Mandalay

Saul Freeman, formerly the instrumentalist in Thieves, sought to realize a personal dream-pop vision by placing an advertisement in the now-defunct weekly Melody Maker. Having previously collaborated with David McAlmont, he nevertheless pursued an independent project. His notice called for a vocalist capable of an ethereal delivery reminiscent of Elizabeth Fraser from Cocteau Twins and Shara Nelson, known for her work with Massive Attack and Presence. Nicola Hitchcock, already an established solo artist, responded and met the criteria exactly. The pair connected at once; Hitchcock’s prior debut album complemented Freeman’s aims, prompting them to establish Mandalay in the mid-nineties. Their sound merged Portishead-style trip-hop loops with Hitchcock’s refined vocals, earning recognition across the United Kingdom during the late 1990s, most notably through the albums Empathy and Instinct. In fall 2000, Madonna publicly identified Mandalay as her new favorite band. By mid-2000 the duo had secured a contract with V2 and began preparing the American major-label release Solace for spring 2001.