Brett Lewis Anderson is an English
singer-songwriterSinger-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, best known as the lead vocalist of the band
SuedeSuede are an English alternative rock band from London, formed in 1989. The group's most prominent early line-up featured singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Bernard Butler, bass player Mat Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert. By 1992, Suede were hailed as "The Best New Band in Britain", and attracted...
. After Suede disbanded in 2003, he briefly fronted
The TearsThe Tears were an English rock band, formed in 2004 by ex-Suede bandmates Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler. The band was a much anticipated reunion of an acclaimed songwriting couple, and music critics praised their first concerts and their debut album, Here Come The Tears...
, and has released four solo albums. Suede reformed in 2010.
In Suede's early days, Anderson's androgynous style and unique vocals were an instant phenomenon in the UK.
Early years: 1967-1988
Born in
Haywards Heath-Climate:Haywards Heath experiences an oceanic climate similar to almost all of the United Kingdom.-Rail:Haywards Heath railway station is a major station on the Brighton Main Line...
,
West SussexWest Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
into a working class family, Anderson's mother was an artist and his father was a classical music fan. He was brought up in a small council estate in
LindfieldLindfield is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. The parish lies to the north-east of Haywards Heath, of which the village is a part of the built-up area. It stands on the upper reaches of the River Ouse...
, a village adjoining Haywards Heath, attending Lindfield Junior School then Oathall Comprehensive School.
In his teens, Anderson played guitar for garage bands such as The Pigs and Geoff, the latter featuring future
SuedeSuede are an English alternative rock band from London, formed in 1989. The group's most prominent early line-up featured singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Bernard Butler, bass player Mat Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert. By 1992, Suede were hailed as "The Best New Band in Britain", and attracted...
bassist
Mat OsmanMat Osman is an English musician, best known as the bassist in the band Suede. He studied at the London School of Economics, where in 1989 he was awarded a BSc in Economics....
. In the late-1980s, Anderson and Osman formed Suede with Anderson's girlfriend,
Justine FrischmannJustine Elinor Frischmann is an English singer and guitarist, best known for being the lead singer of the now defunct band Elastica...
, soon recruiting guitarist
Bernard ButlerBernard Joseph Butler is an English musician and record producer. He first emerged in the early Britpop era with Suede. He has been hailed by some critics as the greatest guitarist of his generation, as well as one of Britain's most original and influential guitarists...
through an advertisement in the
NMEThe New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
. After receiving percussional help from former
SmithsThe Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
drummer Mike Joyce, in 1991, Simon Gilbert joined Suede as their official drummer. It was around this time that Frischmann left Anderson for
BlurBlur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
frontman
Damon AlbarnDamon Albarn is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who has been involved in many high profile projects, coming to prominence as the frontman and primary songwriter of Britpop band Blur...
, which created an early rift in the burgeoning
BritpopBritpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
scene of the early 1990s. After missing too many rehearsals and flaunting her relationship with Albarn while still living with Anderson, Frischmann was fired from the group, going on to front
ElasticaElastica were an English alternative rock band that played punk rock-influenced music. They were best known for their 1995 album Elastica, which produced singles that charted in the US and the UK.-History:...
.
Suede: 1989-2003; 2010 onwards
Even before Suede's first album appeared in stores, Anderson's androgynous style and vague "confessions" about his sexuality stirred controversy in the British music press. His infamous comment that he was "a bisexual man who never had a homosexual experience" was indicative of how he both courted controversy and a sexually ambiguous, alienated audience. In 1993,
SuedeSuede is the debut album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in March 1993 on Nude Records. At the time the fastest-selling debut album in British history, Suede debuted at the top of the UK Album Chart, won the 1993 Mercury Music Prize, and is often credited with starting the Britpop...
hit number one on the UK charts. Combining
MorrisseySteven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
's homoerotic posturing with
David BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
's glam theatrics, Anderson achieved instant fame in the UK. America, however, was still spellbound by the
grungeGrunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
revolution and Anderson's grim yodellings clashed with the raw anger of
NirvanaNirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
's
Kurt CobainKurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
and
Pearl JamPearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
's
Eddie VedderEddie Vedder is an American musician and singer-songwriter who is best known for being the lead singer and one of three guitarists of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam. He is widely considered a cultural icon of alternative rock.He is also involved in soundtrack work and contributes to albums...
