The Primitives

The Primitives

The Primitives are an indie pop and alternative rock band from Coventry, United Kingdom, active from 1985 to the present. The band’s line-up includes Paul Court on vocals and guitar, Tracy Cattell on vocals, Steve Dullaghan on bass and Pete Tweedie on drums. Earlier members include Keiron McDermott, and the group has also included Clive Layton, Tig Williams, Andy Hobson, Paul Sampson, Neil Champion and Raph Moore.

History

Formed in 1985, The Primitives first feature singer Keiron McDermott before replacing him with Tracy Cattell, who performs as Tracy Tracy. Court, Cattell, Dullaghan and Tweedie establish the best-known line-up. The band’s sound sits within c86, jangle pop, noise pop and power pop, alongside alternative and indie rock.

They gain wider attention after Morrissey names them among his favourite bands. Their first album brings the UK Top 5 single “Crash”, which also reaches number 3 on the Billboard Modern Rock Chart. Their career then declines in the early 1990s, and they split in 1992 after the commercial failure of their final album, Galore.

Reformation and later work

The Primitives reform in 2009 and release Echoes and Rhymes in 2012, their first album in 21 years. The album consists of covers of lesser-known female-fronted bands from the 1960s.