Echobelly

Echobelly formed in London in 1992 around vocalist Sonya Aurora Madan and guitarist Glenn Johansson. Madan — British-Indian, female, and writing about experiences that the predominantly white male Britpop scene rarely acknowledged — gave the band a perspective that was genuinely unusual. The music was melodic, guitar-driven indie with a Smiths influence, but the lyrics were doing something different.

'Everyone's Got One' (1994) was a strong debut, with 'I Can't Imagine the World Without Me' becoming one of the more memorable singles of that year. 'On' (1995) was the commercial peak — it reached number four in the UK charts and contained some of their best work. 'King of the Kerb' and 'Dark Therapy' showed a band capable of real emotional depth.

Like many Britpop bands, Echobelly found the late 1990s difficult. 'Lustra' (1997) was less well received and the band split shortly after. Madan and Johansson reformed Echobelly in 2004 and have continued to record and perform. Their back catalogue has been reassessed positively in recent years as the diversity of the Britpop era has come under renewed scrutiny.