Republica

Republica

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1994
Headquarters	England, United Kingdom
Products	Music albums, singles, EPs

Republica is an English alternative rock group that originated in 1994, gaining significant recognition between 1996 and 1999 before entering a break in 2001 and reforming in 2008. Their musical style, often characterized as "technopop punk rock", fuses alternative rock with electronic influences. The band’s current members are Saffron (lead vocals), Tim Dorney (keyboards), and Johnny Male (guitar).

1994–1997: Formation, debut album, and global acclaim

Tim Dorney, formerly the keyboardist for Flowered Up, crossed paths with producer and engineer Andy Todd while working in the studio with Soul Family Sensation. Together, they established Republica with a focus on electronic music. They brought on board vocalist Saffron, who had previously acted in London's Starlight Express and lent her voice to N-Joi’s 1990 track "Anthem". The original ensemble also featured Alix Tiernan on drums and Mick Pirie handling bass duties.

The band’s debut single, "Out of This World," was released in 1994, followed by "Bloke" in March 1995. After producing the video for "Bloke," guitarist Johnny Male—formerly of Soul Family Sensation—joined the lineup. Republica made their television debut on The White Room in April 1995. Later that year, Mick Pirie departed from the group. In April 1996, "Ready to Go" climbed to No. 43 on the UK Singles Chart. Their self-titled first album Republica was launched in the United States in July 1996 and reached No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart by 1997. The remixed version of "Ready to Go" became their hallmark single, peaking at No. 13. Another notable track, "Drop Dead Gorgeous," secured the No. 7 spot. To support the album’s promotion, David Barbarossa—founder of Bow Wow Wow—joined as drummer after Tiernan transitioned to percussion before leaving the band in 1996.

Critics praised Republica for their assertive electronic-rock fusion, setting them apart from peers such as Elastica and Sleeper. In 1997, they contributed a cover of "Are 'Friends' Electric?" for the Gary Numan tribute compilation Random. That same year, Saffron appeared on the Prodigy’s track "Fuel My Fire" from The Fat of the Land. By early 1998, following the exits of Barbarossa and Todd, Republica continued as a trio.

1998–2001: Speed Ballads release and disbandment

The band's sophomore album, Speed Ballads (1998), attained No. 37 on the UK Albums Chart. Its lead single "From Rush Hour With Love" reached No. 20 on the UK Singles Chart. Shortly after this release, Republica faced challenges when their label, Deconstruction Records, ceased operations. The label’s catalogue was subsequently acquired by BMG, but Speed Ballads never saw a US release. In 2001, Republica announced a hiatus via their official website, indicating they were not engaged in recording activities.

2002–2009: Period of inactivity

In 2002, without authorization from the band, BMG issued a compilation titled Ready to Go: The Best Of. During this dormant phase, lead vocalist Saffron collaborated with the Cure on their single "Just Say Yes" and partnered with Junkie XL for his 2003 album Radio JXL: A Broadcast from the Computer Hell Cabin. Republica briefly reunited in September 2008 at Windsor’s Contra Mundum concert, performing fan favorites including "Ready to Go" and "Drop Dead Gorgeous".

2010–2020: Reunion, occasional gigs, and fresh releases

At the beginning of 2010, Republica returned to live shows and unveiled a revamped version of "Ready to Go," titled "Ready to Go 2010," which climbed to No. 1 on the Upfront Club chart. This remix, crafted by Andy Gray and Alan Moulder, signified the band’s re-entry into the commercial music scene. Their reunion performance took place at O2 Academy Islington in October 2010, followed by tours across Eastern Europe and the Middle East in 2011. In July 2012, they appeared at GuilFest.

In April 2013, Republica released the EP Christiana Obey and recorded a session for Brentwood's Phoenix FM. During spring 2014, they co-headlined a 20th anniversary tour alongside Space, then later that year supported the Boomtown Rats on their UK "Ratlife" tour, presenting new songs. Additional fresh tracks were performed on 29 May 2015 at London’s "Under The Bridge" venue. On 28 February 2020, a deluxe edition of their debut album Republica was issued through Cherry Red Records.

2021–present: Damaged Gods

In November 2023, Republica introduced "New York," the lead single from their forthcoming album Damaged Gods, scheduled for release in spring 2025 via Armalyte Industries. This marks their first studio album in nearly three decades. The follow-up single, "Hallelujah," was released on 28 June 2024.

June 2024 saw Saffron announce that Steve Hewitt, formerly with Placebo and Six by Seven, had joined Republica as their live drummer.

