David Cronenberg's Wife

David Cronenberg's Wife is a London-based band. The name is taken from the Canadian filmmaker and actor David Cronenberg.

Profile

Described as "where genius meets idiocy" by BBC Radio 2's Mark Lamarr, the band's lyrics combine dark subject matter with an off-kilter humour. They released their first single "I Couldn't Get Off" in 2007, followed up by two singles and their first album ''Bluebeard's Rooms'' in 2008. The album was recorded by Simon Trought (formerly of Tompaulin and Hayman, Watkins, Trout & Lee), Dot Allison, and guitarist Ian Button (formerly of the Thrashing Doves and Death in Vegas). It was described in '' The Fly'' as "one of the albums of the year". Other reviews, however, were more critical of the album's dark subject matter and "repugnant imagery".

In August 2009, the band released their fourth single "The Fight Song" and played a second session on Marc Riley's BBC 6 Music show.
This was followed by an appearance on Cerys Matthews' show, also on BBC 6 Music, in October.

The band's second album ''Hypnagogues'' was released in November 2009, with a noticeably more personal feel to the lyrics and a less harsh sound, even approaching alt country on some of the tracks. The magazine ''NME'' called it "a promising work in progress" with '' Drowned in Sound'' naming opening song "Sweden" (the band's sixth single) "one of the tracks of the year", adding that "it stands so far out from the rest that it encumbers the rest of the album."

Their third album ''Don't Wait to be Hunted to Hide'' was released in December 2012, and features some of the band's most controversial songs, causing one reviewer to call it the "most truly controversial I’ve heard all year", adding that it may "upset and unsettle" some listeners. In December 2012, the band supported The Fall at the Islington Assembly Hall.

The band had two previously unreleased tracks featured on Trashmouth Record's 2014 compilation ''Thinking About Moving to Hastings'' along with songs by Fat White Family, Pit Ponies and Warmduscher. In October 2018, David Cronenberg's Wife released a new EP entitled ''The Octoberman Sequence'' on 12" vinyl, and their fourth album, ''The Ship (Necrologies)'', was released in March 2020. The album's first single, "Hannity Comes Home", was described by The Indiependent as one of the best singles of the first five months of the year.

In January 2023, the band announced it was working on its fifth album.

Band members are currently singer & songwriter Tom Mayne, keyboard player Mary Boe, guitarist Adam Croucher, drummer Tom Hemington, violin player and guitarist Thomas Alder and bassist George Hemington. Former bassist Ian Button also produced many of the tracks from the first three albums.

Singles

* "I Couldn't Get Off" / "My Date With Jenna Bush" / "I'm on the Booze, Mama orwood version, mix No. 2 (Download only) / "My Ukrainian Girlfriend" (download only) - (7" vinyl/download) (Blang Records - 2007)
* "My Best Friend's Going Out With a Girl I Like" / "Altair Voyager" - (7" vinyl/download) (Blang Records - 2008)
* "Runaway Pram (English/German/Russian versions)" - (download) (Blang Records - 2008)
* "The Fight Song" / "Suicide-Stretch Out" / "I Do Know ackney version / "I Couldn't Get Off olo version - (download) (Blang Records - 2009)
* "Jailbird / "Eugene" / "A Bad Feeling About Anna Karenina" / "Harry the Morgue hurch version - (download) (Blang Records - November 2009)
* "Sweden" / "Cymru" weden in Welsh/ "Sweden culus III remix / "Sweden Spirit remix / "Sweden avid Apple remix - (download) (Blang Records - September 2010)
* "Spiked" / "Music is my Enemy" / "Jonny Bentham's Dilemma asio version / "Spiked culus III remix - (download) (Blang Records - December 2012)
* "The Man at the Back of the Woods" / "Losing It (With You Tonight)" / "My Best Friend's Going Out With a Girl I Like asio Version / "The Man at the Back of the Woods avid Apple remix (download) (Blang Records - May 2013)
* "Such a Sweet Boy!" / "Pushin' Too Hard" / "The Rustler" / "Weil Du so lieb bist!" Sweet Boy" in German(download) (Blang Records - March 2014)
* "Hannity Comes Home" / "Eternal Shade (for Gary Rice)" / "Jailbird" ergegrend Version/ "Sweden" ergegrend Version(download) (Blang Records - January 2020)

Albums

* ''Bluebeard's Rooms'' (CD/download) (Blang Records - August 2008)
* ''Hypnagogues'' (CD/download) (Blang Records - November 2009)
* ''Don't Wait to be Hunted to Hide'' (CD/download) (Blang Records - December 2012)
* ''The Octoberman Sequence EP'' (Vinyl/download) (Blang Records - October 2018)
* ''The Ship (Necrologies)'' (CD/download) (Blang Records - March 2020)

Compilation tracks

* "Sweden ersion 1 on "Fruit Machine" (Blang Records - 2006)
* "Coming To Your Hometown orwood version on "AFUK & I (Vol. 1)" (AFUK Records - 2007)
* "I'm on the Booze, Mama orwood version, original mix and "I Do Know olo Version on "Somewhere Between Heaven & Woolworths" (Fortune Teller Records - 2007)
* "I'm on the Booze, Mama lbum version on "SWEETFA3" (Strummerville Charity compilation - 2009)
* "Suicide Stretch Out rison friendly mix on "Breaking Rocks" (Silverdoor Records - July 2010)
* "The Diplomat" on "Electio Pop" (Helen Llewelyn Product 19 - September 2010)
* "Drawn Again riginal Version on "Audio Antihero presents: "REGAL VS STEAMBOAT" for Rape Crisis (Audio Antihero - May 2013)
* "Free State Congo" inyl/CD versions& "All of Me" D version onlyon "Thinking About Moving to Hastings" (Trashmouth Records - October 2014)
* "Rules earnley Button Version on "Brighton Bands Compilation II" udio cassette(Big Salad Records - 2019)
* "Funeral Home / Rules" ive, Windmill Brixton, 19/10/19on "Jack Medley's Secure Compilation - Songs in the Key of K" (Bandcamp - May 2020)

References

External links

Q Magazine - Q radio featured Album of the week



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Anti-folk groups
British outsider musicians
British comedy musical groups
Musical groups from London
Musical groups established in 2004