Supergrass first burst onto the UK music scene in 1995, young, carefree and seemingly touched with an effortless pop magic
Since then, their first two classic albums, the No.1 "I Should Coco" (which featured the summer anthem "Alright") and it's more rounded 1997 follow-up, the wryly-titled "In It For The Money", both achieved UK platinum status (clocking up impressive worldwide sales of over one million copies each), whilst the band play sold-out tours around the world to an ever burgeoning fanbase.
From loveable scamps enjoying the first flush of success in the heady days of the mid-Nineties, Supergrass have become one of the most decorated British groups of the '90s. They have won Best Newcomer awards at the Brits, the NME Brats, the Q awards & the Nordoff Robbins awards, whereas the Ivor Novellos brought forth a Best Contemporary Song award (for "Alright") and there was also a prestigious Mercury Music Prize nomination for "I Should Coco".
Although Supergrass was not convened until February 1993, the origins of the group go back to the days when a barely-teenage Danny Goffey (drums) and Gaz Coombes (vocals/guitars) put together a fourpiece called The Jennifers while both were studying at Wheatley Park Comprehensive in Oxford (bassist Mick Quinn had also been a pupil there). Deciding to juggle the band with their school homework, The Jennifers signed to Nude Records (at the same time as Suede), but only released one single before things came to a natural conclusion. Soon afterwards, Gaz met Mick whilst working at a local Harvester restaurant and, together with Danny, formed Theodore Supergrass (they soon dropped the unlikely prefix).
Supergrass played their first live shows to a herd of cows next to Mick's house, although, after recording a cracking demo at Sawmills Studios in Cornwall (studio of choice for the band to this day), the band appeared at the Jericho Tavern, Oxford to a sizeable herd of record company A&R people.
Their debut single, "Caught By The Fuzz", was originally released in the summer of 1994 on tiny Oxford indie label Backbeat as a limited edition of 250 and sold out immediately, primarily due to the support of Radio One's John Peel. The track, inspired by a 15 year-old Gaz's arrest and caution for cannabis possession, was also included on an early Fierce Panda EP, eventually gaining a full release upon the band's signing to Parlophone in October 1994, whereupon it achieved the rare feat of both NME and Melody maker 'Single Of The Week' status in the same week.
A rapid succession of hits, including "Mansize Rooster" (No.20), "Lenny" (No.10), "Alright" (No.2) and "Going Out" (No.5), followed whilst a non-stop round of touring and festival appearances throughout the next 18 months - notably Scotland's 'T In The Park', Rio de Janerio's 'Hollywood Rocks', Australasia's 'Big Day Out' and, of course, England's 'Glastonbury Festival' - honed the band's sound and sealed their reputation as one of the country's premier live attractions. In the USA, major fan Steven Spielberg even approached Supergrass with an idea of a TV series based around the band and it's exploits. This was clearly time for the band to stop the madness, and they instead retreated to the UK in the spring of 1996 to recharge their batteries and prepare ideas for the second album.
Again recorded at their favourite Sawmills Studios (and this time produced by the band themselves with John Cornfield), "In It For The Money" was a darker yet somehow more uplifting instalment from a band who were clearly here for the long haul. A huge leap forward in terms of both sound and vision, this was the album that Supergrass had to make if they were to ensure that they would eventually make that fifth album they had told us to watch out for in early interviews. From the gripping intensity of the first single (and No.2 hit) "Richard III", through the explosive "Sun Hits The Sky" (No.10), to the spliffy soulful beauty of "Late In The Day" (No.18), it was clear that this was a more emotionally ambitious album than "I Should Coco", yet one that still sparkled with the same irrepressible sense of fun and adventure that has always been the band's trademark.
Released amidst a flurry of fantastic reviews and front covers from magazines such as NME, Melody Maker, i-D and The Big Issue (where the band were interviewed at Heathrow Airport by notorious ex-drug smuggler and raconteur Howard Marks), "In It For The Money" rapidly saw the band notch up their second platinum album whilst many bands hat had previously been considered their contemporaries seemed to stumble.
During 1998, Gaz and Mick were invited to play on Dr John's "Anutha Zone" album (they appear on the track "Voices In My Head"), whilst Danny contributed to the debut album by Lodger (which also featured longtime partner Pearl Lowe and members of the band Delicatessen).
Supergrass released the lead track from their third album, "Pumping On Your Stereo" (No.11), in May 1999. The single displayed the trademark dash of knockabout Supergrass humour and this was never more evident than in the fantastic promo video put together in conjunction with the Jim Henson Creature Shop (famed for their work with The Muppets and Flat Eric) where the band featured as 12-foot tall puppets playing a variety of singing instruments.
The mini-tour scheduled around the single release was a huge success, seeing Supergrass play once more to sold-out venues, on the final night storming London's Shepherds Bush Empire as part of MTV's 'Five Night Stand' festival. Reviews of the show were ecstatic and reconfirmed the band's position as one of Britain's premier live acts; "Magic" said Melody Maker, whilst London's Evening Standard went as far as to say that "Supergrass sounded increasingly capable of standing next to classic bands like Pink Floyd and The Who and taking them out... Right now Supergrass are the one band we can export with confidence and say, go on then, see if you've got anything better".
The much anticipated third album, "Supergrass", will be released through Parlophone in September 1999. Clearly the sound of a band growing up and realising the potential that so many spotted at an early age, the album features twelve new songs and was again recorded at the band's preferred Sawmill studio in Cornwall with longtime collaborator John Cornfield. According to early reports, a variety of weird and wonderful instruments made the short journey down the river to the studio in the autumn of 1998, an early indicator that Supergrass were to significantly broaden their sound with this album, moving away from straight guitar rock into a wide range of styles, from the gorgeous string drenched grace of new single "Moving", through the laidback West Coast vibe of "Shotover Hill" and the experimental "Eon"'s stunning electronica. Bassist Mick Quinn shares much of the vocal responsibilities this time (assuming lead vocal duties on the tracks "Beautiful People", a vivid sketch of late-Nineties Met Bar culture, a
nd the haunting album closer "Mama & Papa"), another mark of the band's growing confidence.
Clearly relishing their time in the studio, the band have easily transcended the 'indie guitar rock' tag that has restricted many a band's creativity in the past decade, and crafted and album of deft twists and turns that sees Supergrass emerge as a musical force that demands to be reckoned with well into the next century, sparking with the fiery intensity of a band who know that their best is yet to come.
