Suede (known as the London Suede in the United States) are an English rock band formed in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

in 1989 by singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Justine Frischmann, and bassist Mat Osman. Drawing from

glam rock Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was primarily defined by the flamboyant clothing, makeup, and hairstyles of its musicians, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists d ...

and

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...

, Suede were labeled "The Best New Band in Britain" by ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...

'' in 1992, attracting significant attention from the British music press. The following year, their debut album, ''

Suede Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, Textile, fabrics, Handbag, purses, furniture, and other items. Suede is made from the underside of the animal skin, which is softer and m ...

'', reached number one on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...

, becoming the fastest-selling debut album in nearly a decade. It won the

Mercury Music Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual Music award, music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the Music of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom or Music of Ireland, Ireland. It was cre ...

and helped propel '

Britpop Britpop was a mid-1990s United Kingdom, British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. Musically, Britpop produced bright, catchy alternative rock, with significant influences from British guitar pop of the 1960s and 1970s. B ...

' as a musical movement, though the band distanced themselves from the label. The recording sessions for their second album, '' Dog Man Star'', were tumultuous, ending with guitarist and songwriter Bernard Butler leaving after conflicts with the other members. Guitarist and songwriter Richard Oakes replaced him and joined the band just before the accompanying tour. Though a commercial disappointment at the time, the album received generally enthusiastic reviews upon release and has since been celebrated as one of rock music's great albums. In 1994, Suede became part of Britpop's "big four," alongside

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentBlur, and Pulp. In 1996, following the addition of keyboardist Neil Codling, Suede achieved greater commercial success with '' Coming Up''. The album reached number one in the UK, produced five top ten singles, and became Suede's best-selling album worldwide. Despite internal issues, Suede's fourth album, '' Head Music'' (1999), topped the British charts. Heavily promoted, the album received substantial media attention upon release; however, fan and critical responses were less enthusiastic than for previous records. Codling left the band in 2001, citing

chronic fatigue syndrome Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disabling Chronic condition, chronic illness. People with ME/CFS experience profound fatigue that does not go away with rest, as well as sleep issues and problems with memory ...

, and was replaced by Alex Lee. The band's fifth album, '' A New Morning'' (2002), their first after the collapse of

Nude Records Nude Records is an independent record label, established in August 1991 in London. The label was set up and operated by Saul Galpern, who had previously worked with artists such as Simply Red, The Fall, Julian Cope, The Triffids, The Slits ...

, was a commercial and critical disappointment, leading to the band's disbandment the following year. In 2004, Anderson briefly reunited with Butler to form The Tears before beginning a solo career two years later. After much speculation, Suede reunited in 2010 for a series of concerts. Three years after their reunion performances, Suede released their sixth album, '' Bloodsports''. It was well-received by critics and returned the band to the UK top ten. Their seventh album, '' Night Thoughts'', followed in 2016, achieving even greater critical and commercial success than its predecessor. Their eighth studio album, '' The Blue Hour'', was released in September 2018, becoming the group's first top-five record since ''Head Music''. Their ninth studio album, ''

Autofiction Autofiction is, in literary criticism, a form of fictionalized autobiography. Definition In autofiction, an author may decide to recount their life in the Third-person narrative, third person, to modify significant details and characters, use in ...

'', was released in September 2022. They are set to release their tenth studio album ''

Antidepressants Antidepressants are a class of medications used to treat major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, chronic pain, and addiction. Common side effects of antidepressants include dry mouth, weight gain, dizziness, headaches, akathisia, sexu ...

'' in September 2025.

History

1989–1991: Formation and early years

Brett Anderson and Justine Frischmann met in 1988 while studying at

University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

and became a couple soon afterward. Together with Anderson's childhood friend Mat Osman, they believed they had the foundation for a band and spent hours daily playing songs by

Roxy Music Roxy Music are an English rock music, rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry (lead vocals/keyboards/principal songwriter) and Graham Simpson (musician), Graham Simpson (bass). By the time the band recorded their Roxy Music (album), first albu ...

The Smiths The Smiths were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, composed of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (musician), Mike Joyce (drums). Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwrit ...

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

, and

The Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band's current line-up comprises Smith, Perry Bamonte (guitar and keyboards), Reev ...

.Harris, p. 32 After concluding that neither Anderson nor Frischmann had the skills to be a lead guitarist, the band placed an ad in ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' in the magazine's 28 October 1989 issue seeking to fill the position: "Young guitar player needed by London-based band. Smiths, Commotions, Bowie,

Pet Shop Boys Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 100 million records worldwide and were listed as the most successful duo in UK music h ...

. No Musos. Some things are more important than ability. Call Brett." The ad attracted nineteen-year-old Bernard Butler, who soon auditioned to join the band. They settled on the name Suede. Initially lacking a drummer, the band used a

drum machine A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument that creates percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns. Drum machines may imitate drum kits or other percussion instruments, or produce unique sounds, such as synthesized electronic tones. A d ...

. Despite Frischmann's efforts as the band's ''de facto'' manager, they primarily played small-scale gigs around

Camden Town Camden Town () is an area in the London Borough of Camden, around north-northwest of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is identified in the London Plan as one of 34 major centres in Greater London. Laid out as a residential distri ...

in London. Suede's first breakthrough came with their second demo, ''Specially Suede,'' which they sent to compete in ''Demo Clash,'' a radio show on Greater London Radio hosted by DJ Gary Crowley. "Wonderful Sometimes" won ''Demo Clash'' for five consecutive Sundays in 1990, leading to a recording contract with the Brighton-based indie label RML. The song appeared on a cassette compilation in April 1990, representing Suede's first official release. After a series of performances with an unreliable drum machine, Suede decided to recruit a full-time drummer. Justin Welch briefly filled the role, though he lasted only six weeks before joining the

Crawley Crawley () is a town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in West Sussex, England. It is south of London, north of Brighton and Hove, and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Crawley covers an area of and had a populat ...

band

Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the ...

. However, he remained long enough to record two songs with the band, which were set to be released as the "Be My God"/"Art" single on RML Records. The band was dissatisfied with the result, and most of the 500 copies pressed were destroyed. Suede placed another ad seeking a replacement. To their surprise, it was answered by former Smiths drummer Mike Joyce. Ultimately, he declined the job, feeling Suede still needed to forge their own identity and that his presence might hinder them due to their similarities to the Smiths. In June 1990, Suede found a permanent drummer, Simon Gilbert, through

Ricky Gervais Ricky Dene Gervais ( ; born 25 June 1961) is an English comedian, actor, writer, television producer and filmmaker. He co-created, co-wrote, and acted in the British television sitcoms ''The Office (British TV series), The Office'' (2001–2003) ...

