Bush | |
|---|---|
 Bush performing in 2022. From left to right:Chris Traynor,Gavin Rossdale, Nik Hughes and Corey Britz. | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
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| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | |
| Works | Discography |
| Years active |
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| Labels | |
| Spinoffs | Institute |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | bushofficial |
Bush are an Englishrock band formed in London in 1992. As of 2025, their lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitaristGavin Rossdale, lead guitaristChris Traynor, bassist Corey Britz, and drummer Nik Hughes.[1]
In 1994, Bush found immediate success outside the UK with the release of their debut album,Sixteen Stone, which is certified six timesmulti-platinum by theRIAA.[2] They became one of the most commercially successful rock bands of the 1990s, selling over ten million records in the United States and 20 million records worldwide.
Bush have had numerous top ten singles on theBillboard rock charts[3] and one No. 1 album withRazorblade Suitcase in 1996.[4] The band broke up in 2002 but reformed in 2010, and have released six albums since then:The Sea of Memories (2011),Man on the Run (2014),Black and White Rainbows (2017),The Kingdom (2020),The Art of Survival (2022)[5] andI Beat Loneliness (2025).[6]
After leaving his band Midnight,Gavin Rossdale met former King Blank guitarist Nigel Pulsford at aWembley performance byBaby Animals opening forBryan Adams in November 1991.[7] The two musicians became friends over a shared appreciation for several artists,[7] includingBig Black,the Fall,Pixies, andthe Velvet Underground.[7] They formed a new band which they called Future Primitive. Describing the early sound of the group, one British record label executive said years later, "They weren't what they are today – they were a little like the more commercial side ofINXS".[8] To complete the lineup, the pair recruited bassistDave Parsons, and drummer Robin Goodridge joined in mid-1993 shortly before Bush were signed.[9] While still known as Future Primitive, the band released the song "Bomb",[7] later to be featured on the band's debut, as a single through Rossdale's own Mad Dog Winston Records.[7] Rossdale's goal was for Bush to sign with4AD because of his love for their bandsCocteau Twins,Pixies andThrowing Muses.[10]
In 1993, the band was signed by Rob Kahane, who had a distribution deal withDisney'sHollywood Records. The band completed recording its debut albumSixteen Stone in early 1994. However, the death of Disney executiveFrank G. Wells eliminated a supporter for Kahane, and executives at Hollywood deemed Bush's album unacceptable for release. Consequently, the bandmates took jobs performing menial labour.Interscope Records ultimately decided to release the album, and at the end of 1994, Kahane sent an advance copy of the album to a friend at influential Los Angeles radio stationKROQ-FM, which added the song "Everything Zen" to its rotation.[8]
On theBillboard charts (North America),Sixteen Stone peaked at No. 4 on the Heatseekers andBillboard 200 charts. The album spawned two Top 40 singles. After about six months of promotion forSixteen Stone, the album began to sell well, once "Comedown" and "Glycerine" struck America. Additionally, "Little Things" and "Machinehead" both charted well in North America.
In Canada, the band were initially forced to releaseSixteen Stone under the name BushX, as the 1970s Canadian bandBush still held the rights to the nameBush in the Canadian market.[11] The dispute arose after the British band's lawyers threatened to intervene to prevent the Canadian band from reissuing its 1970 album,[12] although it was entirely between the bands' lawyers as Rossdale andDomenic Troiano, the leader of the Canadian band, both expressed a willingness to negotiate a solution.[13] In 1997, after the band's second albumRazorblade Suitcase also bore the X, Rossdale and Troiano directly negotiated an agreement under which the British band were allowed to drop the X in exchange for donating $20,000 each to theStarlight Foundation and the Canadian Music Therapy Trust Fund.[12] BothSixteen Stone andRazorblade Suitcase were then reissued without the X.[14]
In late 1996 Bush released the first single "Swallowed" from their second album titledRazorblade Suitcase. The song spent seven weeks on top of theModern Rock Tracks chart. This was followed by single "Greedy Fly". The album hit number 1 in America and placed high in many European countries. Bush later released the remix albumDeconstructed. The album saw Bush re-arranging their songs into dance and techno stylings. The album went platinum less than a year after release.
Following the completion of touring, Rossdale went into seclusion in Ireland, where he worked on material for the group's next album, periodically sending demo tapes of his works in progress to his bandmates. The group finally convened to record in London in August 1998, where the band reteamed withSixteen Stone producersClive Langer andAlan Winstanley.[15]
The release ofThe Science of Things was stymied by a court battle between the band and Trauma Records. The case was settled in early 1999 and the album was finally released that October.[16]The Science of Things was a major departure in several forms from Bush's first two albums. Like the multi-platinum successes of Bush's first two albums, this album also reached platinum status. Also, while the band's previous albums were strongly influenced bygrunge,The Science of Things featured someelectronic music influences in addition to the sound defined by Bush's earlier work. For example, although lead single "The Chemicals Between Us" had a prominent guitar riff, it also had many electronic elements usually found in dance music. Although the album had a few hit songs, it failed to chart in the top 10.
