Luxembourg (band)
| Company type | Indie band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Headquarters | London , England |
| Products | Indie pop music |
Luxembourg is a London-based English indie ensemble formed in 2001, consisting of five members. The principal lineup featured David Shah as lead vocalist, Rob Britton on guitar, Alex Potterill handling keyboards, Jon Bacon playing bass, and Steve Brummell on drums. After Bacon left the group in 2006, David Barnett took over bass duties. By 2016, both Bacon and Barnett were active participants, whereas Potterill was no longer involved. The band’s musical approach, frequently described as "pop noir," has drawn parallels to acts such as Pulp, The Smiths, and Pet Shop Boys.
History
Luxembourg first attracted media interest through their contributions to Angular Recording Corporation compilations The New Cross and Rip Off Your Labels, sharing billing with artists like Bloc Party and The Long Blondes.
Their initial single, "What The Housewives Don't Tell You," launched in September 2004, garnered favorable critiques from sources including Teletext's Planet Sound. In December of the same year, they released Best Kept Secret, a collection comprising demo EP tracks, live versions, and electronic reinterpretations, which Simon Price of the Independent On Sunday rated 3.5 out of 5.
November 2005 saw the release of "Luxembourg vs Great Britain" through Shifty Disco’s Download Club and as a physical EP featuring B-sides produced by Darren Allison, noted for his work with The Divine Comedy. Their debut full-length album, Front, produced by Brian O'Shaughnessy, was unveiled in October 2006 to widespread critical praise. Preceding this album, the vinyl single "We Only Stayed Together For The Kids" came out in June 2006 and received commendations from Artrocker and Drowned in Sound.
Following Jon Bacon’s departure in December 2006, David Barnett—formerly of The Boyfriends—joined the lineup. This reconfigured group debuted under the name The Exhibitionists in March 2007 with fresh material.
The original formation dissolved in early 2008 but offered an incomplete follow-up album titled Last Holiday Before Divorce as a complimentary download on Last.fm. This release featured demos along with the previously unreleased single "Kick Me" / "Not Quite Right/Not Quite Not Right".
In 2016, Luxembourg reunited for a performance in Islington with Shah, Britton, Barnett, Bacon, and Brummell. Subsequently, in May 2018, they unveiled a new video for "Youth" followed by the five-track Youth EP, indicating plans for further new releases.
Individual projects
Band members have pursued various independent ventures beyond Luxembourg.
David Shah advances his solo endeavor The Melting Ice Caps and occasionally collaborates with Alex Potterill and Aug Stone. Additionally, David and Aug co-write under the name The Soft Close-Ups. Recently, David partnered with original guitarist Andrew 'Bash' Bashford in the project Zeitklein, producing new material.
Alex Potterill fronted the glam/indie pop outfit Jonny Cola & The A-Grades and now issues solo recordings as Jonny Cola while co-managing the multimedia project Jukebox Headaches alongside former bandmate Jez Leather.
Rob Britton has released multiple solo albums on Bandcamp and performed guitar with Brontosaurus Chorus. He also plays bass for Barnett’s band New Royal Family and collaborates in Menaces alongside Dom Green from Brontosaurus Chorus and Ciaran McNamee.
Steve Brummell operates 'A Secret Picnic', a website dedicated to band photography, and has returned from retirement to drum for acts including Piney Gir, The Monochrome Set, Rebecca Jade, as well as live performances with Melting Ice Caps.
David Barnett established The New Royal Family featuring Britton (bass), Charley Stone (guitar), and Jennifer Denitto (drums). Their song "Anyone Fancy A Chocolate Digestive?" gained recognition through podcasts affiliated with football clubs Vancouver White Caps and East Fife FC. Barnett also founded The Famous Cocks and David and the Barnettes, played bass with The Melting Ice Caps, and co-created Menaces alongside Britton.
Both Barnett and Britton continue as key figures in Keith Top of the Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band, with Brummell contributing drums during live shows and recordings.
Singles
- "What The Housewives Don't Tell You", released September 2004 by Dogbox Records (BOX1)
- "Luxembourg vs Great Britain", issued November 2005 through Dogbox Records (BOX5)
- "We Only Stayed Together For The Kids", launched June 2006 via Dogbox Records (BOX11)
- "Sick of DIY", available October 2006 on Dogbox Records (BOX15)
- Youth EP, May 2018 release (LUX3)
- "45", January 2021 release (LUX4)
- "Changes", July 2021 release (LUX5)
Albums
- Front, published October 2006 by Dogbox Records (BOX16)
- Last Holiday Before Divorce, released May 2008
Compilation albums
- Best Kept Secret - Demos & Rarities 2001-2004, December 2004 release from Dogbox Records (BOX2)
- A Secret Public - b-sides & rarities 2001-2006, issued October 2016 (LUX2)
Compilation appearances
- "Making Progress" featured on The New Cross: An Angular Sampler, November 2003, Angular Recording Corporation (ARC002)
- "Let Us Have It" included in Rip Off Your Labels: More Angular Product, June 2004, Angular Recording Corporation (ARC004)
- "Not My Number" appearing on Blue Skies Up: Welcome To The New Pop Revolution, May 2006, Dogbox Records (BOX8)
- "Kick Me" featured on Doing It For The Kids 08, May 2008
Soundtrack contributions
- "Close-cropped" included in The Viva Voce Virus, 2008, Survive-The-Kavoti-Cave Productions
Live performances beyond London
Although Luxembourg's main base was London, the band also played in prominent UK cities such as Brighton, Sheffield, Liverpool—notably at the Liverpool Mathew Street Music Festival—Cardiff, Oxford, Reading, Cambridge (Downing College Ball), Norwich, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Tunbridge Wells. Their live presence extended internationally with a performance in Paris.