The Darling Buds

The Darling Buds

The Darling Buds are an indie pop group from Caerleon, Newport, in Wales. They form in 1986 and remain active. The line-up includes Andrea Lewis, Harley Farr, and Matt Gray.

Background and style

The band takes its name from the British novel The Darling Buds of May. Their music draws on the catchy, simpler sound associated with the early Beatles and centres on short, melodic, hook-driven singles. They are also linked with the brief “Blonde” movement, alongside bands such as The Primitives, and are referenced in connection with the earlier C86 scene.

Releases

The Darling Buds release three full-length albums on Epic: Pop Said, Crawdaddy, and Erotica. Alongside these albums, they issue numerous 7-inch and 12-inch vinyl and CD singles. Their 1992 CD release causes some minor controversy because it appears several months before Madonna’s album of the same title.

Line-up

The group’s members are Andrea Lewis on vocals, Harley Farr on guitar, and Matt Gray. Earlier live line-ups in the bio also include Chris McDonogh on bass, Blos on drums from 1986 to 1990, and Jimmy Hughes on drums from 1990 to 1993.

Associated material

Live-performed songs associated with the band include “Alone Is No Together,” “Cities Alive,” “Come Home,” “Get Your Guns,” “Heartbreaker,” “I’m Not Okay,” “It’s Amazing,” “New Song,” “Venice,” “Wasted Time,” and “Where Did All My Friends Go?”

Other act with the same name

The name The Darling Buds is also used by a separate British band fronted by actor Jamie Campbell Bower, who plays a few gigs from around 2009 until the group ends in 2015 and releases the songs “It’s Amazing” and “Alone Is No Together.” That later act does not publish a full album.