Sleeper

Few Britpop acts carved out a place as neatly as Sleeper, whose songs paired sharp hooks with a wry, city-minded wit. Formed in London in 1992, the group grew out of a friendship between Jon Stewart and Louise Wener, who had met at Manchester University and whose sound moved from something close to the Sundays towards the Pixies. Across the 1990s they produced eight UK top 40 singles and three UK top 10 albums, and their music reached a wider audience through the soundtrack to Trainspotting.

Their 1993 deal with Indolent Records, an RCA subsidiary, led to the breakthrough single Inbetweener, whose video featured the TV presenter Dale Winton, and their debut Smart earned a gold certification from the BPI. The follow-up The It Girl went platinum and produced four top 20 singles, while their Blondie cover Atomic was used in the film after the original was refused. Pleased to Meet You reached the UK top 10 in 1997, but the band split in March 1998. Reunited in 2017 with Kieron Pepper on bass, they released This Time Tomorrow in December 2020.