Brit-pop band Shed Seven officially formed in York, England in 1991, although frontman Rick Witter, guitarist Paul Banks, bassist Tom Gladwin, and drummer Alan Leach first began collaborating while still in their teens. Signing to Polydor in 1994, Shed Seven's debut single, "Mark"/"Casino Girl," garnered little attention, but their second effort, "Dolphin," reached the U.K. Top 30; following a third single, "Speakeasy," the group closed out the year with the release of their debut LP, Change Giver. Although widely dismissed as mere pretenders to the Brit-pop throne, subsequent Shed Seven singles including "Where Have You Been Lately?" and "Ocean Pie" continued to hit the charts, and although American success was not forthcoming, the quartet achieved megastardom in, of all places, Thailand. Heralded by the hit "Getting Better," 1996's Maximum High earned stronger reviews than its predecessor, and after spending much of the next two years on the road, Shed Seven returned in 1998 with Let It Ride; when the album was not a breakout success, Polydor dropped the band. For 2001's Truth Be Told, Banks left the band and their original guitarist Joe Johnson -- whom Banks had replaced in 1993 -- returned. Released on indie label Artful, the album failed to make a splash, and Shed Seven disbanded soon after. Their final album, the live effort Where Have You Been Tonight?, was released in 2003. In 2007, the band reunited, bringing Banks back into the fold alongside Johnson for a tour that produced the Live at the BBC set. Things then went quiet for another decade before Shed Seven burst back in late 2017 with the announcement of a new studio album, their first in 16 years. Produced by Youth, Instant Pleasures had a hard-rocking, bluesy sound. Its release coincided with the launch of the band's very own beer, and their biggest-ever U.K. tour. ~ Jason Ankeny & John D. Buchanan