Strangelove

Strangelove, a UK indie band, debuted live at Bath Moles Club on 9 October 1991 after evolving from their earlier project Words And Pictures. The lineup consisted of Patrick Duff on vocals, Alex Lee (b. 16 March 1970, Bristol, England; guitar/keyboards), Julian Pransky-Poole on guitar, Joe Allen on bass and John Langley on drums. Subsequent performances stayed occasional. Those concerts highlighted more than forty songs whose lyrics came solely from Duff, each carrying a one-word title.

The four-track EP Visionary, issued on Sermon Records in 1992, marked their first release. Momentum built when ‘Hysteria Unknown’ ranked among 1993’s most popular singles, even though the band stayed distant and reserved in interviews. Duff’s inebriated stage appearances further fueled attention. David Balfe prevailed in a bidding war and signed them to Food Records later that year.

Their debut album Time For The Rest Of Your Life arrived in 1994, produced for the first time by longtime associate Paul Corkett. Industry advocates included Suede, prompting joint dates through early 1995 that featured a Royal Albert Hall performance in London.

Love And Other Demons was recorded in 1995, yet Duff entered rehabilitation for alcohol dependency before its release. The band resurfaced with a fiercely charged show at London’s Camden Monarch in April 1996. Once the album appeared, earlier supporters had largely shifted elsewhere, though Duff’s command as writer and lyricist stayed unmistakable.

Duff’s first alcohol-free effort was the self-titled third album. Its more commercial orientation could not overcome continued singles-chart absence, and Strangelove disbanded shortly afterward. Duff later explored multiple projects while guitarist Lee joined Suede and then Lupine Howl. The pair reconvened for Duff’s solo debut Luxury Problems in 2005.