Cornershop are an English

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

band formed in

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

, in 1991. The group are best known for their single " Brimful of Asha" from their third album '' When I Was Born for the 7th Time''. A remixed version of the track reached number one on the UK singles chart in 1998. They were formed by Tjinder Singh (singer, songwriter, and guitar), his brother Avtar Singh (bass guitar, vocals), David Chambers (drums), and Ben Ayres (guitar, keyboards, and tamboura), the first three having previously been members of General Havoc, who released one single (the ''Fast Jaspal'' EP) in 1991.Buckley, Peter (2003) ''The Rough Guide to Rock'',

Rough Guides Rough Guides is a travel company that offers tailor-made trips planned and arranged by local travel experts based in destinations around the world. Originally established as a guidebook publisher in 1982, Rough Guides expanded into customized t ...

, , p.229-230 The band name originated from a stereotype referring to

British Asian British Asians (also referred to as Asian Britons) are British people of Asian people, Asian descent. They constitute a significant and growing minority of the people living in the United Kingdom, with a population of 5.76 million people or 8.6 ...

s often owning corner shops. Their music is a fusion of

Indian music Owing to India's vastness and diversity, Indian music encompasses numerous genres in multiple varieties and forms which include classical music, folk, rock, and pop. It has a history spanning several millennia and developed over several ...

, alternative and

electronic dance music Electronic dance music (EDM), also referred to as dance music or club music, is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres originally made for nightclubs, raves, and List of electronic dance music festivals, festivals. It is generally ...

History

Formation and early years: 1991–1996

Tjinder Singh formed General Havoc whilst a student at Lancashire Polytechnic in Preston in 1987. He relocated to Leicester, where his brother and sister lived. He formed Cornershop in 1991 along with his brother Avtar and Chambers and Ayres while working as a barman at Leicester's Magazine pub, a popular local music venue near O'Jays, where the band played their first gigs. Named after the stereotype of South Asians owning

corner shop A convenience store, convenience shop, bakkal, bodega, corner store, corner shop, superette or mini-mart is a small retail store that stocks a range of everyday items such as convenience food, groceries, beverages, tobacco products, lotter ...

s, Cornershop drew inspiration from Singh's experiences as a British-born

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...

, mixing traditional Punjabi music with British indie rock. In the early 1990s, when the UK music press criticised 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 ...

after accusations of racism, the band were invited to comment and the ''Melody Maker'' ran a story featuring the band burning a picture of the singer outside the offices of EMI.Beaujon, Andrew (1996)
Cornershop: Bhangra Punk!
, ''

CMJ New Music Monthly CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events, online media company and a distributor of up and coming music CDs, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music ...

'', February 1996, p. 20. Their debut release, the ''In The Days of Ford Cortina EP'', produced by John Robb was pressed on "curry-coloured vinyl"Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Indie & New Wave'', Virgin Books, , p.99-100 and contained a blend of Indian-tinged noise pop. The sound mellowed somewhat with the release of debut album ''

Hold On It Hurts ''Hold On It Hurts'' is the 1994 debut album by Cornershop. It failed to reach commercial success, but went some way in helping the band find its niche in the following years. Track listing All lyrics written by Tjinder Singh; all music co ...

'' in 1994, described by ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who, Dave Schulps, and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

'' as "a politically charged popfest, ten tracks of noisy delights that meld incisive social commentary with a firm hold on British post-punk."McCaleb, Ian & Reno, Brad
Cornershop
" ''

'' The album impressed

David Byrne David Byrne (; born May 14, 1952) is an American musician, writer, visual artist, and filmmaker. He was a founding member, principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of the American New wave music, new wave band Talking Heads. Byrne has ...

, who signed the band to his label

Luaka Bop Luaka Bop is a New York–based record label founded by musician David Byrne, former lead singer and guitarist for the art rock– new wave band Talking Heads. What began with Byrne making cassettes of his favorite Tropicália tracks for his fr ...

. Although David Chambers left the band in 1994 and was replaced by Nick Simms, the band re-emerged in 1995 with the "6 a.m. Jullandar Shere" single and the album ''

Woman's Gotta Have It ''Woman's Gotta Have It'' is the second album by Cornershop, released in 1995. Recording and release The song ''My Dancing Days Are Done'' is performed in French (''mes jours de bal perdus'') by the guest singers Parsley and Sasha Andres. The ...

'', also touring the United States including some dates on the

Lollapalooza Lollapalooza () is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991, with Chicago becoming its permanent location beginning in 2005. Music genres i ...

tour. The band also toured Europe with

Beck Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970), known mononymously as Beck, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi mus ...

Stereolab Stereolab are an English people, Anglo-French avant-pop band formed in London in 1990. Led by the songwriting team of Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier, the group's sound incorporates repetitive motorik beats with the use of vintage electronic keybo ...

and

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment

Mainstream success: 1997–2001

The band released their critically acclaimed album, '' When I Was Born for the 7th Time'', in September 1997. The album incorporates a variety of genres, combining

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 ...

electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...

, and

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

. The track "When the Light Appears Boy" features

Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with Lucien Carr, William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of th ...

, while "Candyman" includes Justin Warfield, and "Good to Be on the Road Back Home" features

Paula Frazer Paula A. Frazer (born April 24, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter. She grew up in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and Arkansas and moved to San Francisco in 1981. Her music is frequently described as melancholic alternative country, but with ...

