Cornershop are an English indie rock band formed in Leicester, in 1991. The group are best known for their single "Brimful of Asha" from their third album When I Was Born for the 7th Time, whose remixed version topped the UK singles chart in 1998. They were formed by Tjinder Singh (singer, songwriter, and guitar), his brother Avtar Singh (bass guitar, vocals), David Chambers (drums), and Ben Ayres (guitar, keyboards, and tamboura), the first three having previously been members of General Havoc, who released one single (the Fast Jaspal EP) in 1991.[2][3] The band name originated from a stereotype referring to British Asians often owning corner shops. Their music is a fusion of Indian music, indie rock, alternative and electronic dance music.
History
Formation and early years: 1991–1996
Tjinder Singh formed General Havoc whilst a student at Lancashire Polytechnic in Preston in 1987.[2] He relocated to Leicester, where his brother and sister lived. He formed Cornershop in 1991 along with his brother Avtar and Chambers and Ayres while working as a barman at Leicester's Magazine pub, a popular local music venue near O'Jays, where the band played their first gigs.[4] Named after the stereotype of South Asians owning corner shops,[5] Cornershop drew inspiration from Singh's experiences as a British-born Sikh, mixing traditional Punjabi music with British indie rock.[6] In the early 1990s, when the UK music press criticised singer Morrissey after accusations of racism, the band were invited to comment and the Melody Maker ran a story featuring the band burning a picture of the singer outside the offices of EMI.[7]
Their debut release, the In The Days of Ford Cortina EP, produced by John Robb was pressed on "curry-coloured vinyl"[3][8] and contained a blend of Indian-tinged noise pop. The sound mellowed somewhat with the release of debut album Hold On It Hurts in 1994, described by Trouser Press as "a politically charged popfest, ten tracks of noisy delights that meld incisive social commentary with a firm hold on British post-punk."[9] The album impressed David Byrne, who signed the band to his label Luaka Bop.[3] Although David Chambers left the band in 1994 and was replaced by Nick Simms, the band re-emerged in 1995 with the "6 a.m. Jullandar Shere" single and the album Woman's Gotta Have It, also touring the United States including some dates on the Lollapalooza tour.[3] The band also toured Europe with Beck, Stereolab and Oasis.[3]
Recorded in multiple studios across London, San Francisco, and Preston, Lancashire, the album was produced by Tjinder Singh in collaboration with Dan the Automator and Daddy Rappaport. Rolling Stone named it one of the essential recordings of the 1990s, and it was ranked No. 1 on Spin's list of "Top 20 Albums of the Year" for 1997. The album reached No. 17 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified Gold.[10]
Cornershop took a break from touring in 1998, during which frontman Tjinder Singh and guitarist Ben Ayres worked as DJs and formed the side project Clinton. In 2000, they released a disco inspired album, Disco and the Halfway to Discontent, as part of their side-project. This inspired the launch of the London-based club night called Buttoned Down Disco, which took its name from the third track on the album.[12]
Further activities and recent years: 2002–present
Cornershop's next official release was the 2002 album Handcream for a Generation. The album was recorded between 2000 and 2001 at West Orange Studios in Preston, Lancashire, and Eastcote Studios in London, with Singh producing most of the album and Rob Swift co-producing two tracks. Drawing on soul, funk, disco, house, reggae, and psychedelic rock, featuring instruments like sitar and tabla, the album also featured a collaboration with Noel Gallagher on guitar.[3] Two singles, "Lessons Learned from Rocky I to Rocky III" and "Staging," peaked at 37 and 80 on the UK Singles Chart. Cornershop promoted the album with UK and US tours, festival appearances, and performances with Oasis.
Despite initial success, Cornershop parted ways with Wiiija in October 2002 due to low album sales. Since 2003, they have reportedly been working on a film about London's independent music scene. In 2004, they released Topknot with Bubbley Kaur on Rough Trade Records, followed by the 2006 single Wop the Groove, featuring Rowetta from Happy Mondays. Their song "Candyman" was later used in Nike's LeBron James VI shoe commercial, The Six "Chalk," in 2008. In July 2009, they released the album Judy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast, led by the single "The Roll-Off Characteristics (Of History in the Making)," on their label, Ample Play.[13]
In 2011, Cornershop were awarded a prize for Commitment to Scene in the UK Asian Music Awards.[14] and released Cornershop and the Double 'O' Groove Of, a collaborative album with Punjabi folk singer Bubbley Kaur, which was critically acclaimed.[15] They also launched the "Singhles Club," a subscription service featuring musical collaborations and digital artwork. Their eighth album, Urban Turban, came out in May 2012, followed by their ninth album, Hold On It's Easy, in February 2015.[16] In July 2015, they released the single "Pinpoint" with Welsh singer Angharad Van Rijswijk, aka Accü.[17]
In 2017, they gave an instrumental track called 'Demon is a Monster' to the anti-Brexit podcast 'Remainiacs' as a theme tune.[18] The track was then released digitally.[19] Cornershop are fiercely anti-Brexit.[20] In March 2020, they released a new album, England Is a Garden to generally positive reviews. The first official video from the album accompanying the track 'St Marie Under Canon' was released in February 2020.[21]
