Gaz Coombes

As the frontman of boisterous Britpop trio Supergrass, Gaz Coombes (8 March 1976) penned some of the big indie-pop anthems of the era including "Alright," "Caught By the Fuzz" and "Pumping On Your Stereo" before evolving into a solo artist in 2012. Born in Oxford, he spent part of his early childhood living in San Francisco with his family and learned jazz piano from his father before returning home, picking up the guitar and forming his first band The Jennifers with school mate Danny Goffey. They were signed to Nude Records and released the single "Just Got Back Today," but he was still only 16 and the strain of touring while still at school caused the band to split. Gaz Coombes and Danny Goffey went on to form Supergrass in 1993, and with their scuzzy riffs, loveable energy and infectious pop songs they found massive success in the mid-1990s with the albums I Should Coco and In It for the Money and rode a powerful wave of success for nearly 17 years. They teamed up again as duo The Hotrats for a covers album made with producer Nigel Godrich, but it was Gaz Coombes' debut solo album Here Come the Bombs in 2012 which marked his transition from bouncy, indie-rock favourite into a more soulful, introspective songwriter. Recorded in his home studio with Ride drummer Loz Colbert, Matador made the UK top 20 in 2015 and was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize; Gaz Coombes returned in 2018 with blissful, funky, R&B grooves and thoughts on the fallacy and toxic nature of masculinity on third album World's Strongest Man. Featuring songs dedicated to his wife and kids ("Don’t Say It’s Over," "Not the Only Things") Turn the Car Around arrived in 2023 as the final instalment in the trilogy which began with Matador and included World's Strongest Man.