The Pipettes

The Pipettes

The Pipettes are a British indie pop group from Brighton, active from 2003 to 2011. They begin as a girl group with a backing band and develop a reputation for choreographed performances, polka dot dresses and doo-wop-influenced songs.

History

The group forms in Brighton in 2003, starting at a seaside party. The original line-up includes Julia Clark-Lowes, Rose Elinor Dougall and Rebecca Stephens, with backing band The Cassette. Gwenno and Ani Saunders also sing in the group, with Gwenno sometimes playing keyboards.

In 2005, The Pipettes play headline tours in the UK and Europe, alongside support slots with The Magic Numbers, Graham Coxon, British Sea Power and The Go! Team. Their live profile also brings attention from radio DJs Huw Stephens and Mark Radcliffe.

They tour the United States in early 2007, playing sold-out shows and six showcases at SXSW 2007. Later that year they tour the UK and Europe again, then North America, alongside the US release of the Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me EP. They also appear at festivals in Europe and Japan during the summer, tour North America in October, launch We Are the Pipettes in the US with two additional songs, then play Japan in December. A mini-tour of Australia follows in 2008.

Recordings and chart positions

Their first major single, Dirty Mind, reaches number 61 in the UK singles chart. Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me follows and reaches number 35. Pull Shapes is released as a single from We Are the Pipettes and reaches number 26 in the UK Top 40 Singles Chart. We Are the Pipettes reaches number 41 in the album chart in its first week, and Judy, the fourth single from the album, reaches number 46 in the UK but tops the Indie Chart.

Line-up changes

In February 2008, Gwenno and Becki appear without Rose at a DJ set in Glasgow and at three shows with Mark Ronson in Brighton and London, prompting speculation about Ronson's involvement with a second album. On 18 April 2008, Rose and Becki leave the group and are replaced by Ani, Gwenno's sister, and Anna McDonald, a BRIT School graduate. The new line-up first appears at Corsa Presents Bandstand with Mark Ronson on 3 May 2008, performing Because It's Not Love (But It's Still A Feeling). Anna leaves in November 2008 after seven months, and the group cancels a planned appearance at Sŵn Festival. In February 2009, Beth Mburu-Bowie joins, and the band continues working on a second album.

Members

Members associated with the group include Julia Clark-Lowes, Rose Elinor Dougall, Rebecca Stephens, Monster Bobby, Gwenno, Anna McDonald, Ani Glass and Beth Mburu-Bowie. Former members named in the group history also include Joe van Moyland, who later appears with Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong.