Saint Etienne

Saint Etienne are an indie dance/indie pop trio which formed in Croydon, England in 1990. The band was founded by journalist Bob Stanley (born December 25, 1964) and Pete Wiggs (born May 15, 1966) in Croydon, UK, January 1990. After recording 2 singles with guest singers, Sarah Cracknell (born April 12, 1967, Chelmsford, Essex) joined as a full member. The band is named after a French football team. Saint Etienne are one of the bands who defined the early 90s indie dance genre, fusing the production values of the dance-pop that emerged in the wake of the Second Summer of Love with the clever lyrics and self-aware production of indie music. Their early recordings were littered with generic house music clichés, such as standard TR-909 drum patterns and Italo house piano riffs, but they soon found a more original sound. They began to shift towards a more atmospheric type of electronica in 2000 with the release of Sound Of Water which divided their fanbase but have since returned to a more traditional pop sound. They continue to write, record and release new music but spend a lot of time concentrating on producing independent films and documentaries. Their official website is www.saintetienne.com.