Theaudience (styled as theaudience) were an English rock band, formed in London in 1996.[1] They released one album and saw three singles enter the UK Singles Chart.[2] The band's singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor became a successful solo artist after the band's disbandment.[3]
History
theaudience were founded by guitarist Billy Reeves, formerly of the indie group Congregation.[3] The group was fronted by Sophie Ellis-Bextor and included drummer/producer "Patch" Hannan (ex-The Sundays), keyboard player Nigel Butler (ex-The Bridge), guitarist Dean Mollett (ex-Porcupine) and bass guitarist Kerin Smith.[4] Their one self-titled album received critical acclaim and reached No. 22 in the UK Albums Chart, with two of four singles released reaching the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart.[3]
Reeves left the band in December 1998,[3] and although the remaining band members wrote and demoed at least 33 songs for a second album, it was rejected by record label Mercury Records, who then dropped the band, which split in 1999.[2] Approximately half of these tracks were leaked onto the internet, most of which appeared as a fourteen-track bootleg album in 2009 under the fan-made title Quiet Storm.
The discography of Theaudience consists of one studio album, four singles and four music videos. The album track "Keep In Touch" was earmarked as a potential fifth single.
Thirty three songs were recorded as full band demos in 1998-1999 for a second album, just over half of which circulate as bootleg/download tracks. One such track, "Out With The Old School" was released contemporarily on NME sampler cassette "Wicked Women" in late 1998.