Chris T-T

b. England. Operating under the mainstream radar for much of his career, this Brighton-based songwriter released a series of well-received albums and singles on small independent labels. Debuting in 1999 on his own Wine Cellar imprint, Beatverse established Chris T-T’s modus operandi of folky guitar pop and a thoughtful lyrical mix of humour and melancholy. It was the jokey element of his output that first got him noticed, with songs such as ‘Eminem Is Gay’, 'Drink Beer' and ‘Dreaming Of Injured Pop Stars’ gaining significant UK national radio play. Both The 253 (2001) and London Is Sinking (2003) took cues from life in the English capital, marking a welcome move away from comedy and revealing T-T to be a political lyricist of note. "Genius. A modern-day Blake. Music so unfettered it never had moorings to slip." – THE TIMES. In 2007 T-T signed to emerging London folk/punk label Xtra Mile Recordings for Capital (2008), a more fully realised alt-rock album including guest appearances from Emmy The Great and members of British Sea Power, Bellowhead and Razorlight. A stint as Frank Turner's piano player and several more solo albums for Xtra Mile Recordings cemented T-T's growing influence on a swathe of UK songwriters. Then in 2017, after celebrating his 20th anniversary in music with a Best Of collection, Chris T-T abruptly gave up music, closing his career with a short tour and two sellout concerts in London.