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A is a British alternative rock band. They formed in 1995 in Suffolk, England. The original line up was three brothers, Jason, Adam and Giles Perry, and two friends Mark Chapman, and Steve Swindon. Swindon quit the band in 1997 and was replaced by Daniel P. Carter. This line up continues to this day.
History The band known as A formed in Suffolk, England in the early 90s. The original members cited influences as varied as Rush, The Beach Boys, Van Halen and the Beastie Boys. After changing their name from 'Grand Designs' and abandoning their early prog-inspired sound for a more punky feel, they signed a European recording contract with Warner UK (Warner Brothers) in 1996. A released their debut LP How Ace Are Buildings in 1997. The band found a healthy underground reception and even had a couple of low-charting singles in the U.K.. A licensing agreement for the American music market was reached with tiny North Carolina-based Mammoth Records. Future releases would be distributed in the U. S. and Canada by Mammoth. A second album A vs. Monkey Kong followed in 1999. A more poppy record than How Ace Are Buildings the band toured the world, played festivals and enjoyed a small degree of success worldwide, especially in Germany. Hi-Fi Serious was their third album, released in 2002. It was preceded by their biggest single to date, "Nothing", which saw the band reach the UK top ten for the first time, hitting number 9, and the further top 20 hit Starbucks, named after the coffee chain. The release was extremely popular and put them on the verge of superstardom in their homeland and most of continental Europe. The tour following Hi-Fi Serious saw the band playing their largest venues to date, headlining the 5000 capacity Brixton Academy as part of the Inner-City Sumo Tour. In 2003, the group's record label entered into a complex merger. 'A' finally released their fourth album on June 27th 2005, entitled Teen Dance Ordinance. The album had been recorded 2 years earlier, but due to Jason Perry's illness and record company squabbles its release was heavily delayed, by which time the group's following appears to be a mere cult once again. Unlike the last 2 full albums, TDO was not released in the U. S.. (Mammoth was remaking itself into a fringe Americana/blues label and likely didn't need another rock band with which to deal .) Hollywood Records agreed early on to release it in the U.S., but ultimately did not. 'A' are currently on hiatus. Jason Perry is currently involved with writing, recording, and touring with Matt Willis, formerly of Busted. Adam (Perry) replaced Bloodhound Gang drummer Willie the New Guy for their 2005-6 European tour, and is likely to become the full-time drummer of that band (if not already; the Bloodhound Gang has only hinted at such, but has yet to officially confirm it). Meanwhile, Daniel P Carter has been confirmed as the new host of BBC Radio 1's Rock Show and will host his first show on the 25th September from Midnight-2am. He continues writing material with Jason Perry Albums Other Albums Singles | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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