Gomez

Gomez formed in Manchester in 1996, a five-piece band that didn't quite fit the Britpop mold of the time. Their debut album 'Bring It On' came out in 1998, featuring the single 'Get Myself Arrested' and winning the Mercury Prize that year. The record mixed acoustic folk with electronic textures and had three different singers trading lead vocals.

They followed up with 'Liquid Skin' in 1999 and 'In Our Gun' in 2002, albums that kept expanding their sound without settling into one genre. Songs like 'See the world' and 'How We Operate' showed their knack for melodic hooks wrapped in layered production. The band's core lineup included Ian Ball, Ben Ottewell, Tom Gray, and Olly Peacock, with all of them contributing to the writing and singing.

Gomez released several more albums through the 2000s, including 'Split the Difference' and 'Casualty of Love,' before going on an extended hiatus. Their music always had a certain British earthiness to it, even when they were experimenting with studio effects or electronic beats. They never became huge commercial stars, but they built a dedicated following who appreciated their particular blend of influences.