, who initially worked in the music industry and managed the band before turning to comedy. Both worked at the

University of London Union The University of London Union (ULU), known as Student Central after 2014, was the students' union of the federal University of London. Since the closure of its student governance, each student is instead primarily affiliated to a students' unio ...

(ULU). After hearing the demo and realizing the band lacked a drummer, Gilbert asked to audition. By spring 1991, Anderson and Frischmann had broken up. Frischmann began dating Blur frontman

Damon Albarn Damon Albarn (, ; born 23 March 1968) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the frontman, main vocalist, and lyricist of the rock band Blur (band), Blur and the co-creator and primary musical con ...

. She believed the band could adapt to the new situation. However, tensions grew. Butler recalled, "She'd turn up late for rehearsals and say the worst thing in the world – 'I've been on a Blur video shoot.' That was when it ended, really. I think it was the day after she said that Brett phoned me up and said, 'I've kicked her out.'" After Frischmann's departure, the character of the group shifted. "If Justine hadn't left the band," Anderson remarked, "I don't think we'd have got anywhere. It was a combination of being personally motivated and the chemistry being right once she'd left." Anderson and Butler became close friends and started writing several new songs together. Still, the band's music remained out of step with the prevailing sounds of London's music scene and the American

grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...

movement. Anderson noted, "For the whole of 1991, A&R men wouldn't give us a second look." Through late 1991 and early 1992, Suede received a number of favorable mentions in the music press, landing slots at shows hosted by ''NME'' and attended by prominent figures, including former Smiths singer

Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey ( ; born 22 May 1959), known :wikt:mononym, mononymously as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 198 ...

. A gig at the ULU in October 1991, which caught the media's attention, marked Frischmann's final performance with the band. ''NME'' journalist John Mulvey, the first to write about Suede, attended the show. He noted, "They had charm, aggression, and... if not exactly eroticism, then something a little bit dangerous and exciting."

1992–1993: Signing and early success

After seeing the band perform at an ''NME'' show in January 1992, Saul Galpern approached them about signing to his independent record label,

. Suede eventually signed a two-single deal with Nude in February 1992 for £3,132. Following Nude's offer, Suede attracted further interest from

Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...

and

East West Records East West Records (stylized as east''west'') is a record label formed in 1955, distributed and owned by Warner Music Group, headquartered in New York City. History After its creation in 1955 by Atlantic Records, the label had its first hit wit ...

, both of which were eager to sign the band for a long-term deal. Suede were being hailed as "the next big thing" and, prior to the release of their first single, ''

'' featured the band on the cover of its 25 April issue with the headline "Suede: The Best New Band in Britain". The band's first single, " The Drowners", attracted attention for its sharp contrast to the fading Madchester scene and the US grunge sound of the time. A moderate hit, "The Drowners" reached number 49 on the UK Singles Chart in May.Roberts, David, ed. (2006), ''

British Hit Singles & Albums ''British Hit Singles & Albums'' (originally known as ''The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles'' and ''The Guinness Book of British Hit Albums'') was a music reference work, reference book originally published in the United Kingdom by the p ...

'' (19th ed.),

HIT Entertainment HIT Entertainment Limited (stylised as HiT) was a British-American entertainment company founded in 1982 as Henson International Television, the international distribution arm of The Jim Henson Company, by Jim Henson, Peter Orton, and Sophie Turn ...

, The band was then approached by

Geffen Records Geffen Records (formerly The David Geffen Company from 1980 to 1992 and Geffen Records Inc. from 1993 to 2004) is an American record label, founded in late 1980 by David Geffen. Originally a music subsidiary of the company known as Geffen Pi ...

, and although the Geffen deal was very attractive (Galpern described it as "insane"), the band still had other offers to consider. In September 1992, Suede released their second single, " Metal Mickey", which reached number 17 on the charts. It was the only Suede single to enter the US Modern Rock top 10, peaking at number 7. Shortly after the release of "Metal Mickey," Suede signed with Nude/Sony. Galpern was determined to sign the band for the long term and struck a deal with Sony, making the label a small independent with major company backing. The contract gave Suede creative control over aspects such as the artwork for their releases. Anderson soon became notorious for causing controversy, such as his infamous quote that resurfaced in interviews and articles in subsequent years: he was "a bisexual man who never had a homosexual experience." In February 1993, Suede transitioned from a highly touted indie band to major chart contenders with their third single, " Animal Nitrate," which entered the UK top ten. The single earned them a last-minute invitation to perform at that year's Brit Awards ceremony. Writing in 2005, ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

Victoria Segal reflected on the band's early career, noting that Suede's "sexually fluid lyrics made them a rallying point for the alienated, one of the few British bands since the Smiths who united as much as they divided." Comparisons were drawn to David Bowie, though Suede's sound was unlike anything else at the time, and they soon became associated with a new movement that critics quickly labeled. Anderson recalled, "I had always been fascinated by suburbia, and I liked to throw these twisted references to small-town British life into songs. This was before we had that horrible term Britpop." Before Suede had released an album, they dominated the music press on the strength of just three singles, setting high expectations for the forthcoming album. ''

'' entered the British charts at number one, registering the biggest initial sales for a debut album since

Frankie Goes to Hollywood Frankie Goes to Hollywood were an English pop band that formed in Liverpool in 1980. They comprised Holly Johnson (vocals), Paul Rutherford (backing vocals), Mark O'Toole (bass), Brian Nash (guitar) and Peter Gill (drums). Johnson and Ruther ...

's '' Welcome to the Pleasuredome'' a decade earlier. It sold over 100,000 copies in its first week of release, going gold on its second day. At the time, it was hailed as "the most eagerly awaited debut since '' Never Mind The Bollocks'' by the

Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they became culturally influential in popular music. The band initiated the punk movement in the United Ki ...

." A notable moment in the press at the time was the front cover of the April 1993 issue of '' Select'', which is regarded by many as the start of Britpop. The album won the 1993

Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual Music award, music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the Music of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom or Music of Ireland, Ireland. It was cre ...

. The band donated the entire £25,000 in prize money to

Cancer Research Cancer research is research into cancer to identify causes and develop strategies for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure. Cancer research ranges from epidemiology, molecular bioscience to the performance of clinical trials to evaluate ...