. Furthering complications across the Atlantic, due to a trademark dispute with the American lounge singer
SuedeSuede is an American pop, cabaret and jazz singer. She was born in Nyack, New York and went to high school in Severna Park, Maryland. She began playing music in high school, getting bar gigs before she even graduated. She lived in Baltimore for the majority of the 80's and became a fixture at many...
, the band were forced to change their name to The London Suede for the American market. Although the departure of songwriting partner Butler in 1994 during the recording of second album
Dog Man StarDog Man Star is the second album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in October 1994 on Nude Records. It was the last Suede album to feature guitarist Bernard Butler, due to growing tensions between Butler and singer Brett Anderson ending with Butler leaving the band before the album...
(number three on the UK charts) led many to fear Suede's eventual demise, the band continued to release critically and ever increasingly commercially successful material in the UK, Europe and Asia, such as 1996's critically acclaimed
Coming Up (another number one of the band). The band carried on to release
Head MusicHead Music is the fourth album by English alternative rock band Suede, released by Nude Records in May 1999.Produced and mixed by Steve Osborne, Head Music features a more electronic sound, which was a new approach to their music...
(number one on the UK charts and in several countries) in 1999, but
A New MorningA New Morning is the fifth studio album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in September 2002. By the time the album was released, public interest in the band had waned, as shown by the poor charting of both the album and singles...
was a commercial disappointment in 2002. In 2003, following the release of their "Singles" collection, Suede disbanded.
Anderson has commented that the history of Suede is "...ridiculous. It’s like Machiavelli rewriting
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. It involves a cast of thousands. It should star
Charlton HestonCharlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
... it’s like a pram that’s just been pushed down a hill. It’s always been fiery and tempestuous and really on the edge and it never stops. I don’t think it ever will.” On his own, Anderson collaborated with
Stina NordenstamStina Nordenstam is a singer, songwriter and musician.-Career:Nordenstam's voice led to early comparisons with artists such as Rickie Lee Jones and Björk. Her early albums, Memories of a Colour and And She Closed Her Eyes were jazz-influenced with elements of alternative rock...
, and his guest vocals can be heard on the album
This Is Stina NordenstamThis Is Stina Nordenstam is an album by Swedish singer-songwriter Stina Nordenstam, released in 2001. It is Nordenstam's only release on Independiente Records....
and has made a duet with
Jane BirkinJane Mallory Birkin, OBE is an English-born actress and singer who lives in France. In recent years she has written her own album, directed a film and become an outspoken proponent of democracy in Burma.- Early life :...
in 1995 which appeared in 1998 Birkin's Best Of album. He also sang the lyric "You're going to reap just what you sow" in the
Children in NeedChildren in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
charity single "Perfect Day".
Following persistent rumours, the boss of the band's former label, Nude Records' Saul Galpern, confirmed to the
NME that Suede would be playing together again. "It's [for] a one-off gig," he explained of the show, which featured the band's second incarnation. The band will played London's Royal Albert Hall as part of the 2010 Teenage Cancer Trust shows.
Because of the huge success of the shows, a new European tour was announced for the summer of 2010, covering 2 festivals,
Skanderborg FestivalThe Skanderborg festival is an annual music festival held during the second weekend of August. Its scenic location, in a beech forest in the vicinity of Skanderborg, has given it the name Danmarks Smukkeste Festival ....
in Denmark and Parkenfestivalen in Norway, the tour continued in the autumn covering France, The Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and Belgium. A homecoming date at the
The O2 Arena (London)The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
closed the tour. Further festival dates have been announced for 2011, along with UK dates where Suede will perform their first 3 albums in full.
