Mew | Artist
Mew is a Danish alternative rock band formed 1995 in Copenhagen by Jonas Bjerre (lead vocals, guitar), Johan Wohlert (bass), Bo Madsen (guitar) and Silas Utke Graae Jørgensen (drums). Bo Madsen left the band in 2015, and Johan Wohlert left in 2006, but returned in 2013. They have had a profound impact on the Danish indie scene, emerging alongside the likes of Carpark North, Swan Lee and Saybia. Mew's style of music, which was inspired by bands such as My Bloody Valentine, the Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., the Pet Shop Boys, and Prince, has been described as "space pop", built on expansive pop dramatics, intricate instrumental passages, and shimmering atmospheric soundscapes. The band members first met in the seventh grade in Hellerup, a suburb of Copenhagen. Before they could even play instruments, the ambitious youths were ready to make music together, although they initially failed as a band called Orange Dog. Madsen briefly spent time in the United States before the guys came back together in their late teens as Mew. Their first gig impressed a book-publishing agent in the audience so much that he promptly convinced his company to move into the music business to release Mew's debut album A Triumph For Man. Their third album, 2003's Frengers, proved to be their artistic and commercial breakthrough. It attracted rave critical reviews and won the awards for "Album of the Year" and "Band of the Year" in Denmark. It also elevated them to supporting R.E.M. on a European tour, which also attracted wider attention for the band. Mew has released seven studio albums to-date, plus two live albums, several EP's and over 30 singles. Standout albums include Half the World Is Watching Me (2000), Frengers (2003), And The Glass Handed Kites (2005), No More Stories.. (2009) and the 2010 compilation Eggs are Funny. Jonas Bjerre also releases solo works, including the 2011 soundtrack to the movie Songs and Music from the Movie Skyscraper. He is also a member of the art-pop band Apparatjik, and the dream-pop duo Tachys. Johan Wohlert is married to the musician Pernille Rosendahl, and the pair work together as the duo The Storm. In September 2013 the band released an iOS app entitled Sensory Spaces in conjunction with B&O Play. The app contained, amongst other things, a preview of a new song, "Making Friends". When asked about the origins of the band's name, Bjerre explained that it came from their days in high school when, disappointed after baking a "disgusting" cake, the members threw possible band names around, and "Mew" stuck. "Mew" is also one of the many fictional species in the Pokémon franchise.
Artist Website: mewsite.com
Featured Albums: Mew
Related Artists: Jonas Bjerre
