Belle and Sebastian

Belle and Sebastian formed in Glasgow in 1996, Stuart Murdoch's songwriting and the band's chamber pop aesthetic giving them a quality that was immediately distinctive. They released their debut album 'Tigermilk' (1996) as a limited edition of one thousand copies for a music business course at Stow College. The album was so good that it was later given a proper release.

'If You're Feeling Sinister' (1996) was the breakthrough — one of the finest British albums of the decade. 'The Stars of Track and Field', 'Seeing Other People', 'Me and the Farmer' — the songs were melodic, literary, and possessed of a melancholy that felt genuinely felt. Murdoch's lyrics dealt with illness, loneliness, and the specific experience of being young and uncertain in a way that resonated deeply.

Belle and Sebastian have continued to record and tour with remarkable consistency. 'The Boy with the Arab Strap' (1998), 'Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant' (2000), 'Dear Catastrophe Waitress' (2003) — each album has added to a body of work that is one of the most consistently excellent in British indie music. Their live shows have evolved from intimate to genuinely celebratory.