. This was the only album released in the US under the name "Suede," where it remains the band's highest-selling release. Following the success of the album, the band toured extensively across Europe, receiving major coverage from MTV. In July, Suede held a benefit concert for the Red Hot Organization at "The Grand" in London, inviting Siouxsie Sioux to perform a version of Lou Reed's "Caroline Says" with Butler. Suede then prepared for an American tour in the summer of 1993. During the tour, tensions began to develop between Butler and the rest of the band. Tensions peaked on the first American tour in Los Angeles, when Butler disappeared during a soundcheck. The gig proceeded, but for the remainder of the tour, the two parties barely spoke. The tensions worsened on the second American tour, largely due to the death of Butler's father, which forced Suede to cancel the tour prematurely. Butler was dissatisfied with the band's indulgence during his bereavement, leading to his alienation from the group. He even traveled separately from them. Suede's American success was limited, as they had already begun to be overshadowed by their opening act,

The Cranberries The Cranberries were an Irish rock music, rock band formed in Limerick in 1989. The band was composed of lead singer and guitarist Dolores O'Riordan, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan (Noel's brother), and drummer Fergal Lawler. O'Riord ...

, who received the MTV support that Suede lacked. On several occasions, Butler left the stage during Suede's performances and persuaded a member of The Cranberries to fill in for him.Harris, p. 169 Furthermore, a

lounge singer Lounge music is a type of easy listening music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It may be meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place, usually with a tranquil theme, such as a jungle, an island paradise or outer space. The ran ...

lawsuit A lawsuit is a proceeding by one or more parties (the plaintiff or claimant) against one or more parties (the defendant) in a civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today ...

forced the band to stop using the trademarked American name "Suede." For subsequent releases and shows in the United States, the band used the name "The London Suede." Anderson was not pleased about having to change the band's name for the U.S. market, stating, "The London Suede is not the name I chose for the band, I didn't change it happily, and I'm not going to pretend I did."

1994–1995: Butler's exit and ''Dog Man Star''

In February 1994, the band released the stand-alone single " Stay Together", which became their highest-charting single at the time, reaching number three in the UK. The single was backed by a collection of strong B-sides. However, the new expansive sound fractured the band and led to the departure of Butler. Despite the success of the single, the band has since distanced itself entirely from the song, an aversion usually attributed to issues with Butler at the time. In the aftermath of "Stay Together," Anderson isolated himself in a house in

Highgate Highgate is a suburban area of N postcode area, north London in the London Borough of Camden, London Boroughs of Camden, London Borough of Islington, Islington and London Borough of Haringey, Haringey. The area is at the north-eastern corner ...

and began writing songs for Suede's next album. It was during this time that Anderson distanced himself from what was dubbed the "laddish Britpop movement," which he was seen by many as having set the scene for its emergence. Bands such as Blur,

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentPulp began to dominate the music scene, while Suede became more experimental and introverted. Tensions worsened during the recording of the album when Butler criticized Anderson in a rare interview, claiming that Anderson worked too slowly and was too concerned with rock stardom. Of Anderson, he said, "He's not a musician at all. It's very difficult for him to get around anything that isn't ABC." Around this time, journalist

Neil Strauss Neil Darrow Strauss (born March 9, 1969), also known by the pen names Style and Chris Powles, is an American author and journalist. His book ''The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists'', describes his experiences in the seducti ...

wrote that Suede were a band "unafraid to be out of step with its peers." The band began recording excessively lengthy songs at the behest of Butler. Osman stated that he, Anderson, and Gilbert often felt these tracks were the result of Butler trying to provoke them.Harris, p. 171 Anderson recalled that Butler had largely recorded his parts separately from the rest of the band. This was usually done in shifts, with Anderson coming to the studio in the evenings after Butler had recorded his guitar parts during the day. Tensions reached a breaking point when Butler clashed with the producer Ed Buller, whom he insisted should be fired, as he wanted to produce the record himself. Butler then gave Anderson an ultimatum, demanding that the producer be fired or he would leave. "I called his bluff," said Anderson. Days after his wedding, Butler returned to the studio to find he was not being allowed in, and his guitars were left out on the street. According to John Harris's Britpop history, *The Last Party*, the last words Butler uttered to Anderson were "you're a fucking

cunt "Cunt" () is a vulgar word for the vulva in its primary sense, and it is used in a variety of ways, including as a term of disparagement. "Cunt" is often used as a disparaging and obscene term for a woman in the United States, an unpleas ...

." Butler left the band with a quarter of the recording still to be completed. In the band's first interview as a three-piece, Anderson had foreseen the scenario, telling NME's Steve Sutherland: "I saw it coming two years ago. It was no shock, I don't think he ever really wanted to be in the band or anything that goes with it." Led by the single " We Are the Pigs", Suede's second album, '' Dog Man Star'', was released in October 1994. The album was very well received by critics in the UK, who praised the band's new experimental direction. It entered the

at number three, but quickly slid down the charts. The singles from the album performed poorly. Reviews in the US were more mixed, with some critics comparing it unfavorably to the singles from the first album and several labeling it as pretentious and using other synonyms to that effect. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' described it as "one of the most pretentious albums ever released by a major label." Nevertheless, despite not gaining mass exposure at the time, it steadily developed a legacy throughout the decade and beyond as one of rock music's great albums. In September 1994, Suede announced that 17-year-old Richard Oakes was to be the new guitarist. After reading about Butler's departure, he sent a demo tape to the band's fanclub. When Gilbert heard Anderson playing back the tape while going through audition tapes, he mistakenly believed it to be an early Suede demo. Oakes' first official duty as a member of Suede was an appearance in the "We Are the Pigs" video. He then co-wrote his first music with Suede, the B-sides for the " New Generation" single, "Together" and "Bentswood Boys". Suede embarked on a long international tour during late 1994 and spring 1995, before disappearing to work on their third album. In 1995, the band contributed a track to ''

The Help Album ''The Help Album'' is a 1995 charity album to raise funds for the War Child charity, which provided aid to war-stricken areas, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina. All the songs were recorded in a single day. The album features British and Irish a ...

'' charity compilation, covering

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...

's "Shipbuilding".

1996–2000: New line up and continuing success

In the autumn of 1995, the band was joined by new member

Neil Codling Neil John Codling (born 5 December 1973) is an English musician and songwriter, best known as the keyboardist, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and co-songwriter for the alternative rock band Suede. Early life Neil Codling was raised in St ...