The band's performance atWoodstock '99, however, helpedThe Science of Things achieve platinum status despite its slow start. Three singles were released fromThe Science of Things, most notably "The Chemicals Between Us", which spent five weeks at No. 1 on theModern Rock Tracks and peaked at No. 67 on the US Hot 100. "Warm Machine" was the second single released. "Letting the Cables Sleep", the third single, reached No. 4 on the Modern Rock Tracks and also received considerable airplay, and appeared in an episode of the medical drama seriesER.
Despite their success in the US (especially in the mid-1990s), the band are considerably less popular in the UK and they have enjoyed only marginal success there.[1]
In October 2001, now on theAtlantic Records record label, Bush released its next album,Golden State. While the album attempted to return to the simple, catchy sound of the band's debut, it failed to achieve the same commercial success as the band's previous releases. Several singles were released, most notably the hit "The People That We Love (Speed Kills)", but none were mainstream successes. The album was the band's least successful, selling only 380,000 copies in the US. "The People That We Love (Speed Kills)" was used in the gameNeed for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2. In January 2002, Pulsford retired after the release ofGolden State to spend more time with his family.Chris Traynor filled in for him for the subsequent tour, which would turn out to be Bush's last for eight years. Due to declining record sales and a lack of support from Atlantic Records, Bush disbanded in 2002. In 2005, a greatest hits album calledThe Best of '94–'99 and a live album calledZen X Four were released.
Gavin Rossdale formed a new band,Institute, in 2004, serving as their lead vocalist and guitarist, just as in Bush. Chris Traynor also joined the band, as lead guitarist. In addition to playing in Institute, Traynor also joined the reunited metal bandHelmet in 2004 on bass; he quit the band in 2006. Institute released one album,Distort Yourself, but failed to achieve much commercial success in spite of opening forU2'sVertigo Tour at some shows. Institute broke up in 2006 and Rossdale then embarked on a solo career. In 2007, he covered theJohn Lennon song "Mind Games" for the Lennon tribute albumInstant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur. His first solo album,Wanderlust, supported by leading single "Love Remains the Same", was released in June 2008. Rossdale also ventured into acting, appearing in the filmsZoolander,Little Black Book,The Game of Their Lives,Constantine,How to Rob a Bank and others.
Robin Goodridge recorded with the British rock band Elyss in 2004, although they have not released any new material since. In 2006, Goodridge began drumming forindie rock bandSpear of Destiny, and appeared on their 2007 album,Imperial Prototype. During the summer of 2008, he toured the UK with British rock bandStone Gods after their current drummerEd Graham reportedly fell ill. On 29 July it was announced thatGraham had left the band and on 6 October 2008, the band's website announced that Goodridge had joined the band. Nigel Pulsford spent most of his time since leaving Bush raising his children with his wife. In an interview withBlender, Gavin Rossdale admitted that the likelihood of a Bush reunion was "very high". He then added "quite high".[17] In a November 2008 interview, Rossdale revealed that he had tried to contact the other members of Bush, "I reached out to them".
On 22 June 2010, it was announced that Bush would play their first show in eight years at the second-annualEpicenter Music Festival inFontana, California on 25 September 2010. A new album, then-titledEverything Always Now, was also announced as well as a new single "Afterlife". Founding members Nigel Pulsford and Dave Parsons both decided not to rejoin the band.[18]
Pulsford's and Parsons' successors were previous touring memberChris Traynor and Corey Britz, former bassist forThe Calling, respectively. The new line-up played seven shows in 2010, performing songs from Bush's previous four albums as well as a new song, "Afterlife".[19]
Gavin announced on radio that their new album had been namedThe Sea of Memories and was released in September and managed to peak at No. 18 on theBillboard Top 200. The album's first single, "The Sound of Winter" was released in July 2011 and reached number one on theBillboardAlternative Songs chart.[20] On 19 November 2011, Bush performed a live set for "Guitar Center Sessions" onDirecTV. The episode included an interview with program host,Nic Harcourt.[21] Their song "Into The Blue" was featured on The Avengers soundtrack album released on 1 May 2012. They toured withNickelback on theirHere and Now Tour.
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On 26 March 2014, it was reported that Bush had begun recording their sixth studio album with producerNick Raskulinecz.[22] Gavin Rossdale announced on 18 August 2014 that the new album,Man on the Run, was available for pre-order in both digital and deluxe edition CD form.[23] A day later, the band revealed that thelead single from the album would be "The Only Way Out".[24] In November 2014 the band announced tour dates for the early months of 2015 beginning on 30 January.[25] In June 2016, Bush released a music video for the new song "People At War".[26]
In January 2017, it was reported that Bush had mastered and completed work on their seventh studio album.[27] On 6 February 2017, the band announced the title, release date of 10 March 2017, and track listing for their seventh studio album,Black and White Rainbows. The lead single from the album, "Mad Love", was released the same day.[28]
On 2 April 2018 a tour of the United States of America, calledRevolution 3 Tour, was announced for the summer. They performed as co-headliners withStone Temple Pilots andThe Cult.[29]
Rossdale also revealed that he was working on some material called "heavier" than the recent productions in anticipation of a forthcoming band album.[30]
In May 2019, Bush setThe Mind Plays Tricks on You as the title of their new studio album,[31] tentatively due in early 2020.[31]
Drummer Robin Goodridge departed from the band in 2019.[32] With Goodridge's departure, Rossdale became the only original member of Bush remaining in the band.[32]
On 10 May 2019,[33] it was announced that a song, "Bullet Holes",[33] would feature in the filmJohn Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.[33] The song and music video were released on 17 May 2019.[34] Rossdale claimed in late May that the new album, featuring songwriting fromTyler Bates, was influenced by Bush's presence on music festivals dominated by primarilymetal bands, and that he had been specifically listening toSystem of a Down during the writing process for the new album.[35] During the summer of 2019 Bush toured the US withOur Lady Peace andLĪVE.
