Since their inception in 1989, the Liverpool, England-based Lightning Seeds have come to be identified with a singular brand of jangly, sparkly, hook-filled pop, frequently running against the current of popular music in the U.K. (shoegazer, baggy, grunge). Under the direction of multi-talented singer songwriter/ producer/ instrumentalist Ian Broudie, the band experienced their greatest success in recent years amidst England's Britpop revival.
Broudie was born in Liverpool in 1959. In 1977 he helped found Big In Japan with Bill Drummond (later manager/Echo & The Bunnymen and founder/The KLF) Budgie (later of Siouxsie & The Banshees), and Holly Johnson (later of Frankie Goes To Hollywood). The band lasted only a year. His next band was the Original Mirrors. Broudie also took his first stab at producing around this time with fellow Liverpudlians Echo & The Bunnymen. The successful venture would lead to a production career encompassing albums by the Fall, Dodgy, the The Primitives, the Icicle Works, the BoDeans, Frazier Chorus, Alison Moyet, Terry Hall and Sleeper. Following Original Mirrors, Broudie formed the duo Care in 1983 with Liverpudlian Paul Simpson (later of the Wild Swans); they managed a couple of indie singles before splitting a year later. Following an extended period of studio/production work, Broudie established the Lightning Seeds. With Broudie as central figure and an evolving cast of musicians, he released their first single "Joy," in 1989, followed by "Pure," the band's biggest hit to date in the U.S. Both were included on the debut LP Cloudcuckooland (1990), which received praise for its bright, flawless pop on both sides of the Atlantic. He followed with Sense (1992), and Jollification (1994). Around this time he also assembled a more permanent band line-up, including former members of the La's (Paul Hemmings/ guitar) and the Icicle Works (Chris Sharrock/ drums). After a slow start, Jollification exploded in the U.K. in 1995 with four top 30 singles, a Glastonbury Festival appearance and a Brit Award nomination for Best Band.
In 1996, Broudie co-wrote and performed "Three Lions," the theme song for England's European Cup Football (soccer) campaign, alongside British comedians Baddiel & Skinner and the all-England team ("Life Of Riley", from Sense is still used as theme music for U.K. football TV program, "Match Of The Day"). The Lightning Seeds latest album, Dizzy Heights, followed. On it, Broudie's well-oiled touring line-up contributed more of a "band" feel to the proceedings where previously Broudie would opt to play a majority of the instruments himself. And, following a couple of years of shaky distribution in the U.S., this latest album was picked up by Epic U.S. (motivated by the band's success overseas), and released Stateside in 1997. The band were also nominated again for Best Band at the Brit Awards.
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