, a cousin of Gilbert who played keyboards and second guitar. His first appearance was at a fanclub gig at the Hanover Grand on 27 January 1996, which turned out to be one of Suede's most important performances. A short set, devoid of Butler's songs, was well received by critics. "A set that says, 'No need,'" observed Steve Sutherland in ''NME''. Even before ''Dog Man Star'' was released, bassist Mat Osman told ''Select'' magazine in September 1994 that he wanted to move on from the regimented recording process and expansive, multi-layered guitar sounds of that era and focus on more radio-friendly pop music, citing " Losing My Religion" by

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...

as a song that "doesn't show off in the slightest and is still brilliant." Anderson shared a similar outlook, saying that, in contrast to the band's previous albums, which he felt "suffered at certain times from being quite obscure," he intended the forthcoming album to be "almost like a 'greatest hits.'" Suede's third album, '' Coming Up'', was released in September 1996 and was preceded by the successful lead single, " Trash", in July. The single was popular and tied with "Stay Together" as the band's highest-charting UK single, reaching number three. The album would become the band's biggest mainstream success, earning five straight top-10 singles and becoming a hit throughout Europe, Asia, and Canada. ''Coming Up'' never did find a significant audience in America, partly because it appeared nearly a year after its initial release and partly because Suede only supported it with a three-city tour. The tour was further complicated by problems in

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, where the band's music equipment was stolen, forcing them to play the remaining shows with acoustic guitars. Nevertheless, the album topped the UK chart and became the band's biggest-selling release, setting expectations high for the follow-up. With the success of the album, Suede secured top billing at the 1997

Reading Festival The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading, Berkshire, Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend ...

. Suede's next release was ''

Sci-Fi Lullabies ''Sci-Fi Lullabies'' is a two-disc compilation album by English alternative rock band Suede (band), Suede released by Nude Records on 6 October 1997, consisting of B-sides from the singles that were released from the group's first three albums. ...

'', a collection of B-sides, which reached number nine on the UK Album Chart. The compilation was well-received, with disc one of two being described by critics as the band's strongest collection of songs. By the time the compilation was released in 1997, the Britpop movement was clearly losing momentum, and the band had chosen to part ways with their longtime producer, Ed Buller, before beginning work on the follow-up to ''Coming Up''. Prior to focusing on their next album, the band recorded a version of "Poor Little Rich Girl" for ''Twentieth-Century Blues: The Songs of Noël Coward'' in 1998. Despite being backed by their second-highest-charting single, "

Electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...

", Suede's fourth album, ''Head Music'', failed to generate the same critical and listener enthusiasm as their previous records, though it once again topped the UK Albums Chart. A synthesizer-driven album that placed less emphasis on guitar riffs and more on keyboards, it was produced by Steve Osborne, who had worked with

Happy Mondays Happy Mondays are an English rock band formed in Salford in 1980. The original line-up consisted of brothers Shaun Ryder (vocals) and Paul Ryder (bass), Gaz Whelan (drums), Paul Davis (keyboard), and Mark Day (guitar). Mark "Bez" Berry la ...

and New Order. While the album received heavy promotion and substantial financial backing, and garnered near-universal critical acclaim from the UK music press, the consensus among people close to the band was a feeling that things were not quite right. Richard Oakes was aware of the fans' disapproval of the album, as well as Anderson's more gaunt-like appearance and Oakes' own admission of spending two years "being pissed out isface and being out of shape." Moreover, many critics felt the record's lyrics were too shallow and lacking in substance. Though others praised the album, feeling that the band were again taking a different direction and charting new territory. The next three singles released from the album failed to enter the top 10, breaking a streak that had lasted since the 1996 single "Trash". Anderson also faced increasing criticism from fans for his frequent use of redundant vocabulary and limited lyrical themes. The track that received the most attention and criticism was "Savoir Faire". Some critics linked the album's lyricism to Anderson's heavy drug use at the time, particularly after he later admitted that he "was a crack addict for ages". Speaking of his addiction, which plagued him for two and a half years, Anderson said, "Anyone who has ever tried crack will know exactly why I took it. It's the scariest drug in the world because the hit you get from it is so, so seductive. I wanted to experience that, and I did – repeatedly." Suede headlined the

Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 53,354 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...

and

V Festival V Festival, often referred to as V Fest or simply V, was an annual music festival held in the United Kingdom during the third weekend in August. The event was held at two parks simultaneously which shared the same bill; artists performed at one ...

s in July and August 1999, respectively. During 2000, there was press speculation that Suede were on the verge of disbanding, which was not helped by Codling's absence from some European gigs. Anderson denied these claims and insisted that Codling was healthy and that they were eager to record the next album. For the entirety of 2000, Suede retreated from the public eye, playing only one gig in Reykjavik, Iceland. The band premiered several new songs that would eventually appear on the final album.

2001–2003: Commercial disappointment and break-up

Not long after the release of ''Head Music'', Nude Records effectively ceased to exist. Like many of their labelmates, Suede ended up signing to Nude's parent company/distributor

Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...

to record the band's fifth album, '' A New Morning''. Between the release of ''Head Music'' and ''A New Morning'', Suede wrote and recorded "Simon" as the title theme for the film ''Far From China''. The long and troubled gestation of the new album saw keyboard player Codling leave the band, citing

, to be replaced by Alex Lee, formerly of Strangelove. In concert, Lee played keyboards, second guitar, backing vocals, and occasionally harmonica. The album title, according to Anderson, referred to "a fresh start, a new band, and a new fresh outlook" – the singer had been addicted to heroin and

crack cocaine Crack cocaine, commonly known simply as crack, and also known as rock, is a free base form of the stimulant cocaine that can be Smoking, smoked. Crack offers a short, intense Euphoria (emotion), high to smokers. The ''Manual of Adolescent Sub ...

, which was having an increasingly deleterious effect on his health. Anderson claimed that ''A New Morning'' "was the first-ever Suede record that wasn't influenced in its making by drugs". Although the band initially worked with Tony Hoffer as the producer, the album was ultimately produced by Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur). A total of seven different recording studios and four producers were involved in the two-year recording process for ''A New Morning'', with the costs estimated at £1 million. The album was a commercial disappointment, failing to chart in the top 20 and never being released in the United States. ''A New Morning'' sharply divided the band's fanbase, even more so than ''Head Music'', and the critical response was decidedly lukewarm. Additionally, mainstream public interest had long since faded. Only two singles, " Positivity" and " Obsessions", were released—the fewest singles from any of the band's albums—and neither performed particularly well on the charts. Anderson has since expressed his disappointment with Suede's final album, stating, "We made one Suede album too many. 'A New Morning' is the only one I don't believe in as much as the other Suede records, and I totally believed in the first four, even 'Head Music', which divided the fans." Mat Osman told journalist Jon Cronshaw in October 2013, "It sounded like a Suede album that had been made by a committee—it was quite bland. We're all quite ashamed of it." Anderson further criticized the album in 2016, saying, "It's a poor record, and we should never have released it." In September 2003, Suede played five nights at the

Institute of Contemporary Arts The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) is an modernism, artistic and cultural centre on The Mall (London), The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. Located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps a ...

in London, dedicating each night to one of their five albums and performing an entire album per night in chronological order, with B-sides and rarities as encores. In October 2003, Suede released a second compilation album, '' Singles'', along with the accompanying single "

Attitude Attitude or Attitude may refer to: Philosophy and psychology * Attitude (psychology), a disposition or state of mind ** Attitude change * Propositional attitude, a mental state held towards a proposition Science and technology * Orientation ...

