Five Thirty

Five Thirty formed in London in 1988, Tara Milton, Paul Bassett, and Phil Hooper developing a sound that combined melodic indie rock with the guitar noise of shoegaze in ways that felt both accessible and genuinely exciting. Milton's vocals were warm and distinctive, and the band's songs had a melodic directness that set them apart from many of their contemporaries.

They were signed to East West Records and released a series of singles that earned strong reviews and radio play. Their debut album 'Bed' (1991) was a strong record that produced the singles 'You' and 'Abstain', but commercial success proved elusive. A second album, 'Grunge Puddle' (1992), followed before the band dissolved.

Five Thirty are one of the more fondly remembered acts of the early 1990s British indie scene — a band with genuine melodic gifts who arrived at a moment when the market was crowded and the timing was against them. Their recordings reward rediscovery, particularly 'Bed', which holds up as one of the better British indie albums of the early 1990s.