Did Suede write songs about Damon Albarn?
In a TV interview in 1994, Damon Albarn said, "There is no doubt that the majority of songs on that first album are about Justine or me." Justine, meaning Justine Frischmann, lead singer of Elastica, who was Damon's girlfriend for seven years. Before that, she was with Brett Anderson, lead singer of Suede, and a founder member of the band. The crossover period between the two men is, let's say, blurred.
Suede are considered one of the founder members of the Britpop movement in the 90s. In 1992, Melody Maker dubbed them the best new band in Britain. They had a raw sound that stood out from the pop blandness of Whitney Houston, who had dominated the charts of that year with her Dolly Parton cover "I Will Always Love You."
Yes, the Madchester scene was at its high point in 92, but Suede offered something different. An intensity missing from a mainstream indie band since the Roses had imploded.
Justine says, " I first saw Brett on the day we were all signing in for our student IDS at UCL. He had a sort of long flick, a pair of earrings, and a handbag—I mean, it was a ladies' handbag. I had this moment of thinking, Is he a boy or a girl? And finding him devastatingly attractive. I just knew that we were going to be together.
Bassist Mat Osman said of Justine, "I knew Justine as Brett's girlfriends before we ever made music together. He brought back this incredible girl, just so smart and so funny."
Brett Anderson later said, "Justine was a huge influence on me in terms of who I became as a person. If I hadn't met her, I possibly wouldn't have been sitting here (in an interview as a successful songwriter and musician), and absolutely, definitely in terms of what Suede became, even though she wasn't in the band when we first appeared."
Justine says of that time, "It wasn't a band at that point, you know, there were three of us messing about in a bedroom, but I'm pretty sure I was a bit part in trying to get out of the bedroom and onto some sort of stage somewhere.
Shortly afterwards, Justine was having second thoughts about her relationship with Brett Anderson, his dreams of domesticity and an everyday life together were no longer appealing. She had bigger dreams to fulfil and was the most ambitious of the three Suede founders at that time.
Justine met Damon at the premises, a recording studio in Hackney. But just after Blur had chart success with "There's No Other Way", Suede supported them in Brighton at the Zap club. Damon was rude to Justine when she said she wanted a Blur poster, he told he to buy one, but secretly was really taken with her. He got her number, called her up, and asked her out. A few months later, she and Brett were finished.
Mat Osman "We were in this weird and horrible situation that Brett and Justine had split up, she'd met someone else, but she was still in the band. I don't think it would ever have worked. Eventually, Justine left."
Brett Anderson said, "It was very painful, but it was possibly the best thing that ever happened to me. It gave the songs a direction." Brett poured everything into the making of Suede’s first album.
While Brett and Justine were in their final stages, Justine came home with red scratches all down her back after an afternoon of fun with Damon. Shortly after, the song Animal Lover was written.
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