Hefner

British urban-folk trio Hefner traced their roots to 1992, when singer/guitarist Darren Hayman met drummer Antony Harding while the two were attending art school in Kent; relocating to London two years later, they later added bassist John Morrison, recording their 1996 debut single "Another Better Friend" just the second time all three played together. The record attracted positive underground buzz, and in late 1997 Hefner signed to the legendary Too Pure label, issuing the limited-edition 10" The Hefner Soul the following spring. After a much-acclaimed single, "Pull Yourself Together," the trio released the full-length Breaking God's Heart in mid-1998; The Fidelity Wars appeared a year later. The new millennium, however, saw a deal with Beggars Banquet, and after much success with the singles collection Boxing Hefner, the band issued We Love the City in October of 2000.

A year later, Dead Media was released, showcasing a lo-fi electronic sound. Sadly, the group was disheartened by the lack of positive reaction to the album and decided to split soon after the album's release. Hayman and Morrison soon formed a new group, the French, and further explored the electronic direction on 2003's Local Information. Hayman soon went solo and later formed another band, Darren Hayman & the Secondary Modern. The Hefner story was completed with the 2006 release of the Catfight compilation, which unearthed two discs of unreleased tracks including an entire album's worth recorded after Dead Media. ~ Jason Ankeny & Tim Sendra, Rovi