The Auteurs were an English rock band, active from 1991 to 1999, consisting of Luke Haines, James Banbury, and Ed Ball. The Auteurs rose to cult status in the mid-1990s and were often compared to Elvis Costello, Syd Barrett, Nick Drake, Brian Eno and The Velvet Underground.
The Auteurs first formed in 1991, when singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Luke Haines and bassist James Banbury began writing and recording material in Haines London home. Initially a duo, they were soon joined by drummer and former Television Personalities member Ed Ball. The trio built a strong following with their live sets and recordings, earning rave reviews from the influential NME, Melody Maker andRecord Mirror periodicals.
Their debut album, New Wave, was released in 1993 and was widely acclaimed for its dark and intricate lyrical style, its combination of cynicism and romanticism, and the astounding versatility of its instrumentation. Its influential sound marked a new wave in British music and was compared to the likes of Velvet Underground and David Bowie.
After a tour of the UK, Europe and the US to promote New Wave, the band returned to the studio to write and record their follow-up album Now Im A Cowboy, released in 1994. Taking more influence from American musical styles, the album still upheld the bands acclaimed sound, grounded in a polished combination of angular pop, quirky psychedelia and acidic folk.
The Auteurs also released two successful singles, one of them the break-through UK Top 20 hit Lenny Valentino, and another, Showgirl, which enjoyed the same success. They toured extensively, playing to packed venues throughout theUK, Europe and USA.
With its two successful albums, two Top 20 singles and extensive touring, the Auteurs rose to cult status in the UK and Europe, and music magazine Q even named them Band Of The Year for 1995.
However, in 1996 the band announced their amicable breakup due to musical differences, and since then Haines has focused primarily on his solo career, with occasional reunion performances from himself, Banbury and Ball.
Today the Auteurs are credited with helping to reinvigorate and reinvent British rock, and their influence can still be heard in the music of contemporary bands such as Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs and Franz Ferdinand.
