Luke Haines
| Luke Haines | |
|---|---|
Luke Haines, performing at the 2005 Summer Sundae
|
|
| Background information | |
| Born |
7 October 1967 Walton-on-Thames, England |
| Origin | England |
| Genres | Alternative rock, electronica |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, piano/keyboard |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Labels | Degenerate |
| Associated acts |
The Servants The Auteurs Baader Meinhof Black Box Recorder |
| Website | www |
Luke Michael Haines (born 7 October 1967) is an English musician, songwriter and author, who has recorded music under various names and with various bands, including The Auteurs, Baader Meinhof and Black Box Recorder.
Haines formed numerous bands when he was at school. At college he joined The Servants who recorded two commercially unsuccessful albums. It was only when Haines formed The Auteurs with his girlfriend Alice Readman (who had also been drafted into The Servants from time to time) and Glenn Collins in 1991 that he began to achieve some success.
Regular gigging in the London area and an NME-sponsored gig brought them to the attention of Hut Records. They released their first single, "Showgirl" in 1993, and their debut album New Wave a month later. Haines was later to claim that this was the album that started Britpop, though he later showed disdain towards the movement, stating in a 2003 interview that Britpop consisted of "a bunch of bands who weren't good enough to exist in their own right, like music's equivalent of the Bloomsbury Group." Certainly it was ahead of its time in turning back from the acid house then popular to more traditional songwriting in the vein of The Kinks or The Small Faces. It is arguable that more commercially successful bands (such as Suede) owed much to Haines' vision. In any case, the album sold only 12,000 copies but was nominated for a Mercury Prize although the eventual winners were Suede
Their second album, Now I'm a Cowboy (1994) featured "Lenny Valentino" one of their most famous songs. By now the band were touring Europe and the States regularly, and were gaining a reputation as one of the best new British bands.
...
Wikipedia