Elastica

Elastica

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1992 in London, England
Founder	Justine Frischmann, Justin Welch
Defunct	October 2001
Headquarters	London , England
Products	Music albums, singles

Elastica was a British rock ensemble established in London in 1992 by guitarist and vocalist Justine Frischmann alongside drummer Justin Welch, both formerly of Suede. Drawing inspiration from genres such as punk rock, post-punk, and new wave music, the group experienced multiple personnel shifts, with Frischmann and Welch remaining the core members throughout.

The band quickly rose to prominence following their initial single "Stutter" released in November 1993, with their subsequent three singles all securing positions within the Top 20 of the UK Singles Chart. Their first album, Elastica (1995), became the fastest-selling debut in UK history at that time and also achieved significant recognition in the United States, featuring their highest-charting track on the US Hot 100, "Connection". The group encountered controversy due to plagiarism claims, which were ultimately resolved through out-of-court agreements.

Progress toward a sophomore album was hindered by internal disputes, changes in lineup, and Frischmann’s struggle with heroin addiction during the late 1990s. In 2000, Elastica released The Menace, an album that failed to meet critical acclaim or commercial expectations. Following difficulties in producing a third record, the band amicably dissolved in October 2001.

History

In the middle of 1992, former members of Suede, Justine Frischmann and Justin Welch, formed a new group which soon included bassist Annie Holland and guitarist Donna Matthews. The name "Elastica" was adopted by October of that year. Their debut single "Stutter", launched in October 1993, gained momentum thanks to support from BBC Radio 1 DJ and Deceptive Records founder Steve Lamacq. In 1994, the band released two singles, "Line Up" and "Connection", both reaching the UK Top 20 and enhancing their visibility. Additionally, Frischmann’s relationship with Blur frontman Damon Albarn attracted considerable media attention.

The release of Elastica’s debut album, Elastica, in March 1995 debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, setting a record as the fastest-selling debut since Oasis’ Definitely Maybe. This achievement stood until it was surpassed by Arctic Monkeys’ debut in 2006. The album’s lead single "Waking Up" reached number thirteen on the UK Singles Chart.

The band faced legal challenges regarding plagiarism claims from publishers who alleged that some melodies were derived from art punk band Wire and the Stranglers, with whom Elastica had shared rehearsal spaces in 1994. Prominent similarities included Wire’s "I Am the Fly" and "Three Girl Rhumba" influencing Elastica’s "Line Up" and "Connection," while "Waking Up" bore resemblance to the Stranglers’ "No More Heroes." These matters were settled privately out of court. Members of The Stranglers later acknowledged these influences without major dispute.

During the mid-1990s, Elastica expanded their reach into the American market. The singles "Stutter" and "Connection" received airplay on modern rock radio stations, charting on the Billboard Hot 100 at positions #67 and #53 respectively; their debut album also earned gold certification. After performing at the 1995 Glastonbury Festival, they participated in the Lollapalooza tour and completed four tours across North America within a year. Bassist Holland departed in August 1995 citing fatigue and was temporarily replaced by Abby Travis before Sheila Chipperfield took over permanently in 1996. Keyboardist David Bush, formerly of The Fall, also joined during this period.

Following early 1996 demo sessions for new material, Elastica began recording their second album later that same year. By late 1998, Matthews had left and was succeeded by guitarist Paul Jones (Linoleum) and keyboardist Mew; Chipperfield was replaced by returning Holland.

In August 1999, a self-titled six-track EP featuring unreleased songs from abandoned sessions was issued, marking their first release in over four years. After re-recording these tracks alongside new compositions, they resumed live shows. In November 1999, due to a label merger that dissolved their US distributor DGC into Geffen/Interscope, Elastica departed from Geffen and signed with Atlantic Records. Their sophomore album, The Menace, released in April 2000, experienced reduced commercial performance and critical reception compared to their debut. Financial difficulties led to Deceptive Records closing in early 2001; soon after Atlantic dropped Elastica because of poor sales, leaving them without label support.

In October 2001, after unproductive attempts at recording a third album combined with exhaustion from touring commitments, Elastica announced their amicable dissolution. Their final single, "The Bitch Don't Work," was released through Wichita Recordings in November 2001.

Post-breakup developments

Following the band's dissolution, Frischmann moved to Boulder, Colorado in 2005 to pursue art studies at Naropa University. By 2008, she had established herself as an artist and subsequently settled in the San Francisco Bay Area. Matthews, who had formed the band Klang in 2004, currently serves as a pastor in Totnes. Holland continues to live in Brighton. Welch and Mew are a married couple residing in Hastings; Welch contributed drums during Lush's reunion tours in 2015-16 and now performs with Piroshka, a group that has issued two albums under Bella Union. Jones transitioned into an A&R role at Rough Trade after managing his own Slogan label, which released the Fall's Fall Heads Roll and signed the band Warpaint.

On 21 January 2017, Matthews, Holland, and Welch reunited at Abbey Road Studios to collaborate with mastering engineer Sean McGee on a remaster of their debut album Elastica; Frischmann also took part in this project. The remastered edition was subsequently reissued in April to coincide with Record Store Day.

Members

Final line-up

• Justine Frischmann – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1992–2001)
• Justin Welch – drums (1992–2001)
• Annie Holland – bass (1992–1995, 1999–2001)
• David Bush – keyboards (1996–2001)
• Paul Jones – lead guitar (1998–2001)
• Sharon Mew – keyboards, backing vocals (1999–2001)

Former members

• Donna Matthews – lead guitar, backing vocals (1992–1998)
• Sheila Chipperfield – bass (1996–1998)

Guest/touring musicians

• Abby Travis – bass (touring, 1995–1996)
• Damon Albarn – keyboards (1995, 1999; credited under the anagrammatic pseudonyms "Dan Abnormal" on Elastica and "Norman Balda" on The Menace)
• Antony Genn – keyboards (1995–1996; touring)

Studio albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions						Sales	Certifications
		UK	AUS	CAN	NZ	SWE	US
1995	Elastica Released: 13 March 1995 Label: Deceptive/Geffen	1	57	31	20	34	66	UK sales: 270,000 US sales: 556,000 Worldwide sales: 1,000,000	UK: Gold CAN: Gold US: Gold
2000	The Menace Released: 3 April 2000 Label: Deceptive/Atlantic	24	—	—	—	—	—	US sales: 31,000

Extended play

• Elastica 6 Track EP (Released 23 August 1999)

Compilation album

• The Radio One Sessions (Released 29 October 2001)

Singles

Year	Title	Highest chart rankings							Associated album
		UK	AUS	CAN	CAN Alt	US	US Alt	US Main
1993	"Stutter"	80	125	—	4	67	10	—	Elastica
1994	"Line Up"	20	142	—	—	—	—	—
	"Connection"	17	71	9	11	53	2	40
1995	"Waking Up"	13	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Car Song"	—	106	—	14	—	33	—
1999	"How He Wrote Elastica Man"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	'6 Track EP'
2000	"Mad Dog God Dam"	44	—	—	—	—	—	—	'The Menace'
2001	"The Bitch Don't Work"	87	—	—	—	—	—	—	'Non-album single'

1. Only entered the charts in 1995.