How a goldfish's name became a platinum-selling rock legacy
In short: In 1994, Grant Nicholas and Jon Lee were back to the drawing board after losing a bassist. A simple classified advert changed everything, leading to a band named after a pet goldfish that would eventually dominate the UK charts without ever signing to a major label.
Formed in 1994, the Welsh rock band Feeder rose to prominence through a series of strategic successes and unexpected tragedies. The group's identity was solidified when Taka Hirose, a Japanese ex-pat working as a graphic designer in London, answered an advert in Loot to become their bassist. This lineup helped the band sign with The Echo Label and eventually achieve massive commercial success.
The band's mainstream breakthrough arrived with the 2001 album Echo Park. Its lead single, "Buck Rogers," was written by Nicholas with The Pixies as a "comic book level" influence. The track became a UK top five hit and was later certified platinum in 2024 for 600,000 sales. Despite this success, the band faced significant hardship in January 2002 when drummer Jon Lee died by suicide in his Miami home.
Following this loss, the remaining members recorded their fourth album, Comfort in Sound, which explored themes of grief and loss. With former Skunk Anansie drummer Mark Richardson, the record achieved massive success both critically and commercially, selling roughly 503,706 units by 2012 to become their top seller. Since then, Feeder has maintained a consistent presence, recently releasing the double album Black / Red in 2024, marking their fifth consecutive top 10 album.
Feeder's enduring career is remarkable; they have put out 12 albums that sold more than a million copies within the UK, without ever joining a major label. In August 2019, their impact on the genre was recognized with an induction into The Kerrang! Hall of Fame.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Feeder (band)
- Also: Wikidata — Feeder · CC0
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