Mat Osman

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Mat Osman
Suede 2012.jpg
Osman performing with Suede at Lokerse Festival in Lokeren, Belgium in 2012
Background information
Birth nameMathew David Osman
Born (1967-10-09) 9 October 1967 (age 56)
Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England
Genres Alternative rock, Britpop
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, author, journalist
Instrument(s) Bass guitar
Years active1989–present
Member of Suede
Website suede.co.uk
Relatives Richard Osman (brother)

Mathew David Osman (born 9 October 1967) is an English musician and author, best known as the bassist in the rock band Suede. Osman and singer Brett Anderson are the only remaining founding members left in Suede, and perform along with drummer Simon Gilbert, who has appeared on many Suede albums. Osman is also a writer; he has written two novels and contributed to various publications. He is the brother of presenter and author Richard Osman.

Contents

Biography

Osman was born in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, but was raised mainly in Haywards Heath, West Sussex. Osman's younger brother is the presenter, author, and comedian Richard Osman. [1] He studied at the London School of Economics where in 1989, he was awarded a BSc in Economics.[ citation needed ]

Osman met future Suede lead singer Brett Anderson in Haywards Heath, and they played together in early garage bands such as The Pigs and Suave And Elegant. Osman co-wrote some of Suede's songs, including "Lost in TV", "Europe Is Our Playground", "Attitude" and "Golden Gun". After Suede broke up in 2003, Osman provided music for television programmes, such as 8 Out of 10 Cats , The Marriage Ref and You Have Been Watching . [2] He returned to perform with Suede when the band reformed in 2010. [3]

Osman was the London editor of the email magazine le cool [4] [5] and the editor of their London guidebook, published in summer 2008. [6] His writing has also been published in British magazines and newspapers including The Guardian , The Independent and The Observer .

Osman's first novel The Ruins was published in February 2020 by Repeater Books [7] [8] and his second, The Ghost Theatre, was published by Bloomsbury Publishing in 2023. [9] He co-authored the book England on Fire [10] with Stephen Ellcock.

Discography

With Suede

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suede (band)</span> English rock band

Suede are an English rock band formed in London in 1989 by singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Justine Frischmann, and bass player Mat Osman. Drawing inspiration from glam rock and post-punk, Suede were dubbed "The Best New Band in Britain" by Melody Maker in 1992, and attracted much attention from the British music press. The following year their debut album Suede went to the top of the UK Albums Chart, becoming the fastest-selling debut album in almost ten years. It won the Mercury Music Prize and helped foster 'Britpop' as a musical movement, though the band distanced themselves from the term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haywards Heath</span> Human settlement in England

Haywards Heath is a town in West Sussex, England, 36 miles (58 km) south of London, 14 miles (23 km) north of Brighton, 13 miles (21 km) south of Gatwick Airport and 31 miles (50 km) northeast of the county town, Chichester. Nearby towns include Burgess Hill to the southwest, Horsham to the northwest, Crawley northwest and East Grinstead northeast. With only a relatively small number of jobs available in the immediate vicinity, mostly in the agricultural or service sector, many residents work "remotely" or commute daily via road or rail to London, Brighton, Crawley or Gatwick Airport for work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Tears</span>

The Tears were an English rock supergroup formed in 2004 by ex-Suede bandmates Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler, along with the former Delicatessen and Lodger members Will Foster (keyboardist), bassist Nathan Fisher, and Bernard Butler session drummer Makoto Sakamoto. The duo Anderson and Butler were a much anticipated reunion and music critics praised their first concerts and only album, Here Come the Tears. However, the project was short-lived as they disbanded in 2006, which allowed Anderson to focus on his solo career and the latter Suede's reformation in 2010, Butler became a full-time producer, and Foster worked as additional musician for The Fratellis since 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brett Anderson</span> English singer

Brett Lewis Anderson is an English singer best known as the lead singer and primary lyricist of the band Suede. After Suede disbanded in 2003, he fronted The Tears with former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler in 2004–2006, and released four solo albums on which he also played guitar and keyboards. Suede re-formed in 2010; they continue to record and tour.

<i>Suede</i> (album) 1993 studio album by Suede

Suede is the debut album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in March 1993 on Nude Records. It was recorded in London at Master Rock studios late 1992 and early 1993 and was produced by Ed Buller. At the time the fastest-selling debut album in British history in almost a decade, Suede debuted at the top of the UK Albums Chart, won the 1993 Mercury Music Prize, and is often cited as one of the first Britpop records. Displaying a sound of Britishness and glam rock, its music and lyrical content has been compared to The Smiths and early David Bowie.

<i>Coming Up</i> (album) 1996 studio album by Suede

Coming Up is the third album by English alternative rock band Suede, released on 2 September 1996 through Nude Records. It was the band's first album since the departure of guitarist Bernard Butler, who was replaced by Richard Oakes. Also added to the band was keyboardist Neil Codling. The album was nominated for the 1997 Mercury Prize. A commercial and critical success, Coming Up was the second by the band to reach no. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, producing five top ten singles and receiving a favourable reception at home and in the US. Coming Up was the album that introduced Suede to a worldwide audience, in places such as Europe, Canada and Asia.

