Tindersticks (GBR)

Tindersticks appeared on the British pop music scene at the start of the 1990s almost without warning while utterly failing to fit in with any trends. Their remarkably original music represented a kind of idiosyncratic chamber pop featuring beautiful orchestration, string instruments, expansive melodies and moving lyrics, and their albums became instant classics. One of the most celebrated bands of the 1990s have continued their fine form and reliable performances in the 21st century. In fact, their latest album, Soft Tissue, released in September 2024, shows the band once again at its peak. We are highly fortunate to have the chance to see them play again in Budapest as part of their tour for the album. 

Tindersticks have always been known for their richly orchestrated, beautiful and relaxing music, while their reliably high quality is married to a reliable work tempo. The core of the Nottingham-formed group – singer and guitarist Stuart A. Staples, keyboard player David Boulter and guitarist and vibraphone player Neil Fraser – has remained unchanged since 1992. The band took a brief hiatus in 2006, before reforming with an adjusted line-up in 2008, with the new members arriving with new influences and momentum. Their 1993 debut and second LP in 1995 are both among the finest albums of the 1990s, though the 1997 Curtains and 1999 record Simple Pleasure are also not far off that level. The same could be said for the albums from the early 2000s and after reforming, too. The 2012 album The Something Rain is a notably strong record, and the recently released new album is similarly memorable. Melancholy, poetry, melody, romance, sentimentalism and passion all characterise the Tindersticks sound. Musically, their beautifully orchestrated chamber pop of piano and guitars rises above the trends, at times soulful, sometimes jazzy-pop and sometimes ambling slowcore. More recently, ambient art-pop might also be an apt description for their music – though the best way to find out is to simply listen and feel.

The band are also known for their film music scores. Tindersticks created all of the music for several films from the superb French director Claire Denis, while the group's frontman directed a fascinating documentary (Minute Bodies: The Intimate World of F. Percy Smith), with the band once again providing the music. Their latest album, Soft Tissue, shows the band on an upward curve, with the releases over the last ten years or so formed in a sort of continuous reaction to each other. After the 2016 studio album The Waiting Room, the group worked on experimental material and film scores, so it followed that the 2019 No Treasure But Hope was a clean, natural record. Then, in reaction to that, the 2021 Distractions was again one of the band's most unwound and experimental works. Next, the band consciously brought the two extremes together, pairing the joy of playing together with more liberated musicianship.

Tindersticks have always possessed the desire to reach places they have never been before. At the House of Music, there is no question they will do the same for you.