Modern English (band)
| Modern English | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | The Lepers |
| Origin | Colchester, Essex, England |
| Genres | New wave,post-punk |
| Years active | 1979–1987, 1989–1991, 1995–present |
| Labels | 4AD, Sire, TVT, Darla |
| Associated acts | This Mortal Coil |
| Members | Robbie Grey Gary McDowell Michael Conroy Stephen Walker Roy Martin (drums since 2010) |
Modern English are a new wave/post-punk band from Colchester, Essex, England best known for their songs "I Melt with You", "Hands Across the Sea", and "Ink and Paper". The group disbanded twice, in 1987 and 1991, but reunited again in 1989 and 1995.
Formed in Colchester, Essex, England, in 1979 by Robbie Grey (vocals), Gary McDowell (guitar, vocals), and Michael Conroy (bass, vocals), Modern English were originally known as The Lepers. The group expanded to "Modern English" when Richard Brown (drums) and Stephen Walker (keyboards) were subsequently added to the lineup of the band.
After a single on their own 'Limp' label (not to be confused with America's Limp Records) in 1979, the band signed to 4AD the following year, with two further singles released, and a session for John Peel of BBC Radio 1 recorded before the band's debut album, Mesh & Lace, in 1981, the band in the early days showing a strong Joy Division influence. A second Peel session was recorded in October 1981. The follow-up, After the Snow (April 1982), was more keyboard-oriented and was compared to Simple Minds and Duran Duran. It was also released in the United States by Sire Records the following year, where it reached number 70 on the Billboard chart, and sold over 500,000 copies. Grey said of the album, "We used to think 'God, we'll never make a pop record. We're artists!', but things don't always turn out as you planned and when you actually create a pop record, it's so much more of a thrill than anything else". The second single from the album was also a hit in the US, the jangly "I Melt with You" reaching number 76. When he reviewed the album, Johnny Waller of Sounds described the track as "A dreamy, creamy celebration of love and lust, which deserves to be showcased on as 12" single all by itself, with no B-side", while his colleague Tony Mitchell described it as "suburban amateurism at its most unrewarding". The band relocated to New York City and worked on a third album, Ricochet Days, which again made the top 100 in the US, after which the band left 4AD and were solely signed to Sire outside the UK and Canada. The album Stop Start (1986) was the last Modern English record released by Sire, with the band splitting up after its release. During 1983–1984, Grey, McDowell and Conroy were also involved with This Mortal Coil.
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