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Modern English (band)

From Alfawiki
Modern English
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded1979 in Colchester, Essex, England
FounderRobbie Grey, Gary McDowell, Michael Conroy
Headquarters
Colchester
,
England
ProductsMusic albums, singles

Modern English is an English band associated with the new wave and post-punk genres, established in 1979 in Colchester, Essex, England. They gained prominence with hits such as "I Melt with You", "Hands Across the Sea", and "Ink and Paper". The band initially split in 1987, reunited in 1989, disbanded once more in 1991, and then came together again in 1995, continuing to perform with various personnel changes since.

History

The group originated in 1979 when Robbie Grey (vocals), Gary McDowell (guitar, vocals), and Michael Conroy (bass, vocals) formed the band initially named The Lepers. The lineup expanded with the addition of Richard Brown on drums and Steven Walker handling keyboards.[1] After issuing a self-produced single that same year, they signed with 4AD in 1980. Under this label, they released two singles and recorded a session for John Peel before launching their debut album Mesh & Lace in 1981.[2] Their early sound bore a strong resemblance to Joy Division.[3] Their sophomore effort, After the Snow (1982), adopted a keyboard-centric style reminiscent of bands like Simple Minds and Duran Duran.[3] Released through Sire Records in the United States, the album reached number 70 on the Billboard charts and sold over half a million copies.[1][3] The track "I Melt with You" achieved a peak position of number 76 in the US charts.[3]

After relocating to New York City, Modern English put out their third album, Ricochet Days, which also secured a spot within the US top 100. Subsequent lineup changes saw Walker and Brown depart, leading to the recording of Stop Start (1986) featuring Aaron Davidson on keyboards and guitar alongside session drummer Graham Broad. This was their final release under Sire before disbanding. Between 1983 and 1984, Grey, McDowell, and Conroy contributed to projects by This Mortal Coil.[3]

In 1989, Grey reassembled Modern English with Conroy and Davidson to produce the album Pillow Lips (1990) released via TVT Records. This album included a newly recorded version of "I Melt with You" which charted once again. Due to contractual complications, the band split again in 1991; Grey subsequently formed Engine. By 1995, after resolving disputes with TVT Records, Engine transitioned back into Modern English with Grey and Matthew Shipley on keyboards, releasing Everything's Mad (1996) through Imago Records.[3]

From 1998 until 2002, Grey toured across the United States with new band members and later recorded Soundtrack, produced by Hugh Jones and released in 2010 on Darla Records. In 2010, most of the original members (excluding Brown) reunited for tours across the US, UK, and Paris. They re-recorded "I Melt with You" for director Mark Pellington's film bearing the same title and created Take Me To The Trees, funded via PledgeMusic and released in 2016. This album was produced by Martyn Young of Colourbox and MARRS, who also contributed additional keyboard parts. During this timeframe, the band also performed tours dedicated to their Mesh & Lace album.

Modern English took part in SXSW in 2017 while supporting their Take Me To The Trees release through touring. In 2019, they toured the United States alongside The Alarm and Gene Loves Jezebel. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of After The Snow in 2022, they embarked on a US tour that included appearances on The Late Show with Jimmy Fallon as well as NBC's Today. That year also saw them record ten new tracks.

On 20 May 2023, Modern English performed at the Cruel World Festival held in Pasadena, California.[4] They continued touring across the US during 2023 while previewing songs from their upcoming album 1 2 3 4, which was released on 23 February 2024.

Currently, the lineup features original members Grey, Conroy, McDowell, Stephen Walker alongside Gabriel Sullivan on guitar and Richard Chandler on drums.

Discography

External links

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named allmu
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Larkinindie
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Strong
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named NME
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