Current members

• Saffron – lead vocals, tambourine, guitar (1994–2001, 2008–present)
• Tim Dorney – keyboards (1994–2001, 2008–present)
• Johnny Male – guitar, bass (1995–2001, 2008–present)

Current touring members

• Steve Hewitt – drums (2024–present)

Former members

• Andy Todd – keyboards, guitar, bass (1994–1998)
• Mick Pirie – bass (1994–1995)
• Alix Tiernan – drums, percussion (1994–1996)
• David Barbarossa – drums, percussion (1996–1998)

Former touring members

• Pete Riley – drums (1998–2001)
• Nigel Champion – drums (2008–2012)
• Conor Lawrence – drums (2012–2024)
• Timm Hamm – bass (2013–2015)

Side projects and collaborations

• Saffron lent her vocals to the Prodigy’s track "Fuel My Fire" from their 1997 release The Fat of the Land.
• She contributed writing and vocals for Deepsky’s "Smile" featured on their 2002 album In Silico.
• On Junkie XL’s 2003 album Radio JXL: A Broadcast from the Computer Hell Cabin, Saffron performed on "Crusher," "Spirits," and "Beauty Never Fades."
• In 2001, she collaborated with the Cure on the single "Just Say Yes" for their Greatest Hits, also appearing in its music video.
• Saffron provided vocals for "Pork-U-Pine" on Jeff Beck’s 2003 album Jeff.
• Tim Dorney briefly reunited with Liam Maher of Flowered Up before disbanding in late 2002. A planned Flowered Up reunion in 2007 did not proceed after Dorney declined involvement. Subsequently, he pursued work as a painter and decorator and released Contra Mundum with Male in 2008 under White Label.
• Johnny Male co-wrote songs for Sarah Cracknell’s solo album Lipslide in 1997 and has been involved with cult band Go Kart Mozart.
• Andy Todd continued his songwriting career by co-writing "Reach" for S Club 7 and collaborating with Kylie Minogue. He runs recording studios located in London and the Caribbean.

Studio albums

Overview of studio albums, key information, and highest chart rankings

Album Title	Album Information	Highest Chart Positions									Certifications
		UK	AUS	AUT	GER	NED	NZ	SCO	SWI	US
Republica	Release date: 30 July 1996 Label: Deconstruction Available formats: cassette, CD, LP	4	95	34	47	36	26	9	48	153	BPI: Gold
Speed Ballads	Release date: 5 October 1998 Label: Deconstruction Available formats: cassette, CD, LP	37	—	—	—	—	—	45	—	—	—
Damaged Gods	Scheduled release: TBA 2025 Label: Armalyte Industries Formats: To be announced	colspan="9" Template:TBA

Compilation albums

Title	Release Date	Label
Ready to Go: The Best Of	May 2002	Camden

Live albums

Title	Release Date	Label
Live at the Astoria	March 2013	Independent

Extended plays

Title	Release Date	Label
Christiana Obey	March 2013	Independent

Singles

Single Title	Year Released	Highest Chart Rankings										Certifications	Associated Album
		UK	AUS	GER	IRE	NED	NZ	SCO	SWE	SWI	US
"Out of This World"	1994	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Non-album single
"Bloke"	1995	81	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Republica
"Ready to Go" (original mix)	1996	43	—	—	—	—	—	59	—	—	—
"Ready to Go" (remix)	"1997"	"13"	"40"	"33"	"26"	"25"	"42"	"12"	"40"	"34"	"56"	BPI: Silver		-	"Drop Dead Gorgeous"	"7"	"131"	"90"	"—"	"—"	"30"	"8"	"—"	"—"	"93"		-	"From Rush Hour with Love"	"1998"	"20"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"21"	"—"	"—"	"—"		"Speed Ballads"	-	"Ready to Go" (remix featuring Tomcraft)	"2007"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"		"For the Queen" (Tomcraft album)	-	"Ready to Go 2010"	"2010"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"		"Non-album single"	-	"New York"	"2023"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—" "—"# "—"# "—"# "—"#	"Damaged Gods"#	-	"Hallelujah " ("|2024 " ("| — " ("| — " ("| — " ("| — " ("| — " ("| — " ("| — " ("| — " ("| — " ("| — "

Promotional singles

Title	Year	Album
"Holly"	1995	Republica
"Try Everything"	1998	Speed Ballads

Music videos

• "Bloke", released in 1995
• "Ready to Go" (original version), 1996
• "Ready to Go" (Ben Grosse remix), 1997
• "Drop Dead Gorgeous", 1997
• "From Rush Hour with Love" (two versions), 1998
• "Try Everything", 1998
• "Christiana Obey", 2013
• "New York", 2023
• "Hallelujah", 2024

See also

• List of alternative music artists

External links

• [ Republica] at AllMusic