Biography
Frontman of English pop/rock band the Feeling, British singer, songwriter, and composer Dan Gillespie Sells first attracted attention with the bright, summer-laden melodies and passionate vocals that defined tracks like “Fill My Little World” on the group’s 2006 debut album Twelve Stops and Home as well as the disco-infused stompers typified by “I Thought It Was Over” from their 2008 follow-up Join with Us.
Raised in London, Sells attended Ashmole secondary school in Southgate alongside S Club 7’s Rachel Stevens and Amy Winehouse, later enrolling at the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon. There he first encountered future bass guitarist Richard Jones in 1995, soon meeting drummer Paul Stewart, guitarist Kevin Jeremiah, and Kevin’s keyboard-playing brother Ciaran. The five became close friends, spent several years working as session musicians, and eventually launched the covers outfit Superfly before renaming themselves the Feeling. After showcasing for industry figures they signed with Island Records, which issued Twelve Stops and Home in mid-2006 and supported the release with a U.K. and European tour. The Feeling returned with Join with Us in 2008, then issued Together We Were Made in 2011, Boy Cried Wolf in 2013, and their self-titled album in 2016.
Outside the band’s recording and touring schedule Sells pursued additional projects. He earned a co-writer credit on Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s third album Trip the Light Fantastic in 2007, contributing to the tracks “Love Is Here” and “Only One.” The following year he composed the theme for the BBC comedy series Beautiful People with producer Ian Masterson (Kylie Minogue, Girls Aloud) and joined the Feeling in covering “She’s Gone” by Daryl Hall & John Oates for the program. After 2010 he turned increasingly to theater composition; in 2014 he partnered with dance choreographer Javier de Frutos on the ballet piece “3 with D,” which premiered at the London Coliseum. In 2017 Sells wrote the score for the musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, which opened in Sheffield before transferring to the West End’s Apollo Theatre in November. A soundtrack album appeared that Christmas, featuring vocals from English pop artist Betty Boo and Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
Raised in London, Sells attended Ashmole secondary school in Southgate alongside S Club 7’s Rachel Stevens and Amy Winehouse, later enrolling at the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon. There he first encountered future bass guitarist Richard Jones in 1995, soon meeting drummer Paul Stewart, guitarist Kevin Jeremiah, and Kevin’s keyboard-playing brother Ciaran. The five became close friends, spent several years working as session musicians, and eventually launched the covers outfit Superfly before renaming themselves the Feeling. After showcasing for industry figures they signed with Island Records, which issued Twelve Stops and Home in mid-2006 and supported the release with a U.K. and European tour. The Feeling returned with Join with Us in 2008, then issued Together We Were Made in 2011, Boy Cried Wolf in 2013, and their self-titled album in 2016.
Outside the band’s recording and touring schedule Sells pursued additional projects. He earned a co-writer credit on Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s third album Trip the Light Fantastic in 2007, contributing to the tracks “Love Is Here” and “Only One.” The following year he composed the theme for the BBC comedy series Beautiful People with producer Ian Masterson (Kylie Minogue, Girls Aloud) and joined the Feeling in covering “She’s Gone” by Daryl Hall & John Oates for the program. After 2010 he turned increasingly to theater composition; in 2014 he partnered with dance choreographer Javier de Frutos on the ballet piece “3 with D,” which premiered at the London Coliseum. In 2017 Sells wrote the score for the musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, which opened in Sheffield before transferring to the West End’s Apollo Theatre in November. A soundtrack album appeared that Christmas, featuring vocals from English pop artist Betty Boo and Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
Albums
