Mogwai

Named after the furry creature in the 1984 film Gremlins, Scottish post-rockers Mogwai acted as surly, outsiders to the mid-1990s Brit-pop craze with their sprawling soundscapes and experimental guitar noise. Formed in Glasgow in 1995 by guitarist Dominic Aitchison, singer and guitarist Stuart Braithwaite, and drummer Martin Bulloch, the trio added John Cummings, a third guitarist, before making their live debut. They quickly established themselves as cult heroes with 1997’s Mogwai Young Team and 1999’s Come On Die Young. Favourites of Radio 1 DJ John Peel, the band recruited Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals, Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol and David Pajo of Slint to provide vocals on third album, 2001’s Rock Action before creating the soundtrack to Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait (2006), an art-house film of French footballer Zinedine Zindane. The atmospheric instrumentals of 2007’s The Hawk Is Howling and the guttural chaos of 2010’s Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will inspired the likes of Broken Social Scene, Metronomy and Foals, and solidified Mogwai as a keystone of British experimental rock. Nearly 20 years into their career, 2014’s Rave Tapes became their first album to crack the top 10 in the UK, and 2017’s Every Country’s Sun topped it by hitting number 6. Four years passed before the release of 2021’s As the Love Continues.