Biography
Failsworth, Manchester outfit Puressence existed in an odd state of neglect and devotion, overlooked by most yet cherished by a small, loyal circle. Their laddish stance and hint of self-assurance aligned them with other mid-’90s north-west indie acts such as Oasis and the Charlatans, yet frontman James Mudriczki’s high, airy delivery suggested a deeper refinement. Stories that the group first convened aboard a bus heading to the Stone Roses’ landmark May 1990 show at Spike Island reinforced their grounded image, even as their sound evoked an escape from the everyday, an approach also taken at the time by Aberdeen’s Geneva and later by Southampton’s the Delays.
At the outset only guitarist Neil McDonald possessed any formal musical experience; bassist Kevin Matthews and drummer Anthony Szuminski quickly developed the brooding foundation that framed Mudriczki’s brooding, heartfelt falsetto. Early EPs issued on Rough Trade and 2 Damned Loud between 1992 and 1993 caught the ear of Island Records, which in 1995 released the U2-inspired single “I Suppose.” The band’s self-titled debut followed in 1996 and drew favorable parallels with Radiohead’s The Bends, yet a push that featured five singles and a Manchester city-centre poster blitz bordering on criminal damage failed to divert attention from Oasis’s (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
The lighter, pop-leaning Only Forever appeared in 1998 and supplied Puressence’s first U.K. top-40 entry, the Who-inspired “This Feeling.” After Universal absorbed Island that same year the label maintained its commitment, issuing the ambitious Planet Helpless in October 2002 even as many comparable acts were dropped. In 2003 the band severed ties with both the label and its manager, and McDonald departed to launch the Editors-influenced Juno Ashes; fan Lowell Killen took over guitar duties, and live shows became infrequent for several years.
Talk of a split ended in September 2007 with the independent release of Don’t Forget to Remember, recorded at Manchester’s Revolution Studios. The album made little domestic impact yet expanded the band’s reach elsewhere, and its supporting tour introduced their first U.S. dates while capitalizing on Planet Helpless’s earlier Greek success. That fourth album returned them to the Greek top ten, and the uplifting single “Don’t Know Any Better” topped the chart there, accompanied by a prestigious opening slot for Depeche Mode. The 2009 retrospective Sharpen Up the Knives preceded the group’s largest U.K. headline show to date, drawing 3,500 fans to Manchester’s Apollo.
At the outset only guitarist Neil McDonald possessed any formal musical experience; bassist Kevin Matthews and drummer Anthony Szuminski quickly developed the brooding foundation that framed Mudriczki’s brooding, heartfelt falsetto. Early EPs issued on Rough Trade and 2 Damned Loud between 1992 and 1993 caught the ear of Island Records, which in 1995 released the U2-inspired single “I Suppose.” The band’s self-titled debut followed in 1996 and drew favorable parallels with Radiohead’s The Bends, yet a push that featured five singles and a Manchester city-centre poster blitz bordering on criminal damage failed to divert attention from Oasis’s (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
The lighter, pop-leaning Only Forever appeared in 1998 and supplied Puressence’s first U.K. top-40 entry, the Who-inspired “This Feeling.” After Universal absorbed Island that same year the label maintained its commitment, issuing the ambitious Planet Helpless in October 2002 even as many comparable acts were dropped. In 2003 the band severed ties with both the label and its manager, and McDonald departed to launch the Editors-influenced Juno Ashes; fan Lowell Killen took over guitar duties, and live shows became infrequent for several years.
Talk of a split ended in September 2007 with the independent release of Don’t Forget to Remember, recorded at Manchester’s Revolution Studios. The album made little domestic impact yet expanded the band’s reach elsewhere, and its supporting tour introduced their first U.S. dates while capitalizing on Planet Helpless’s earlier Greek success. That fourth album returned them to the Greek top ten, and the uplifting single “Don’t Know Any Better” topped the chart there, accompanied by a prestigious opening slot for Depeche Mode. The 2009 retrospective Sharpen Up the Knives preceded the group’s largest U.K. headline show to date, drawing 3,500 fans to Manchester’s Apollo.
Albums
Singles