", which charted at number 14 in the UK. The band had also begun work on a follow-up album to ''A New Morning'', which was planned for release after the ''Singles'' compilation. Anderson stated, "Most of the new material is more aggressive and less song-based than ''A New Morning''." He added, "We're spending a lot of time working on tracks that sound nothing like traditional Suede." The planned album was never released. On 28 October 2003, Anderson made the decision to call it a day. The same day, Suede were booked to perform "

Beautiful Ones "Beautiful Ones" is a song by English rock band Suede, released as the second single from their third album, '' Coming Up'' (1996), on 14 October 1996 through Nude Records. The song became a top-10 hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number ...

" on '' V Graham Norton'' to promote the ''Singles'' compilation. Jeremy Allen was the last person to interview the band just before the Norton appearance. Allen would later see the band again some six weeks later at the aftershow party following their final gig at the London Astoria in December. At the aftershow, Osman revealed to Allen that they had decided to call it quits less than a minute after their last interview. As they walked down the corridor to the studio set, Anderson whispered into Osman's ear, "Let's not do this anymore." Less than a week after the decision to call an end to Suede, the band's biography, '' Love and Poison'', was released on 3 November. On 5 November, the band announced there would be no more projects under the Suede name for the foreseeable future—effectively announcing the end of the band, as stated on their website: "There will not be a new studio album until the band feel that the moment is artistically right to make one." Anderson also made a personal statement, saying, "There has been speculation about record sales and chart positions, but the bottom line is I need to do whatever it takes to get my demon back." Suede's last concert at the London Astoria on 13 December 2003 was a two-and-a-half-hour marathon show, split into two parts plus encore. Anderson made an announcement, saying, "I just want you to know. There will be another Suede record. But not yet."

2010–2013: Reunion and ''Bloodsports''

Following persistent rumors, Saul Galpern, the boss of the band's former label, Nude Records, officially announced on 15 January 2010 that Suede would be playing together again. "It's a one-off gig," he explained about the show, which featured the band's second incarnation. The band performed at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

in London as part of the 2010 Teenage Cancer Trust shows on 24 March 2010. Anderson described the comeback show as his favorite gig and the pinnacle of his 20-year career. Despite the gig initially being billed as a one-night-only reformation, when questioned on the German radio station MotorFM in early February, Anderson refused to confirm that the band would not continue. The band subsequently announced two UK "warm-up" gigs prior to the Royal Albert Hall show, at the

100 Club The 100 Club is a music venue located at 100 Oxford Street, London, England, where it has been hosting live music since 24 October 1942. It was originally called the Feldman Swing Club, but changed its name when the father of the current owner ...

in London and The Ritz in Manchester. The three gigs were well received by critics from various newspapers. In August, the band performed at the Skanderborg Festival in Denmark and Parkenfestivalen in Bodø, Norway. In September, the band announced that they would release '' The Best of Suede'' on 1 November 2010. The two-disc compilation, put together by Anderson, featured 18 of the band's 20 singles on disc one and a mix of album tracks and popular B-sides on disc two. Shortly after the release, Suede embarked on a short European tour from late November into December, covering Spain, France, Belgium, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Germany. The band concluded the tour on 7 December at the O2 Arena in London. After their largest show at the O2 Arena in London, Brett Anderson confirmed that Suede was eager to continue performing in 2011. The band went on to perform at several festivals in 2011, including their first appearance at the SOS 4.8 Festival in Murcia, Spain in May. Other notable events included the Blackberry Live & Rockin' Festival at the

Jakarta International Expo Jakarta International Expo, or JIExpo, is a convention, exhibition and entertainment complex located at Pademangan in North Jakarta, Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania ...

in Indonesia in March 2011, and the

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colora ...

in April 2011, marking their first American performance since 1997. The band also performed at the

Latitude Festival Latitude Festival is an annual music and arts festival set within the grounds of Henham Park, near Southwold, Suffolk, England. The first edition of the festival took place in 2006 and has continued annually (apart from 2020 when it was cancel ...

in Suffolk on 17 July 2011, with their final performance of the year at the Berlin Festival on 9 September 2011, following their August tour of Asia. In June 2011, capitalizing on the success of their compilation album, the band released remastered and expanded editions of all five of their studio albums. In May 2011, they performed their first three albums—''Suede'', ''Dog Man Star'', and ''Coming Up''—in full across three nights at the O2 Brixton Academy in London on 19, 20, and 21 May, followed by similar performances at the Olympia Theatre, Dublin on 24, 25, and 26 May. Suede also performed at the Lokerse Festival in Belgium in 2012.
Suede embarked on a full Asian tour, which began in late July at the Jisan, South Korea, and concluded at the Summer Sonic festival in Tokyo, Japan, on 14 August 2011. The band performed in Athens on 11 September 2011, and wrapped up their touring commitments in Russia on 16 and 18 December 2011, where they showcased new songs such as "Falling Planes," "The Only," "Someone Better," "I Don't Know Why," "Cold War," "Future Nightmare," and "Sabotage." In 2012, Suede began recording a new album with Ed Buller, and Brett Anderson stated that of the songs showcased in Russia, only "Sabotage" was under consideration at that point. On 7 January 2013, the band announced that their sixth studio album, '' Bloodsports'', would be released in March. The announcement was accompanied by "Barriers," a song from the album, available as a free download. The band released their first single in a decade, "It Starts and Ends with You," on 4 February. ''Bloodsports'' was well received by critics and became their best-reviewed album since the band's 1996 album '' Coming Up''. On 12 April, Suede announced the dates for their upcoming European tour on their website. The tour began on 26 October 2013 at the

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

O2 Academy and ended on 23 November at the Paradiso in Amsterdam. The band later added three more shows at the beginning of the tour, playing additional dates in Southampton, Southend, and Bristol on 22, 23, and 24 October.

