b. Damon Gough, 2 October 1969, Bolton, Lancashire, England. Gough established a cult following on the strength of two EPs, EP1 and EP2, released in 1997 and 1998 respectively on Twisted Nerve Records, the label he co-founded with Andy Votel, a recording artist on the Manchester-based Grand Central label. The releases provoked something of an A&R bidding war before Gough signed to XL Records for a reputedly six-figure sum. He had also contributed "Nursery Rhyme' to U.N.K.L.E."s 1998 release, Psyence Fiction. The track was considered by many to be one of the album's highlights. Badly Drawn Boy's sound has a sparse, lo-fi quality and the music features repetitive guitar melodies, strong percussion and Gough's ethereal vocals. His live shows are notoriously amateurish, Gough sometimes forgetting lyrics or playing material that he has not finished writing. The performances are considered brilliantly original by some and a sham by others. His fourth EP, It Came From The Ground was released in April 1999, accompanied by live performances in Liverpool and London. A further EP, Once Around The Block, was released in August. Two further EPs followed before the release of Gough's highly anticipated debut album, the aptly titled The Hour Of Bewilderbeast. Over 18 sprawling tracks Gough managed to weave his disparate influences into a quietly compelling whole. The album won the UK's Mercury Music Prize in September 2000, with a further award at the annual Q magazine event in November.
Badly Drawn Boy returned in April 2002 with the soundtrack to the movie adaptation of Nick Hornby's About A Boy, and enjoyed a UK hit with the gorgeous single "Silent Sigh". The follow-up to The Hour Of Bewilderbeast was released in November. Have You Fed The Fish? saw Gough attempting to make an out-and-out pop record, and although the results were mixed the album did generate the sublime UK hit "You Were Right'. 2004"s One Plus One Is One was an improvement but still failed to live up to the promise of the artist's debut album.
Gough subsequently parted company with XL and signed a new recording contract with EMI Records. He teamed up with Nick Franglen of Lemon Jelly to record his debut for the label, Born In The U.K. The album documented Gough's upbringing in the United Kingdom, with its title a clear reference to Bruce Springsteen's Born In The U.S.A. Gough clearly has talent, with, or maybe one day without, the ridiculous woollen hat.
