How a Manchester art space birthed an indie pop phenomenon
In short: Before they were topping UK charts, The Ting Tings were playing free-beer gigs in a Salford engine house. Born from a shared love of Portishead and a distrust of the music industry, this duo transformed from a local art-scene secret into a global Grammy-nominated force.
The Ting Tings, an English indie pop duo comprising Katie White and Jules De Martino, emerged from the creative hub of Islington Mill Studios in Salford, Greater Manchester. Their journey began after the pair, having previously formed the Portishead-influenced trio Dear Eskiimo, experienced a split due to management changes at Mercury Records. This left them with a lasting distrust of the music industry, prompting them to form their own group within the supportive, artist-filled environment of the Mill.
The band's name, 'Ting Ting,' was inspired by a Chinese colleague of White who noted the name sounded like the Mandarin pronunciation for 'bandstand' (亭). Beyond the phonetic connection, the duo discovered the name also signified 'the sound of innovation on an open mind.' Their early career was defined by grassroots momentum, moving from donation-funded gigs at the Mill's 'Engine House' to being name-checked on XFM and eventually signing with Columbia Records after a successful 2007 tour with Reverend and the Makers.
Their debut, We Started Nothing (2008), was a commercial juggernaut, reaching number one on the UK Albums Chart and producing the UK number one single 'That's Not My Name.' The duo's success spanned continents, including a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 2010 and a MTV Video Music Award for 'Shut Up and Let Me Go.' Despite the pressures of fame, the duo has maintained a prolific output, releasing subsequent albums including Sounds from Nowheresville (2012), Super Critical (2014), The Black Light (2018), and Home (2025).
Their creative process has often been a battle for autonomy. In 2010, they famously scrapped most of their Berlin recording sessions to avoid being associated with the 'Euro-pop shite' dominating the radio, eventually relocating to Spain to find new influences in artists like the Beastie Boys and TLC.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The Ting Tings
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