2014–2016: ''Night Thoughts''

In late January 2014, Anderson announced that Suede were working on a new album and estimated that it would be released in 2015, as the band were still in the writing stage for the album. On 7 September 2015, the band announced that their new album, '' Night Thoughts'', would be released on 22 January 2016, alongside a feature film directed by photographer Roger Sargent. On 24 September, the first single from the album, "Outsiders," was released. The band performed the album in full on 13 and 14 November at the London Roundhouse. The album was released as a standalone CD, as a double pack with the movie on DVD, and as a limited numbered edition featuring the CD, DVD, and a book. Anderson noted that, unlike previous albums, for the first time the band had the freedom to do their own thing. Without the pressure to aim for the mainstream, the band deliberately avoided writing any radio hits. ''Night Thoughts'' was well received by both fans and critics, receiving widespread press coverage upon its release. Following the success of ''Bloodsports,'' ''Night Thoughts'' charted at No. 6 in the UK. A series of concert dates in the UK and Europe followed to support the album. The first half of each show featured the band playing the album tracks in sequence, with the movie projected onto a gauze screen behind them. The second half included a mix of back-catalogue material, including several b-sides and obscure songs. The band also held a number of in-store acoustic appearances in HMV stores to promote the release, including Q&A sessions and movie screenings. During the period when the band wrote and toured ''Night Thoughts,'' they also commemorated some of their earlier releases. Once again, the band performed as part of the Teenage Cancer Trust charity at the Royal Albert Hall on 30 March 2014. This time, the band performed '' Dog Man Star'' in full to mark its 20th anniversary. The set was followed by b-sides from that era, and then a greatest hits finale, which included the new song "I Don't Know How to Reach You". Additionally, to celebrate the actual 20th anniversary release of the album, Suede released a limited edition box set in October 2014. A similar 20th anniversary reissue was released for '' Coming Up'' in September 2016.

2018–2020: ''The Blue Hour''

On 28 April 2018, Suede announced their upcoming eighth studio album. Two days later, on 30 April 2018, they officially revealed the title, '' The Blue Hour'', which was released on 21 September 2018. On 4 May 2018, Suede announced the dates for their European tour, which were scheduled to begin shortly after the album's launch. The tour started on 29 September in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, at the Columbiahalle, and finished on 13 October at the

Eventim Apollo The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly and still commonly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Pa ...

in London. A final show was added to the tour on 14 October at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

. On 5 June 2018, the band shared the first single from the album, "The Invisibles," along with an accompanying video. Five singles were released from the album, matching the number of singles from ''Night Thoughts'', with the latest single, "Wastelands," released on 29 October. The album was met with generally favorable reception and became their highest-charting album since '' Head Music'' in 1999. Suede announced their first 2019 show as Friday night headliners at Pennfest, Penn, Buckinghamshire. In November 2018, the band released a documentary titled ''Suede – The Insatiable Ones,'' directed by Mike Christie. The feature-length documentary delves into the highs and lows of Suede's career, offering unprecedented access, new interviews, and unseen footage from the band's archive. It aired as part of a 'Suede Night' on 24 November on Sky Arts, along with the band's 2010 comeback gig at the Royal Albert Hall. On 10 December, the band announced new dates for their 2019 UK tour. The tour began at Newcastle's O2 Academy on 15 April and concluded on 28 April at the Corn Exchange in Cambridge.

2020–present: ''Autofiction'' and ''Antidepressants''

In November 2020, an announcement on the official Suede Facebook page revealed that the band was currently recording a new album. The post also invited fans to contribute vocals for some as-yet-untitled tracks. In a BBC interview, Anderson suggested that the record would be "nasty, brutish and short." On 9 July 2021, ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as ''Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music We ...

'' reported that Suede had signed with the BMG label for the release of their next album, although no release date had been confirmed. On 23 May 2022, eighteen months after the band first announced they were recording a new album, Suede revealed the title of their ninth studio album as ''Autofiction'', which was released via BMG on 16 September. On the same day, the band unveiled the name of their lead single, "She Still Leads Me On," and premiered it at a concert at the Cirque Royal in Brussels. The song is inspired by Anderson's late mother. Speaking about the new album, Anderson said: "''Autofiction'' is our punk record. No whistles and bells. Just the five of us in a room with all the glitches and fuck-ups revealed; the band themselves exposed in all their primal mess". In an interview with ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'', Anderson further explained: "Our intention was also to recover certain aesthetic lines in the sound ... hepost-punk sound is back very strongly in the limelight". Two additional singles, "15 Again" and "That Boy on the Stage," were released before the album. According to Anderson, the former is "a song about falling in love with life for the first time." The latter, he explained, " sabout persona. It's about the people we become." On 12 September, the band announced the dates for a March 2023 UK tour. The 2023 tour was scheduled to begin at Bath's Forum on 3 March, concluding at O2 Academy Brixton on 25 March, marking 30 years since the band made their debut performance at the London venue in May 1993. On 13 September, the band announced their first United States concert tour since 1997, a co-headlining North American tour with

Manic Street Preachers Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Wales, Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, in 1986. The band consists of Nicky Wire (bass guitar, lyrics) and cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, le ...

. Both bands were scheduled to play ten shows in the US and two shows in Canada throughout November. Suede also performed at the 2022 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix. Additionally, Suede and the Manic Street Preachers performed a series of double-header concerts in the UK in 2024, alternating who performed first. During these gigs, Anderson announced that Suede was working on a new album, with the working title *X*, which in 19 May 2025 they announced ''

'' as their official title for their upcoming tenth studio album, which is scheduled to be released on 5 September 2025.

Legacy and influence

A significant part of Suede's legacy lies in their role in kickstarting the Britpop scene, which eventually overshadowed the band's own achievements in the public mind.

Alexis Petridis Alexis Petridis (born 13 September 1971) is an English journalist. He is the head Rock music, rock and pop music critic for ''The Guardian'', and a regular contributor for ''GQ''. In addition to his music journalism for the paper, he has written ...

wrote in 2005, "These days, rock historians tend to depict Suede's success as a kind of amuse bouche (appetizer) before the earth-shattering arrival of Britpop's main course." In an article about the British music press's "ferocious one-upmanship campaign" of the mid-1990s, Caroline Sullivan, writing for ''The Guardian'' in February 1996, noted Suede's appearance on the cover of ''Melody Maker'' before the release of their first single as a pivotal moment in the history of Britpop:

Suede appeared on Melody Maker's cover before they had a record out... The exposure got them a record deal, brought a bunch of like-minded acts to the public's attention, and helped create Britpop. It was the best thing to happen to music in years, and it mightn't have happened without that Suede cover.

