Echobelly were a prominent Britpop band and a force in the British musical invasion of the 1990s.
They debuted in 1994 with their Everyone's Got One album. Although often compared to Blondie and influenced by Morrissey, who himself was a fan of the group,[1] Echobelly carved out their own place with tuneful melodies that cascaded between exuberant optimism and vehement attacks against oppression, bigotry, and alienation in the modern world.[citation needed]
The most prominent part of Echobelly's success formula was vocalist Sonya Madan, who was also the group's primary lyricist.[1] Born in Delhi, India, before moving to England at the age of two, Madan had an unusual background for a pop star. Her rigid upbringing made rock n' roll taboo for her as a youngster, and she didn't attend her first rock concert until she was in college. In 1990 she met Glenn Johansson, a guitarist from Sweden who was pursuing a career in music. Johansson had previously edited a Swedish pornographic magazine called Eros, which may contribute to the band's focus on sexual issues in many of their songs. He and Madan dated for a while, then remained friends after breaking up.
Career
In 1993 Madan and Johansson teamed up with bass guitarist Alex Keyser and drummer Andy Henderson, who had previously played with P J Harvey's band. Guitarist Debbie Smith, formerly of Curve, came on board in 1994.[1] According to the Epic Records' website, the group came up with the name Echobelly from the notion of "being hungry for something". With Madan and Johansson serving as songwriters, they recorded their debut EP, Bellyache, on the independent Pandemonium label in late 1993.[1]
The favorable response to Bellyache helped Echobelly secure a recording contract with Rhythm King, which was then part of Epic. Once on board the label, the group released the "I Can't Imagine the World Without Me" single in June 1994.[1] Now featuring the services of bass guitarist James Harris after Keyser defected due to personal and artistic differences, the group recorded the Everyone's Got One. This release, which included the single "Insomniac", reached number eight on the UK Albums Chart.[1]
As their music received more airplay, Echobelly won admiration from other artists as well. Madonna expressed interest in putting them on her Maverick label, and R.E.M. requested the group as the opening act for their upcoming tour. The band returned to the studio in 1995 to create their next album, On, which proved even more popular than its predecessor. Produced by Shaun Slade and Paul Kolderie, who had also produced Hole and Radiohead, On was called "eminently listenable" by Tamara Palmer in Audio.[citation needed]
This album focused on more universal themes, instead of the more politically and ethically charged subjects of Everyone's Got One.[citation needed] Madan's lyrics often ventured into the seamy side of life, such as the milieu of prostitution and homelessness addressed in King of the Kerb. "I wanted to challenge myself as a lyricist on a different level on this album," Madan said in Rolling Stone. "I want people to tell me what they thought the lyrics are about. I'm not a politician. I'm not interested in changing everybody around me. I'm interested in myself."
While many of the songs lamented the state of things, others on the On album celebrated the endless possibilities of the human spirit. In "Great Things", Madan sang "I want to do great things/I don't want to compromise/I want to know what love is/I want to know everything." The album's mostly optimistic feel provides an intriguing contrast with its serious subject matter. As Pareles wrote, "Both music and lyrics examine the tension between order and liberty". Listeners in the UK responded favorably to the album, driving three singles from the release into the Top 30 of the UK Singles Chart.[1] Sales of the album rose to over 150,000 in England, nearly double that of Everyone's Got One.
Health and legal problems interrupted the success of Echobelly in 1995 and 1996. Madan had a serious thyroid problem during her world tour that was potentially life-threatening, but was later cured. The group also had disagreements with Rhythm King after the label moved to Arista. The band chose to stay with Epic. In 1996 Madan also ventured away from the group when she sang on a recording of the club band, Lithium. Smith left the band before the release of Lustra, which was issued in November 1997. A single from the album, "The World is Flat", was released in August of that year.[1]
A four-year hiatus was brought to an end in 2001 when the band returned with the Digit EP and their fourth album, People Are Expensive, which were released on their own Fry Up label. Two further singles, "Tell Me Why" and "Kali Yuga" (a remixed version of the album track) followed.
In 2004 Echobelly released a fifth album - again through their own Fry Up label, Gravity Pulls.
2009 acoustic show
Madan and Johannsen performed an acoustic show featuring brand new songs and older Echobelly songs in Manchester on 9 July 2009 at MoHo Live, supported by Spyglass.[2]
Band members
The original line-up consisted of:
After Echobelly's second album, Keyser went on to join Dragstripper and was replaced by James Harris. Harris was soon swapped in for Ruth Owen, after their third album, when Debbie Smith left; Smith is now a DJ on London's gay scene,[4] and has also played in Snowpony, a supergroup containing members of My Bloody Valentine and Stereolab.
Discography
Albums
[5]
Compilation albums
- I Can't Imagine The World Without Me (2001)
- The Best of Echobelly (2008)
Singles
- "Bellyache" (November 1993)
- "Insomniac" (March 1994) UK #47
- "I Can't Imagine the World Without Me" (June 1994) UK #39
- "Close… But" (October 1994) UK #59
- "Great Things" (August 1995) UK #13
- "King of the Kerb" (October 1995) UK #25
- "Dark Therapy" (February 1996) UK #20
- "The World is Flat" (August 1997) UK #31
- "Here Comes the Big Rush" (October 1997) UK #56
- "Digit" (January 2001)
- "Tell Me Why" (May 2001)
- "Kali Yuga" (October 2001)
[5]
References
External links
