Stereophonics (GB)

About

Also known as: Sterophonics, The Stereophonics

Few bands capture the grit of a small Welsh mining village and turn it into arena rock quite like Stereophonics. Formed in Cwmaman in the Cynon Valley, the group built their reputation on Kelly Jones's raspy, whiskey soaked vocals and a sound that sits somewhere between alternative rock and classic British rock. Their 1997 debut Word Gets Around put them on the map, but it was Performance and Cocktails in 1999 that pushed them into the mainstream, with singles like "The Bartender and the Thief" and "Just Looking" all over UK radio. They have since racked up thirteen studio albums, nine of which hit number one in the UK, and sold around 10 million records worldwide. Their one undisputed chart topper is "Dakota" from 2005, which remains their biggest single. Live, they have always been a serious draw, headlining Reading and Leeds, Glastonbury, and a string of other major festivals across the UK and Ireland. The current lineup features Kelly Jones, Richard Jones, Adam Zindani, and Jamie Morrison, and they have kept releasing music well into the 2020s.