. The band also covers

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

' " Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" in Punjabi. Recorded in multiple studios across London, San Francisco, and Preston, Lancashire, the album was produced by Tjinder Singh in collaboration with

Dan the Automator Daniel M. Nakamura (born August 29, 1966), better known by his stage name Dan the Automator, is an American record producer. He is the founder of the publishing company Sharkman Music and the record label 75 Ark. Early life Daniel M. Nakamura wa ...

and Daddy Rappaport. ''

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 ...

'' named it one of the essential recordings of the 1990s, and it was ranked No. 1 on '' Spin'''s list of "Top 20 Albums of the Year" for 1997. The album reached No. 17 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 ...

and was certified Gold. The album's lead single, " Brimful of Asha," topped

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...

's Festive 50 list in 1997 and became an international hit following a popular remix by

Fatboy Slim Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known as Fatboy Slim, is an English musician and DJ who helped popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. His music makes extensive use of Sampling (music), samples from eclectic ...

. The song is a tribute to the Indian

playback singer A playback singer, as they are usually known in South Asian cinema, or ghost singer in Western cinema, is a singer whose performance is pre-recorded for use in films. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and the performers lip-sync the ...

Asha Bhosle Asha Bhosle (; ; born 8 September 1933) is an Indian playback singer, entrepreneur, actress and television personality who predominantly works in Indian cinema. Known for her versatility, she has been described in the media as one of the ...

and reflects Singh's love for

Trojan Records Trojan Records is a British record label founded by Jamaican Duke Reid, Lee Gopthal and Chris Blackwell in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. Th ...

and vinyl culture. Cornershop took a break from touring in 1998, during which frontman Tjinder Singh and guitarist Ben Ayres worked as DJs and formed the side project Clinton. In 2000, they released a

disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

inspired album, ''Disco and the Halfway to Discontent'', as part of their side-project. This inspired the launch of the London-based club night called Buttoned Down Disco, which took its name from the third track on the album.

Further activities and recent years: 2002–present

Cornershop's next official release was the 2002 album '' Handcream for a Generation.'' The album was recorded between 2000 and 2001 at West Orange Studios in Preston, Lancashire, and Eastcote Studios in London, with Singh producing most of the album and

Rob Swift Rob Swift (born Robert Aguilar; May 14, 1972) is an American hip hop DJ and turntablist. He was an original member of the turntablist group The X-Ecutioners until 2004. Over his career, he has released numerous solo albums and collaborated w ...

co-producing two tracks. Drawing on

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

, and

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

, featuring instruments like sitar and tabla, the album also featured a collaboration with

Noel Gallagher Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born 29 May 1967) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. Gallagher is the primary songwriter, lead guitarist and a co-lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis (band), Oasis. After leaving Oasis, he formed Noel ...

on guitar. Two singles, "Lessons Learned from Rocky I to Rocky III" and "Staging," peaked at 37 and 80 on the UK Singles Chart. Cornershop promoted the album with UK and US tours, festival appearances, and performances with Oasis. Despite initial success, Cornershop parted ways with Wiiija in October 2002 due to low album sales. Since 2003, they have reportedly been working on a film about London's independent music scene. In 2004, they released ''Topknot'' with Bubbley Kaur on

Rough Trade Records Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London, England. It was formed in 1976 by Geoff Travis, who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. It is currently run by co-managing directors Travis and Jeannette Lee and ...

, followed by the 2006 single Wop the Groove, featuring Rowetta from

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 ...

. Their song "Candyman" was later used in Nike's LeBron James VI shoe commercial, The Six "Chalk," in 2008. In July 2009, they released the album '' Judy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast'', led by the single "The Roll-Off Characteristics (Of History in the Making)," on their label, Ample Play. In 2011, Cornershop were awarded a prize for Commitment to Scene in the UK Asian Music Awards. and released '' Cornershop and the Double 'O' Groove Of'', a collaborative album with Punjabi folk singer Bubbley Kaur, which was critically acclaimed. They also launched the "Singhles Club," a subscription service featuring musical collaborations and digital artwork. Their eighth album, '' Urban Turban'', came out in May 2012, followed by their ninth album, '' Hold On It's Easy'', in February 2015. In July 2015, they released the single "Pinpoint" with Welsh singer Angharad Van Rijswijk, aka Accü. In 2017, they gave an instrumental track called 'Demon is a Monster' to the anti-Brexit podcast ' Remainiacs' as a theme tune. The track was then released digitally. Cornershop are fiercely anti-

Brexit Brexit (, a portmanteau of "Britain" and "Exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU). Brexit officially took place at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February ...

. In March 2020, they released a new album, '' England Is a Garden'' to generally positive reviews. The first official video from the album accompanying the track 'St Marie Under Canon' was released in February 2020.

Band members

;Current members * Tjinder Singh – vocals, guitars, bass, dholki (1991–present) * Ben Ayres – guitars, tamboura, keyboards, tambourine, vocals (1991–present) * Nick Simms – drums, vocals (1995–present) * Peter Bengry – percussion (1995–present) * Adam Blake – sitar, guitars (2009–present) * Pete Downing – guitars (2009–present) * James Milne – bass ;Former members * Avtar Singh – bass, guitars, vocals (1991–1995) * David Chambers – drums (1991–1995) * Anthony "Saffs" Saffery – sitar, guitars, keyboards (1994–2002) * Wallis Healey – guitars (1994–1995) * Pete Hall – percussion (1995)

Discography

Albums

Compilations

Singles and EPs

References

External links

* {{Authority control Musical groups established in 1991 1991 establishments in the United Kingdom English alternative rock groups Alternative dance musical groups English indie rock groups Britpop groups Rough Trade Records artists Musical groups from Leicester British Asian musical groups