the biggest thrill of my entire life".<ref>{{Citation |last=Wener |first=Ben |title=Belle and Sebastian: Delightful in every way |url=http://www.ocregister.com/entertainment/group-143025-never-anything.html |work=Orange County Register |date=7 July 2006 |access-date=4 November 2007}}</ref> In October 2006, members of the band helped put together a CD collection of new songs for children titled ''[[Colours Are Brighter]]'', with the involvement of major bands such as [[Franz Ferdinand (band)|Franz Ferdinand]] and [[The Flaming Lips]].<ref>{{Citation |last=Llewellyn |first=Katie |title=Belle & Sebastian-Curated Kids' Comp Details Revealed |url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/37461-belle-sebastian-curated-kids-comp-details-revealed |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214234310/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/37461-belle-sebastian-curated-kids-comp-details-revealed |archive-date=14 December 2007 |work=Pitchfork |date=18 July 2006 |access-date=4 November 2007}}</ref>

On 18 November 2008 the band released ''[[The BBC Sessions (Belle and Sebastian album)|The BBC Sessions]]'', which features songs from the period of 1996–2001 (including the last recordings featuring Isobel Campbell before she left the band), along with a second disc featuring a recording of a live performance in [[Belfast]] from Christmas 2001.<ref>{{Citation |last=Thompson |first=Paul |title=Belle and Sebastian Collect BBC Sessions on New Comp |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/33520-belle-and-sebastian-collect-ibbc-sessionsi-on-new-comp/ |work=Pitchfork |date=18 September 2008 |access-date=5 November 2008 |archive-date=17 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110817211616/http://pitchfork.com/news/33520-belle-and-sebastian-collect-ibbc-sessionsi-on-new-comp/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>