Biography
Scottish singer and guitarist Jon Fratelli first rose to attention leading the disorderly indie rock three-piece the Fratellis, after which he launched multiple ancillary ventures in the closing years of the 2000s. Dividing his efforts between the trio’s rough-edged garage punk and the smoother Codeine Velvet Club partnership, he launched a parallel solo trajectory in 2011 via Psycho Jukebox. Once an eight-year interval had elapsed and three additional group albums had appeared, he resumed solo activity in 2019 with the richer, more reflective Bright Night Flowers.
Born John Paul Lawler in Glasgow in 1979, he issued Free Urban Clown, a Bob Dylan-esque collection, on his own before assembling the Fratellis in 2005 alongside Barry Wallace and Gordon McRory. The outfit achieved major success through “Chelsea Dagger” and its parent release Costello Music, earning a Brit Award for Best British Newcomer. An appearance at the Coachella Festival followed, yet Fratelli soon stepped away from the band, overwhelmed by touring demands. After the 2008 follow-up Here We Stand, the group declared a hiatus; Fratelli then joined burlesque club singer Lou Hickey to create the lounge-pop act Codeine Velvet Club. Once the duo delivered their final performance in Japan, they disbanded, and Fratelli commenced solo sessions with producer Tony Hoffer (Depeche Mode). The outcome, Psycho Jukebox, appeared on Island in 2011.
After that album surfaced, Fratelli began tracking its successor Bright Night Flowers, yet the Fratellis reclaimed priority with three interim releases: 2013’s We Need Medicine, 2015’s Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied, and 2018’s In Your Own Sweet Time. The project therefore remained shelved until summer 2018, when he re-recorded it under Stuart McCredie (Simple Minds, Belle & Sebastian). Cooking Vinyl issued the finished version at the start of 2019.
Born John Paul Lawler in Glasgow in 1979, he issued Free Urban Clown, a Bob Dylan-esque collection, on his own before assembling the Fratellis in 2005 alongside Barry Wallace and Gordon McRory. The outfit achieved major success through “Chelsea Dagger” and its parent release Costello Music, earning a Brit Award for Best British Newcomer. An appearance at the Coachella Festival followed, yet Fratelli soon stepped away from the band, overwhelmed by touring demands. After the 2008 follow-up Here We Stand, the group declared a hiatus; Fratelli then joined burlesque club singer Lou Hickey to create the lounge-pop act Codeine Velvet Club. Once the duo delivered their final performance in Japan, they disbanded, and Fratelli commenced solo sessions with producer Tony Hoffer (Depeche Mode). The outcome, Psycho Jukebox, appeared on Island in 2011.
After that album surfaced, Fratelli began tracking its successor Bright Night Flowers, yet the Fratellis reclaimed priority with three interim releases: 2013’s We Need Medicine, 2015’s Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied, and 2018’s In Your Own Sweet Time. The project therefore remained shelved until summer 2018, when he re-recorded it under Stuart McCredie (Simple Minds, Belle & Sebastian). Cooking Vinyl issued the finished version at the start of 2019.
Albums
