Catatonia

Formed in Cardiff in the early ‘90s, Catatonia broke onto the scene with their lyricism and shimmering guitar pop. The line-up featured Cerys Matthews, Mark Roberts, Paul Jones, Owen Powell and Aled Richards. Debut For Tinkerbell was NME Single of the Week in 1993 and "Hooked" followed in ’94, both via Crai, a subsidiary of Welsh language record label, Sain. You've Got a Lot to Answer For charted in 1996 ahead of LP Way Beyond Blue which debuted to critical acclaim and rising airplay. Against a sea of largely English male fronted Brit-pop soundwaves, Catatonia stood out. Their inventive songwriting, in both the English and the Welsh language, along with Cerys’ charismatic voice, provided an originality that set them apart. 1998 single Mulder And Scully hit No.3 in the UK charts and sophomore LP International Velvet went straight to No.1. More chart and radio hits followed including the Brit and Ivor Novello nominated Road Rage and in 1999 they performed at the Rugby World Cup opening ceremony. International Velvet, with its lyrics, “Everyday when I wake up, I thank the Lord I'm Welsh”, became an unofficial Welsh anthem. Third LP Equally Cursed And Blessed went straight to No.1 in 1999 and Catatonia signed to Neil Young’s label, Vapour Records with Joni Mitchell’s longtime manager, Elliot Roberts at the helm. At this time, all 3 albums simultaneously graced the UK top 40. Final album Paper Scissors Stone was released in 2001, and the band parted ways.