The Bluetones

Formed in Hounslow, west London, in 1993, The Bluetones brought together Mark Morriss on vocals, Adam Devlin on guitar, Scott Morriss on bass and Eds Chesters on drums, with Richard Payne on keyboards between 1998 and 2002. Emerging in the wake of britpop, The Bluetones developed a looser, more melodic approach than many contemporaries, sitting between indie rock, jangle pop and indie pop, characterised by clean guitars, restrained choruses and songwriting that blends pop efficiency with a slightly melancholic tone. After early singles in the mid-1990s, they released Expecting to Fly in 1996, followed by Return to the Last Chance Saloon (1998) and Science & Nature (2000) — three albums that established the core of their identity. Later releases included Luxembourg (2003), The Bluetones (2006) and A New Athens (2010), while they maintained a steady live presence across the UK and Europe. The band split in 2011, reformed in 2015 and resumed touring, often on bills connected to the britpop and English indie scene. Their studio discography was extended with Atlas in 2026.