Smaller
Smaller were an English alternative rock, Britpop band from Liverpool, active during the 1990s. They had hits with "Wasted" and "Is" in 1996 and 1997.
Smaller | |
---|---|
Origin | Liverpool, England |
Genres | Alternative rock, Britpop |
Years active | Early 1990s–late 1990s |
Labels | Better |
Associated acts | Noel Gallagher |
Past members | Peter Deary Jason Riley Paul Cavanagh Stephen Deary Barry Sutton |
History
The band was formed in the early 1990s by former Cook da Books guitarist/singer Peter "Digsy" Deary, his brother Stephen (drums), Jason Riley (guitar/vocals), and Paul Cavanagh (bass guitar).[1] The band's debut release was the single "God I Hate This Town" in 1995.[2] They recorded a session for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show in November that year.[3] A second single failed to chart, but they broke into the UK top 75 with "Wasted" in September 1996.[4] Their next single, "Is", which featured Noel Gallagher on guitar, gave them their biggest hit, reaching number 55 in the UK in March 1997.[5] The band's debut album, Badly Badly, was released in April 1997, featuring further contributions from Gallagher. A second album was recorded, featuring a guest appearance from Richard Hawley, but it remained unreleased, various members of the band left and were replaced by friends of the Smallers - Lee Watson on guitar and Chris Mullin on bass joined 1999, drummers Bren Moore & Chris Campbell came along later and the transition from Smaller to The Sums happened in 2005.
The band's lyrical themes included relationships, financial problems, and Digsy's experiences with drugs.[1]
Digsy went on to front The Sums.[6]
Discography
Albums
- Badly Badly (1997) No. 86
Singles
- "God I Hate This Town" (1995) No. 141
- "Stray Dogs and Bin Bags" (1996) No. 160
- "Wasted" (1996) No. 72
- "Is" (1997) No. 55
References
- Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Indie & New Wave, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0231-3, p. 391
- Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, 1-84195-335-0, p. 978
- "07/11/1995 - Smaller", Keeping It Peel, BBC, retrieved 2011-02-24
- "Smaller", Chart Stats, retrieved 2011-02-20
- "Smaller Featuring Noel Gallagher", Chart Stats, retrieved 2011-02-20
- "Northern Empire, Carling Academy, tonight", Liverpool Echo, 4 October 2008, retrieved 2011-02-20