Biography
The indie pop outfit Sing-Sing originated when Emma Anderson, the former Lush guitarist and vocalist, crossed paths with vocalist Lisa O'Neill during the middle of 1997. Eight months afterward, the pair laid down a four-song demo that featured Elastica's Justin Welch on drums. Two months on from there, producer Mark Van Hoen, already known to O'Neill from their prior Locust collaboration, assisted on a second demo. Former Cocteau Twins members Simon Raymonde and Robin Guthrie encountered the recordings and ultimately put out the Feels Like Summer single on their Bella Union imprint in October 1998. By that period the duo had begun performing live, bringing in drummer Mig of Moose and Moonshake, bassist Shifty, and keyboardist Poppy Gonzalez of Mojave 3. Early the next year Fierce Panda released a split single shared with Linoleum, after which the group remained silent until well into 2000. On their self-founded Aerial label they issued the singles I'll Be and a re-recorded version of Feels Like Summer. Anderson and O'Neill secured a short-term licensing agreement with Alan McGee's Poptones label in 2001, leading to the autumn release of their debut album The Joy of Sing-Sing. SXSW and CMJ appearances plus two North American tours accompanied the launch. Two years afterward the pair started work on a follow-up, though resources proved scarce. Self-financed and sold exclusively via the band's website www.sing-sing.co.uk, the 2004 Madame EP served as a fundraiser intended to finance a full second album. Within a month sufficient funds arrived to restart sessions, and Sing-Sing and I appeared in summer 2005.
Albums
