Bad Lieutenant

Bad Lieutenant

Bad Lieutenant is a British alternative rock group from Manchester, formed in 2007 as a project for Bernard Sumner and Phil Cunningham after Peter Hook leaves New Order in spring 2007. The group also includes Jake Evans, who comes from Rambo and Leroy, and is associated with several other musicians and contributors from the New Order orbit and beyond.

Formation and lineup

The core lineup centres on Bernard Sumner on guitar and vocals, Phil Cunningham on guitar and keyboards, and Jake Evans on guitar and vocals. Other players linked to the project include Stephen Morris on drums and synthesizers, Tom Chapman on bass, Jack Mitchell of Mutineers on drums, and Alex James of Blur on bass. The project is described as remaining dormant since New Order re-emerges in 2011.

Recording and release

The band completes its debut album, Never Cry Another Tear, after more than a year spent writing, recording and mixing near Manchester. The record is associated with Triple Echo Records and is described as combining New Order’s melodic and electronic tendencies with a more streamlined guitar-led sound, supported by keyboards and occasional melodica. It also features additional contributions from Alex James and Stephen Morris.

Live performance and broadcast appearances

In March 2009, Bernard Sumner appears with Cunningham and Evans on Sky Arts’ Songbook, where he discusses his songwriting and performs acoustic versions of “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, “Bizarre Love Triangle”, and “Getting Away With It”, along with an early performance of a Bad Lieutenant song called “Sink or Swim”.

Notable songs

“Sink or Swim” is identified as the debut single and is also performed in preview form on Songbook. The album Never Cry Another Tear is the group’s main recorded release in the available information.