Pete Doherty

Pete Doherty was born in Hexham, Northumberland in 1979 and rose to fame as the co-founder and co-vocalist of The Libertines — one of the most important British bands of the early 2000s — before forming Babyshambles. His solo career has been overshadowed by the tabloid narrative surrounding his personal life, but the music itself deserves to be heard on its own terms.

'Grace/Wastelands' (2009) was his debut solo album — a genuinely beautiful record of baroque pop and melodic rock that drew on the English literary and musical tradition in ways that were immediately distinctive. Songs like 'Last of the English Roses' and 'Arcady' showed a songwriter of genuine gifts whose melodic intelligence and lyrical depth were fully intact.

Doherty has continued to record and perform, releasing 'Hamburg Demonstrations' (2016) and 'The Fantasy Life of Poetry & Crime' (2022, with Frédéric Lo) to positive reviews. He is one of the most gifted and troubled figures in British music — a songwriter whose combination of melodic beauty and lyrical intelligence makes him genuinely important, whatever one's view of his personal history. ⚠ Flag: most recent activity — verify latest release.