Sleeper

Sleeper is a London-based British rock and indie group active from 1993 to 1998. The line-up consists of Louise Wener on vocals and guitar, Jon Stewart on guitar, Diid Osman on bass and Andy Maclure on drums.

Career

The band forms in 1993 under the original name Surrender Dorothy before adopting the name Sleeper. It becomes part of the 1990s Britpop scene and is associated with the wider alternative rock wave of the period.

Sleeper releases three albums: Smart, The It Girl and Pleased to Meet You. The breakthrough single Inbetweener becomes one of its best-known songs, and the band also records a version of Blondie’s Atomic, which appears on the film Trainspotting.

Albums and notable tracks

Smart is the debut album and reaches number 5. The It Girl also reaches number 5 and includes Lie Detector, Sale of the Century and Statuesque. It is produced by Stephen Street. Pleased to Meet You reaches number 7.

Other singles include Swallow, Delicious, Vegas, What Do I Do Now, Nice Guy Eddie, She's a Good Girl and Romeo Me, with chart positions in the UK among the group’s recorded releases.

After the split

The group splits in 1998. Louise Wener later goes on to a career as a novelist. The name Sleeper also gives rise to the term “Sleeperbloke”, used to describe a band member who is less visible or less prominent than the lead singer; the band is associated with an ironic T-shirt using that phrase.