The year following the ''Melody Maker'' cover saw Suede captivate the pop scene with a phenomenon of critical praise and hype. Not since the dawn of the Smiths had a British band caused such excitement with the release of just a few singles. A March 1993 article in ''The Independent'' stated, "Suede have had more hype than anybody since the Smiths, or possibly even the

. The reviews are florid, poetic, half-crazed; they express the almost lascivious delight of journalists hungry for something to pin their hopes on." Suede are regarded by many as the first British band to break into the mainstream from the new wave of alternative rock in the '90s. With their glam rock style and musical references to urban Britain, Suede paved the way for acts such as

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentBlur, and Pulp to enter the British mainstream. They were influential in returning some of the creative impetus to English guitar music in a scene increasingly dominated by Madchester,

, and

shoegaze Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with dream pop) is a subgenre of indie rock, indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion (music), distortion and effects, a ...

. Even beyond their own shores, American heavy metal personality Eric Greif declared that Suede "reinvented and repackaged glam in a creative way, and how refreshing that was as a counterpoint to the drab grunge of the time." Suede's laurels would remain intact through their early career until Butler's departure, which the press signaled as the end of the band. As new rock bands emerged on the scene, British pop culture was shifting towards

lad culture Lad culture (also the new lad, laddism) was a media-driven, principally British and Irish subculture of the 1990s and the early 2000s. The term ''lad culture'' continues to be used today to refer to collective, boorish or misogynistic behaviour by ...

, and the same critics who had championed Suede were now plotting to extinguish them. In February 1995, music critic J.D. Considine stated that the band "quickly fell victim to the build-'em-up-then-knock-'em-down mentality of the English music press." On the eve of the release of '' Coming Up'',

Neil McCormick Neil McCormick (born 31 March 1961) is a British music journalist, author and broadcaster. He has been the chief music critic for ''The Daily Telegraph'' since 1996, and presented a music interview show for Vintage TV (TV channel), Vintage TV i ...

of ''The Telegraph'' wrote: "Cast in the classic mold of the androgynous rock star, Anderson appears curiously anachronistic in a British rock scene polarized between the laddishness of Oasis and the suburbiana of Blur and Pulp." In a 2007 article in ''The Telegraph'', Bernadette McNulty wrote that while the frontmen of those bands "are all being bestowed with reverential status, Brett Anderson has become the lost boy of Britpop". Since the Britpop movement ceased to exist, Suede's popularity sharply declined, like many bands associated with it. As one writer put it toward the end of Suede's career, "Suede slid from zeitgeist into a smaller, pocket-sized cult band." In the same article, Anderson spoke about their legacy:

"It's not in my nature to be bitter. We may have been overlooked somewhat, but all you need to do is listen to the music. Our legacy speaks for itself." He added, "...Fate dealt us this card, and I don't think we've done particularly badly with it. Music today seems so very worthy, so very dull. Nobody wants to stick their neck out anymore, and I think that is a great pity. We did, and we left our mark."

"Still one of the great British bands of the '90s,"

told '' Select'' in 1996. "They have the enviable knack of taking the rather pathetic fumble of a quick fuck under the pier and extracting those few golden moments that many years later convince oneself that, for one brief flickering moment, one was as inspired as

Romeo Romeo Montague () is the male protagonist of William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. The son of Characters in Romeo and Juliet#Lord Montague, Lord Montague and his wife, Characters in Romeo and Juliet#Lady Montague, Lady Montague, he ...

or, in some cases,

Juliet Juliet Capulet () is the female protagonist in William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. A 13-year-old girl, Juliet is the only daughter of the patriarch of the House of Capulet. She falls in love with the male protagonist Ro ...

. The poor things are bound to be an institution by the year 2000. Dame Brett, anybody?" At the 2010

Q Awards The Q Awards were the UK's annual music awards run by the music magazine '' Q''. Since they began in 1990, the Q Awards became one of Britain's biggest and best publicised music awards. Locations for the awards ceremony included Abbey Road Studios ...

, Suede were honored with the "Inspiration Award." Suede were honored with the "Godlike Genius Award" at the 2015

NME Awards The ''NME'' Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine ''NME'' (''New Musical Express''). The first awards show was held in 1953 as the ''NME'' Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding o ...

. New Order frontman Bernard Sumner presented the award to the band, following a video introduction of the "fantastic" and "brilliant" Suede by comedian and Suede fan

Influence on other artists

Multiple artists have cited the band as an influence. Kele Okereke, lead singer of the London band

Bloc Party Bloc Party are an English Rock music, rock band that was formed in London, England, London in 1999 by co-founders Kele Okereke (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, sampler) and Russell Lissack (lead guitar). Their first four albums all featur ...

, said he started making music because of Suede's '' Dog Man Star'', calling it "the first record efell in love with".

Kate Jackson Lucy Kate Jackson (born October 29, 1948), known professionally as Kate Jackson, is an American actress and television producer, known for her television roles as Sabrina Duncan in the series ''Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1979) and Amanda King i ...

, lead singer of the English indie rock band

The Long Blondes The Long Blondes were an English indie rock band formed in Sheffield in 2003 by Dorian Cox (lead guitar and keyboards), Reenie Hollis (real name Kathryn Hollis) (bass guitar and backing vocals), Emma Chaplin (rhythm guitar, keyboards and backin ...

, has spoken in interviews about her admiration for Suede. In 2007, she admitted that Suede got her into music, saying: "Suede's debut album was unlike anything I'd heard before. It was the opposite of grunge, which I hated, and my escape from

Bury St Edmunds Bury St Edmunds (), commonly referred to locally as ''Bury,'' is a cathedral as well as market town and civil parish in the West Suffolk District, West Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England.OS Explorer map 211: Bury St. Edmunds an ...

