Feeder

Feeder are a British alternative rock band based in Newport, Wales. The band was formed in 1994 under the name of "Reel" by the remaining members Grant Nicholas and Jon Lee of electroacoustic group Raindancer, after the departure of guitarist John Canham, although Simon Blight departed in 1994 to make way for Taka Hirose. Feeder's lineup after signing with The Echo Label in 1994 consisted of Grant Nicholas (guitar/vocals), Jon Lee (drums) and Taka Hirose (bass). In January 2002, Jon Lee took his own life in his Miami home before former Skunk Anansie drummer Mark Richardson, began to record and play with the band before being made an official member. In May 2009 he parted company with Feeder to return to a reformed Skunk Anansie. Since Mark's departure, Feeder have employed drummer Karl Brazil, although for sessions and touring commitments for Renegades (2010) they employed Australian Damon Wilson and former Mexicolas drummer Tim Trotter. Feeder has released eight studio albums, three compilations, two EP's and 34 singles.

Feeder's music has been inspired by a wide variety of artists and styles, including The Police, Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins. The band's sound was radically changed from that of Rain Dancer on their debut release the Two Colours EP (1995), but has since introduced more acoustic aspects to their music, including elements of pianos and string orchestras.

Feeder garnered media attention for their fourth album, Comfort in Sound (2002), while the tragedy of Jon Lee's death before the recording sessions were noted. The album touched on many themes of loss and coming to terms with death, although it also explored themes of positivity. Comfort in Sound is Feeder's most successful release to date, selling over 503,706 copies marking the success of the band. Although the overall success of the band is somewhat moderate, in comparison to acts such as U2 and Coldplay for example, Feeder have however garnered a dedicated cult following, which has enabled them to span the UK singles and albums charts combined for a total of 15 years.

Feeder won two Kerrang! Awards in 2001 (Best British Live Act), after releasing their breakthrough album Echo Park and in 2003 (Best British Band), when the band were promoting Comfort in Sound alongside their then upcoming debut arena tour. They also feature in the book The Xfm Top 1000 Songs of All Time. Feeder's most recent studio album, Generation Freakshow, was released on April 23, 2012.