Feeder

They’ve packed out thousands of venues on countless gruelling tour schedules, courting the world’s music press as they go – yet they’ve still managed to keep their global fan base clamouring for more. Cardiff might appear a surprising choice for such a high-profile band, but their roots are local: Feeder formed just down the road, in Newport.
But that was 17 years ago, and after six Top Ten albums and 20 Top 40 singles, Grant, Taka and Mark are back in South Wales to rock the Summer Ball.
A unique combination of clashing guitar riffs and uplifting – even orchestral – strings renders each of their tracks instantly recognisable. It’s proof of their talent that such a trademark sound has never become stagnant.
Feeder’s first full-length albums, Polythene (1997) and Yesterday Went Too Soon (1999), sparked the band’s breakthrough after their first commercial EP release, Swim (1996). Worth digging out on iTunes, these early releases chart their more experimental beginnings. Swaggering, with the unmistakable Britpop edge, yet loaded with refreshing wide-eyed fervour, Feeder marked the dawn of a new approach to British music. True commercial recognition didn’t come, however, until the release of Buck Rogers, the first single from their third album, Echo Park (2000). Anybody who had ears and a voicebox back in 2001 probably spent most of the summer bellowing ‘he’s got a brand new car, looks like a Jaguaaaaaaaaar’ at the top of their lungs at V festival or Glasto. Seven Days in the Sun and Just a Day, the following singles from Echo Park, also soared up the charts, securing the album’s popularity, making Feeder a household name. These were anthems in the making: pure Summer Ball euphoria for sure.
By now, the band had established a more commercially-friendly sound, but the comparatively-dark Oxygen and Satellite News demonstrated their talent for blending deeper lyrics with a pop sensibility.
The 2002 release of Comfort in Sound really put the band’s talent to the test, when Drummer Jon Lee, aged just 33, hanged himself in his Miami home, a grave tragedy for the band and their fans. Taka and Grant worked with former Skunk Anansie and Little Angels drummer Mark Richardson on the album, dedicating Quickfade – an unreleased album track – to Jon. The record is the band’s most successful to date, a recognition, perhaps, of their ability to distil raw emotion into their songwriting and performance.
The next few years saw Feeder’s continued move in a more mature, self-confident direction. Pushing the Senses (2005) showcased further orchestral and lyrical experimentation, shooting straight to number two in the album charts. This became an exciting time for the band. Success opened up opportunities for high-profile collaborations with the likes of Coldplay producer, Ken Nelson, who worked with the band on album track Frequency. However, this success also brought damaging press, and false rumours of the band’s split flooding into the media. Defiance came in the form of The Singles, an album which went platinum in fewer than three months. Feeder had once again proved their commercial viability and songwriting talent, and that summer they topped the Reading and Leeds festivals and worked closely with the charity War Child on a series of gigs.
Perhaps it was this mainstream exposure that prompted the band’s return to their roots with their most recent album, Silent Cry (2008). Now less of a band, more of an institution, Feeder were able to embark on heavier, more experimental songwriting. The result was a distinct reminder of the releases which first captured their fans’ attention back in the late ’90s. Grant himself is philosophical about this new direction, admitting: “I feel like every album is a new chapter in some way; I’m hoping this one can push us even further. I feel this album is a step towards that, and yet a step towards our roots in some ways too”. Ever evolving, yet mindful of their foundations, Feeder are once again at the top of their game.
To say it’s been a rollercoaster ride would be an understatement. From humble, local beginnings, to their euphoric breakthrough with Echo Park, to a global career marked with both tragedy and worldwide success, the band’s skill and determination has never failed.
This summer’s return to South Wales is set to be a classic night of top-of-your-lungs anthems and messy rock and roll debauchery – in true Feeder style.
HAZEL PLUSH