Inspiral Carpets

Born in Oldham, Greater Manchester, Inspiral Carpets formed in the early 1980s around guitarist Graham Lambert and emerged at the end of the decade on the Madchester scene, at the intersection of indie rock, alternative rock, garage rock and a psychedelic pop driven by Clint Boon’s organ. Initially fronted by Stephen Holt and then by Tom Hingley from 1989, the band developed a direct, melodic sound with danceable rhythms that was rougher than that of several Manchester contemporaries. Early EPs, including Planecrash (1988) and Trainsurfing (1989), caught John Peel’s attention and accompanied the band’s move to their own Cow label before signing with Mute. Inspiral Carpets then released the albums Life (1990), The Beast Inside (1991), Revenge of the Goldfish (1992) and Devil Hopping (1994), which established their concise, sometimes dark songwriting often centred on sharp choruses and reworked sixties textures. Noel Gallagher, who at one time worked as a roadie before the Oasis period, was also close to the group. The band split in 1995, reformed in 2003, reunited with Stephen Holt in 2011 and returned with the album Inspiral Carpets in 2014.