The Tears: 2004-2005
In 2004, Anderson and former Suede guitarist
Bernard ButlerBernard Joseph Butler is an English musician and record producer. He first emerged in the early Britpop era with Suede. He has been hailed by some critics as the greatest guitarist of his generation, as well as one of Britain's most original and influential guitarists...
briefly formed the band The Tears with Will Foster, Makoto Sakamoto and Nathan Fisher and released their debut album
Here Come The TearsHere Come the Tears is the debut album by The Tears, released on June 6, 2005 on Independiente Records.The album proved a comeback for Bernard Butler and Brett Anderson as the album was praised by critics and fans alike, and charted at number 15....
, which was met with mixed critical and popular reaction. It was produced by Butler and largely recorded at home, and featured the singles "
Refugees"Refugees" is the debut single by The Tears, released on April 25, 2005 on Independiente Records. It charted at number 9 on the UK singles chart, which was relatively good considering the lack of success done by the previous Suede album, as well as the fact that it was the band's first single...
" and "
Lovers"Lovers" is the second single by The Tears from their debut album Here Come the Tears, released on 27 June 2005 on Independiente Records. The title track was originally slated to be a B-side for the album's first single, "Refugees", until the record label pushed the band to put it on the album and...
". Following the cancellation of a European tour in support of the album, the band were dropped by Independiente and the project was abandoned.
Anderson was close friends with
Simon HobartSimon Hobart was one of the most influential figures in British gay nightlife of his era. He was most famous for creating the hugely popular, long-running alternative nightclub Popstarz at London's Scala...
(promoter of Popstarz) and was the DJ at the benefit night held in Hobart's honour after his death.
Solo work: 2006-present
In May 2006, Anderson announced details of a solo album consisting of 11 tracks, which was released on 26 March 2007. He told
NMEThe New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
that the title would be
Brett AndersonBrett Anderson is the first solo release from Suede and [The Tears]] frontman Brett Anderson.In May 2006, Anderson announced sketchy details for the album...
since "...that's my name, you see." The accompanying video for Anderson's first single "Love Is Dead" debuted on UK television in February 2007, quickly finding its way to YouTube. "Love Is Dead" made its debut at #42 in the UK singles chart, and the album went to #54 the following week. The keyboardist-producer on his album is Fred Ball, and former Suede bass player Mat Osman joined the live band on tour.
In July 2007 Anderson modeled Nick Hart for Aquascutum's autumn/winter 2007 campaign
photos on wallpaper.com
In May 2008 it was announced that Anderson's second album was to be premiered on 7 July in a special concert at London's mermaid theatre. A copy of the album, entitled
WildernessWilderness is the second studio album by the English singer Brett Anderson.Fans who bought tickets for Anderson's performance at London's Mermaid Theatre on July 7 received a copy of the album on USB stick format, though the album didn't receive a general release until September.There is minimal...
, was distributed to all ticket buyers, in the form of a USB stick. The album was recorded in only seven days, with most tracks recorded as live takes. He plays the piano and the acoustic guitars, and is accompanied by Amy Langley on cello. One of the songs "
Back to You"Back to You" is the second solo single by former Suede frontman Brett Anderson. It was released in June 2007.The single was a collaboration with Norwegian electro pop producer Fred Ball . It was previously released on the second Pleasure album. The song was previewed by Anderson during his May...
" written with Fred Ball of the Norwegian band Pleasure is a duet with French actress
Emmanuelle SeignerEmmanuelle Seigner is a French actress, former fashion model, and singer, best known as the wife of Academy Award winning director Roman Polanski, and for her roles in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly , and Frantic...
.
