Post by Taxigirl on Nov 6, 2003 18:29:59 GMT
British rock band Suede, one of the defining bands of the mid-1990s Britpop scene, are to split up.
The band, led by Brett Anderson, said the split would not affect existing tour commitments.
"Suede would like to announce that from next year they will be working on their own individual projects," a statement on their website said.
"There will not be a new studio album until the band feel that the moment is artistically right to make one.
"This announcement does not affect the forthcoming touring commitments. Suede would like to thank the fans for their wonderful support over the years," the statement said.
A spokesman for Suede said: "As far as I know it's all perfectly amicable. No specific reason for why they are going their separate ways has been given at this stage."
The group shot to fame in the early 1990s as the Britpop scene was taking shape, along with the likes of Oasis and Blur.
They had a string of hit singles including Metal Mickey, Animal Nitrate and Trash.
Albums included their eponymous 1993 debut, followed by Dog Man Star and Coming Up.
'Passion'
The band recently played five nights at London's ICA venue, to coincide with a greatest hits album.
In a recent interview with the BBC's digital radio station 6 Music during the ICA shows, singer Anderson denied the band were considering a split.
"I'm excited about where we are musically at the moment - there's a passion, a fire and intensity back in the band."
The band's December tour will see them playing in London, Manchester and Bristol.
The band's early attempts to conquer the US market were nearly thwarted by American folk singer Suzanne DeBronkart who had recorded under the name Suede and held the trademark.
Eventually, they group settled on calling themselves The London Suede for their transatlantic fans.
The band underwent a line-up change when guitarist Bernard Butler quit for a solo career, under acrimonious circumstances, to be replaced by a then 17-year-old Richard Oakes.
Suede continued to enjoy success without Butler up until the late 1990s, with hits including She's in Fashion and Electricity.
But the turn of the century saw a downturn in Suede's popularity, with their 2002 album A New Morning only reaching number 24 in the charts.