tindersticks (GB)

About

Also known as: The Tindersticks

Tindersticks got their name when singer Stuart Staples found a box of German matches on a Greek beach, which is exactly the kind of offbeat origin story that suits a band this singular. Formed in Nottingham in 1992 from the ashes of Asphalt Ribbons, they built a sound rooted in melancholic orchestral arrangements, literary vocals and a slowcore sensibility that set them apart from almost everything else happening at the time. Their early self titled albums drew widespread critical praise, and their live shows, often featuring full string sections or even an entire orchestra, became events in their own right. Over the years they've shifted between lush chamber pop and leaner, soul influenced territory, with albums like Simple Pleasure and Can Our Love... stripping back the strings in favour of something warmer and more direct. A long running collaboration with French director Claire Denis has produced several film soundtracks. After a hiatus and solo detours by Staples, the band returned with renewed focus, releasing No Treasure But Hope in 2019 and Distractions in 2021, with their fourteenth album Soft Tissue following in 2024.