Anderson's third album,
Slow AttackSlow Attack is the third solo album by the English singer Brett Anderson.Produced by Anderson with new writing partner Leo Abrahams, it follows 2008's Wilderness. Anderson said: "It was conceived and created in the bleak London winter...
was co-written with Leo Abrahams. On his website, Brett Anderson writes that he tried to use words in a different way, as fragments, and hint of meanings and emotions. The music is more orchestral than
Wilderness with more instrumentation throughout the album. On tour, he was joined by Didz Hammond (
Dirty Pretty ThingsDirty Pretty Things were an English band fronted by Carl Barât, a member of The Libertines. The formation of the band was announced in September 2005, after a dispute between Barât and Pete Doherty led to the breakup of The Libertines in 2004. Barât had worked with Vertigo Records and had...
), Angie Pollock (
GoldfrappGoldfrapp are an English electronic music duo, formed in 1999 in London, England, that consists of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory ....
), Sebastian Sternberg (
PleasurePleasure is a Norwegian funky pop band, led by Fred Ball. One hit single was released, "Don't Look The Other Way", which featured Justine Frischmann on vocals...
, Marina and the Diamonds), Kris Sonne and Amy Langley, thus giving the songs a more art-rock edge.
Black Rainbows - Anderson's fourth solo album will be released through BA Songs, distributed by EMI Music Service on 26th September 2011 which will be preceeded by the single "Brittle Heart". This will be second album Anderson has co-written with Leo Abrahams and sees a return to a simpler more commercial rock format.
Studio albums
| Album |
Peak chart positions |
| UK The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
|
UK Indie The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
|
Japan , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
|
| Brett Anderson Brett Anderson is the first solo release from Suede and [The Tears]] frontman Brett Anderson.In May 2006, Anderson announced sketchy details for the album...
- Released: 26 March 2007
- Label: Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
|
54 |
— |
165 |
| Wilderness Wilderness is the second studio album by the English singer Brett Anderson.Fans who bought tickets for Anderson's performance at London's Mermaid Theatre on July 7 received a copy of the album on USB stick format, though the album didn't receive a general release until September.There is minimal...
Released: 1 September 2008
Label: B A Songs |
161 |
16 |
275 |
| Slow Attack Slow Attack is the third solo album by the English singer Brett Anderson.Produced by Anderson with new writing partner Leo Abrahams, it follows 2008's Wilderness. Anderson said: "It was conceived and created in the bleak London winter...
Released: 2 November 2009
Label: B A Songs |
174 |
— |
212 |
| Black Rainbows Black Rainbows is an album by the English singer Brett Anderson, released on September 26, 2011.Anderson has stated that Black Rainbows will be "restless, noisy and dynamic." and described it as a return to the rock band format.-Tracklisting:...
Released: 26 September 2011
Label: B A Songs / EMI Music Services |
103 |
|
|
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart or was not released |
Live albums
- Live in London
Live in London is a live recording of Brett's 9 May 2007 concert at the Shepherds Bush Empire. It comes on 2 CDs and was limited to 1500 copies...
(9 May 2007) (Limited Edition of 1500)
- Live at Union Chapel (19 July 2007) (Limited Edition of 1500)
- Live at Queen Elizabeth Hall
Live at Queen Elizabeth Hall is a live recording of Brett's 20 October 2007 concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. It comes on 2 CDs and was limited to 1500 copies...
(20 October 2007) (Limited Edition of 1500)
Singles and EPs
- "Love Is Dead" (19 March 2007) - (UK
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#42)
- "Back to You
"Back to You" is the second solo single by former Suede frontman Brett Anderson. It was released in June 2007.The single was a collaboration with Norwegian electro pop producer Fred Ball . It was previously released on the second Pleasure album. The song was previewed by Anderson during his May...
" (EPAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
) (9 July 2007) (Non-chart eligible)
- "A Different Place" (21 July 2008) (Digital download)
- "The Hunted" (22 November 2009) (Digital download)
- "Brittle Heart" (15 August 2011) (Digital download)
- "Crash About to Happen" (27 November) (Digital download)
External links