The Bathers (band)

The Bathers are a Scottish chamber pop band. The vehicle for singer-songwriter, Chris Thomson, they are sometimes referred to as "the best-kept secret in Scottish music" and have released seven albums. Initially active between 1985 and 2001, they reformed in 2016.

Chris Thomson originally came to attention with the 1980s Glasgow funk/pop/Celtic soul band Friends Again, which also featured future Love and Money members Paul McGeechan, James Grant and Stuart Kerr. When Friends Again split up in 1985, Thomson secured a solo deal with Go! Discs Records, using the project name of "The Bathers" and drawing on a pool of musicians (including Grant) to flesh out his songs.

The debut Bathers album was 1987's Unusual Places To Die. Recorded with a core band of Thomson, Sam Loup (bass), Jon Turner (keyboards) and James Locke (drums), it gained an enthusiastic critical reception, but label politics limited its success. Thomson went back to the drawing board, changed record labels, and released the follow-up Sweet Deceit on Island Records in 1990, to further critical acclaim. Thomson then took time out from The Bathers in order to work with two former members of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions (Neil Clark and Stephen Irvine) and Madness bass player Mark Bedford in the one-off band Bloomsday, who released their lone album Fortuny in 1990.

Returning to The Bathers, Thompson signed to the German label Marina Records, which would go on to release three albums by the band – Lagoon Blues (1993), Sunpowder (1995) and Kelvingrove Baby (1997). Working from a floating membership (which still included James Grant, Neil Clark and James Locke) The Bathers now featured string players and arrangers Mark Wilson and Iain White, keyboard player Carlo Scattini and drummer/percussionist Hazel Morrison (who also added operatic soprano backing vocals). Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins recorded several tracks with the band on 1995's Sunpowder, and performed live with them in Glasgow. Although Thomson enjoyed a good relationship with Marina, he felt that a label nearer home would be preferable: consequently, The Bathers' sixth album Pandemonia appeared on Wrasse Records in 1999.

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