Felt

Felt were the creation of Lawrence, a Birmingham musician of singular vision and obsessive precision who formed the band in 1979. From the outset, Lawrence had a plan: ten albums, ten singles, ten years, then dissolution. He executed it with remarkable discipline. Felt's sound drew on Television, The Velvet Underground, and the jangly guitars of the early 1980s indie scene, filtered through Lawrence's own peculiar sensibility.

The addition of keyboardist Martin Duffy transformed the band's sound from the mid-1980s onwards, adding a melodic richness that complemented Lawrence's guitar work perfectly. Albums like 'Ignite the Seven Cannons' (1985) and 'Forever Breathes the Lonely Word' (1986) are among the finest British indie records of the decade — melodic, melancholy, and entirely distinctive. Lawrence's lyrics were literary and oblique, his persona carefully constructed.

Felt dissolved in 1989, exactly as planned, with Lawrence moving on to Denim and then Go-Kart Mozart. The Felt back catalogue has been reissued and reassessed, and Lawrence is now recognised as one of the most singular figures in British indie music. His refusal to compromise, his obsessive attention to detail, and his extraordinary melodic gifts make Felt essential listening for anyone interested in the history of British indie pop.