<i>Dog Man Star</i> 1994 studio album by Suede

Dog Man Star is the second album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in October 1994 on Nude Records. The album was recorded in London at Master Rock studios in early 1994, and was produced by Ed Buller. It was the last Suede album to feature guitarist Bernard Butler; growing tensions between him and singer Brett Anderson ended with Butler leaving the band before recording was complete. As a result, some tracks on the album had to be finished with the assistance of session musicians.

<i>A New Morning</i> 2002 studio album by Suede

A New Morning is the fifth studio album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in September 2002. By the time the album was released, public interest in the band had waned, as shown by the poor charting of both the album and singles. Despite this, however, the album received moderate praise from critics. It is the only Suede album not to be released in the US. It was the last studio album released by the band before their seven-year hiatus and reunion in 2010. Before recording took place, keyboardist and guitarist Neil Codling left the band due to his health concern, and later was replaced by former Strangelove guitarist, Alex Lee. As Codling returned to the band for their 2010 reunion, this is their only studio album to have featured Lee.

<i>Head Music</i> 1999 studio album by Suede

Head Music is the fourth album by English alternative rock band Suede, released by Nude Records in May 1999. Produced and mixed by Steve Osborne, Head Music features a more electronic sound, which was a new approach for the band. The recording of Head Music was plagued with difficulties such as singer Brett Anderson's addiction to crack, and keyboardist Neil Codling's struggle with chronic fatigue syndrome. The album still went to number 1 on the UK Albums Chart, however, making it the band's third and final chart-topping album. Overall, the album received generally favourable reviews from critics.

<i>Sci-Fi Lullabies</i> 1997 compilation album by Suede

Sci-Fi Lullabies is a two-disc compilation album by English alternative rock band Suede released by Nude Records on 6 October 1997, consisting of B-sides from the singles that were released from the group's first three albums. It reached no. 9 on the UK Albums Chart, and received universal acclaim on release. In subsequent years, the record has been hailed as one of the finest B-side compilations in popular music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stay Together (Suede song)</span> 1994 single by Suede

"Stay Together" is a non-album single by English band Suede, released on 14 February 1994 through Nude Records. It is the last single released while guitarist Bernard Butler was in the band, though subsequent singles from Dog Man Star feature his music. It is tied with "Trash" as the highest-charting single the band has released, reaching No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also charted in Ireland, peaking at No. 18. The single was released in the US on 26 April as a six-song EP, and was the first release by the band as the London Suede. The State-side name change was the result of a successful lawsuit brought by Suzanne deBronkart, who had already been performing and recording in the US under the name Suede. The title track and the popular B-side, "My Dark Star", were ranked Suede's third and fourth-best songs by The Guardian in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trash (Suede song)</span> 1996 single by Suede

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beautiful Ones</span> 1996 single by Suede

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everything Will Flow</span> 1999 single by Suede

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Simon Gilbert is an English drummer and member of the English band Suede, one of the 'Big Four' Britpop bands of the 1990s, along with Oasis, Blur and Pulp. Gilbert is the third-longest serving member of Suede, and along with founders Brett Anderson and Mat Osman appears on every Suede album.

Le cool is an independent publishing company based in Barcelona, Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Osman</span> English comedian, producer, TV presenter and writer (born 1970)

Richard Thomas Osman is an English author, television presenter, producer, novelist, and comedian. He is the creator and former co-presenter of the BBC One television quiz show Pointless. He has presented the BBC Two quiz shows Two Tribes and Richard Osman's House of Games and been a team captain on the comedy panel shows Insert Name Here and The Fake News Show. He has made appearances on many British panel shows including Would I Lie To You? and QI.

<i>Night Thoughts</i> (album) Album by Suede

Night Thoughts is the seventh studio album by English alternative rock band Suede. Produced by long-time collaborator Ed Buller, the album was released through Warner Music UK on 22 January 2016 to widespread critical acclaim. It was accompanied by a feature film, directed by Roger Sargent. During their 2016 tour the band performed from behind a screen on which Sargent's film was projected during the first half of their set. The album is considered by many critics to be the band's finest work since 1994's Dog Man Star.

References

  1. Dessau, Bruce (2 March 2013). "10 Questions for Suede's Brett Anderson & Mat Osman". The Arts Desk . Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  2. "Mat Osman". British Comedy Guide . Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  3. Rogers, Jude (21 October 2010). "Suede brush up". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  4. "About Us". Le Cool. 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  5. Armstrong, Stephen (26 February 2007). "London scene is full of Es". The Guardian . Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  6. Lanyado, Benji (19 November 2008). "Le Cool: an eccentric's guide to London". The Guardian . Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  7. "The Ruins". Repeaterbooks.com. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  8. Allen, Jeremy (3 February 2020). "Mat Osman: 'within a month, I went from being a rock star to driving a van'". Huck Magazine . Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  9. "Bloomsbury scoops Suede star Osman's novel in 48-hour pre-empt". The Bookseller. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  10. "England on Fire: A Visual Journey through Albion's Psychic Landscape". Watkins Publishing. Retrieved 27 May 2022.