." Christopher Owens of the Californian

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with a DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...

group Girls named Suede as one of his major influences, and his vocal style has been compared to that of Anderson. Paul Banks of the US rock band

Interpol The International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL (abbreviated as ICPO–INTERPOL), commonly known as Interpol ( , ; stylized in allcaps), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime cont ...

said, "As for my favorite songs, ' Animal Nitrate' was my joint when I was a teen. Kudos to Suede," while in the same NME feature, Martin Noble of Sea Power added, "Learning to play Suede songs was part of my education...They made me think that it was possible to achieve something artful, peculiar, and great". The band has also influenced acts such as Sons and Daughters, Dum Dum Girls, and Drowners, who took their name from the similarly titled Suede song. Canadian rock band

Destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

named their 2017 album '' Ken'' after the original title for " The Wild Ones". Additionally, Suede's songs have been covered by other artists. "My Insatiable One" was performed by

during his ''Your Arsenal'' tour in 1992. "The Drowners" was recorded by the

as a b-side. "Animal Nitrate" was covered by

the Libertines The Libertines are an English Rock music, rock band, formed in London in 1997 by frontmen Carl Barât (vocals/guitar) and Pete Doherty (vocals/guitar). The band, centred on the songwriting partnership of Barât and Doherty, included John Hassall ...

in concert during their reunion tour in 2015: A cover version of the same song was also recorded by

Basement A basement is any Storey, floor of a building that is not above the grade plane. Especially in residential buildings, it often is used as a utility space for a building, where such items as the Furnace (house heating), furnace, water heating, ...

for the '' Further Sky'' EP. "Beautiful Ones" was recorded by

Kim Wilde Kim Wilde (born Kim Smith, 18 November 1960) is an English pop singer. She first gained success in 1981 with her debut single "Kids in America", which peaked at no. 2 in the UK. In 1983, she received the Brit Award for Best British Female solo ...

on her cover album '' Snapshots'' in 2011.

Apoptygma Berzerk Apoptygma Berzerk (; commonly abbreviated to APB or APOP) is a Norwegian band that produces a style of electro rock, industrial rock, synth-pop and ballads backed with electronic rhythms, commonly known within the scene as "futurepop". Apoptygm ...

recorded a cover version of "Trash" on their ''Rocket Science'' album.

Awards and nominations

{, class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" , - ! scope="col" , Award ! scope="col" , Year ! scope="col" , Category ! scope="col" , Nominee(s) ! scope="col" , Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable", , - ! scope="row", Abilu Music Awards , 2016 , International Rock Album of the Year , '' Night Thoughts'' , , , - ! scope="row" rowspan=6, Brit Awards , rowspan=5,

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

, British Breakthrough Act , rowspan=2, Themselves , , rowspan=5, , - , British Group , , - , British Album of the Year , ''

'' , , - , British Single of the Year , rowspan=2, " Animal Nitrate" , , - , rowspan=2, British Video of the Year , , - ,

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

, " The Wild Ones" , , , - ! scope="row" rowspan=13, GAFFA Awards (Denmark) , rowspan=2, 1993 , Best Foreign Album , ''

'' , , rowspan=13, , - , Best Foreign New Act , rowspan=3, Themselves , , - , rowspan=3, 1994 , Best Foreign Group , , - , Best Foreign Live Act , , - , rowspan=2, Best Foreign Album , '' Dog Man Star'' , , - , rowspan=3, 1996 , '' Coming Up'' , , - , Best Foreign Hit , " Trash" , , - , rowspan=2, Best Foreign Band , rowspan=4, Themselves , , - , rowspan=5, 1999 , , - , Best Foreign Live Act , , - , Best Foreign 90's Act , , - , Best Foreign Album , '' Head Music'' , , - , Best Foreign Hit , "

" , , - ! scope="row" rowspan=2,

, 1993 , rowspan=2, Album of the Year , ''

'' , , rowspan=2, , - , 1997 , '' Coming Up'' , , - ! scope="row" rowspan=12,

, rowspan=2, 1993 , Best New Band , Themselves , , rowspan=8, , - , Best Single , " The Drowners" , , - , 1994 , rowspan=3, Best Band , rowspan=3, Themselves , , - , 1996 , , - , rowspan=4, 1997 , , - , Best LP , '' Coming Up'' , , - , rowspan=2, Best Single , " Trash" , , - , "

" , , - , 1998 , Radio 1 Evening Session of the Year , Themselves , , , - , rowspan=2, 2000 , Best Album Ever , '' Dog Man Star'' , , rowspan=2, , - , Best Album , '' Head Music'' , , - , 2015 , Godlike Genius Award , rowspan=6, Themselves , , , - ! scope="row" rowspan=4,

, 1993 , Best New Act , , rowspan=2, , - , 1999 , Best Live Act , , - , 2010 , Inspiration Award , , , - , 2013 , Icon Award , , , - ! scope="row", Rober Awards Music Prize , 2013 , Comeback of the Year , , , - ! scope="row" rowspan=4, Smash Hits Poll Winners Party , 1994 , rowspan=2, Best Alternative/Indie Type Band , rowspan=3, Themselves , , , - , rowspan=3, 1996 , , rowspan=3, , - , Best Rock Outfit , , - , Best Album Cover , '' Coming Up'' ,

Members

Current members * Brett Anderson – vocals, tambourine (1989–2003, 2010–present) * Mat Osman – bass (1989–2003, 2010–present) * Simon Gilbert – drums (1990–2003, 2010–present) * Richard Oakes – guitars (1994–2003, 2010–present), piano, backing vocals (2002–2003) *

– keyboards, synthesizers, piano, rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1995–2001, 2010–present) Former members * Justine Frischmann – guitars (1989–1991) * Bernard Butler – guitars, keyboards, piano, backing vocals (1989–1994) * Justin Welch – drums (1990, 2013) * Alex Lee – keyboards, piano, guitars, harmonica, backing vocals (2001–2003)

Timeline

Discography

* ''

'' (1993) * '' Dog Man Star'' (1994) * '' Coming Up'' (1996) * '' Head Music'' (1999) * '' A New Morning'' (2002) * '' Bloodsports'' (2013) * '' Night Thoughts'' (2016) * '' The Blue Hour'' (2018) * ''

'' (2022) * ''

'' (2025)

References

Bibliography

* Harris, John. ''Britpop!: Cool Britannia and the Spectacular Demise of English Rock''. Da Capo Press, 2004. * Barnett, David. '' Love and Poison''.

Carlton Publishing Group Welbeck Publishing Group, formerly Carlton Publishing Group, is a London-based independent book publisher of fiction, narrative and illustrated non-fiction, as well as gift and children's books. Established in 2019 by Executive Directors Mark S ...

, 2003. * Thompson, Dave. ''Suede''.

Helter Skelter Publishing Helter Skelter Publishing is a British publisher specialising in rock music. Helter Skelter was founded as a bookshop by Sean Body in 1995, who specifically chose the location of 4, Denmark Street as it had previously housed Regent Sounds Studio ...

, 2005.

External links

Suede official website
{{Authority control Britpop groups English alternative rock groups English glam rock groups English musical quintets Alternative rock groups from London Musical groups established in 1989 Musical groups disestablished in 2003 Musical groups reestablished in 2010 Columbia Records artists Sony BMG artists Nude Records artists 1989 establishments in England