On 3 March 2020 the band released a new single, "Flowers on a Grave" and announced their new album was re-titledThe Kingdom. The album was released on 17 July 2020.[36]
On 7 March 2022, Bush announced a United States tour withAlice in Chains andBreaking Benjamin, to run from August to October.[37]
On 27 July 2022, Bush announced that their ninth studio album,The Art of Survival, would be released on 7 October, and released the lead single, "More Than Machines".[5] The second single, "Heavy Is the Ocean", was released on 16 September.[38]
On 5 September 2023,Blabbermouth reported that Bush were to issue a greatest hits compilation later that year,[39] the first to feature any of their post-2010 reunion material and Bush's second overall. The band announced an accompanying single, "Nowhere to Go But Everywhere", which was released on 22 September. On the same day, Bush revealed the title of the new compilation,Loaded: The Greatest Hits 1994-2023 and announced a promotional US tour.[40]
Blabbermouth reported in early December 2023 that Rossdale had confirmed he was already "7 songs into another [Bush] record", which Rossdale hoped to release in early 2024.[41]
It was announced in August 2024 that Bush would release an EP, scheduled for release that September. Although the EP, titledLoads of Remixes, featured no new original content, it consisted of remixed versions of past Bush hits. The release was preceded in late July 2024 by a remixed edition of "Glycerine" created by bass player Corey Britz and titled "Corey's Bedroom Mix", and a version of "Swallowed" remixed in collaboration withQueens of the Stone Age bassistMichael Shuman's side project GLU.[42][43][44]
Rossdale confirmed on 2 September 2024 that a new Bush studio album had been recorded.[45]
On 2 January 2025, Gavin Rossdale set the title for the tenth Bush studio release asI Beat Loneliness, scheduled for release that year.[46]
Bush have been described asgrunge,[47][48]post-grunge,[49][50][51][52]alternative rock,[53] andhard rock.[54] One of the first bands to be described as post-grunge, Bush were labeled almost pejoratively as such.[55] Matt Diehl ofRolling Stone described Bush as "the most successful and shameless mimics of Nirvana's music".[56] In the bookFargo Rock City: A Heavy Metal Odyssey in Rural North Dakota,Chuck Klosterman wrote, "Bush was a good band who just happened to signal the beginning of the end; ultimately, they would become the grungeWarrant".[57] In the bookAccidental Revolution: The Story of Grunge, Kyle Anderson wrote about Bush's albumSixteen Stone, writing:
"The twelve songs onSixteen Stone soundexactly like what grunge is supposed to sound like, while the whole point of grunge was that it didn't really sound likeanything, including itself. Just consider how many different bands and styles of music have been shoved under the "grunge" header in this discography alone, and you realize that grunge is probably the most ill-defined genre of music in history."[58]
Bush have noted Nirvana's music as a key influence in their work,[59] but remained insistent that their style is original.[8] Talking toThe Morning Call in February 1996, lead guitarist Nigel Pulsford remarked "Nirvana was a big influence. They acted as a catalyst, put the guitar band back in vogue and inspired us to perform".[59] Of the similarities in the music of the two acts, Gavin Rossdale toldRolling Stone that he "hoped" there was an element of Nirvana in Bush but also that felt he "had [his] own thing".[8] In 2011, Rossdale named thePixies as "the most influential band" to him;[60] indeed, founding members Pulsford and Rossdale became friends in part over a shared interest in the Pixies.[7] Rossdale also acknowledgedAlice in Chains as a major influence in his formative days as a rock musician, in particular the song "Man in the Box" (1990), which he described as "a pivotal song for me as a songwriter and a young musician trying to figure out my own aesthetic".[45] In addition, members of Bush have cited artists includingThe Beatles,[7]Big Black,[7]David Bowie,[61]Bob Dylan,[61]PJ Harvey,[61]Hole,[62]Hüsker Dü,[7]Jane's Addiction,[63]My Bloody Valentine,[63]Led Zeppelin,[64]Tom Petty,[65]The Replacements,[7]Sex Pistols,[61]Smashing Pumpkins,[62]Sonic Youth,[7]Soul Asylum,[63]Soundgarden,[62] andNeil Young as influential or inspirational.[66]
American Music Awards
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997[67] | Bush | Favorite Alternative Group | Nominated |
| 1998[68] | Bush | Favorite Alternative Group | Won |
Grammy Awards
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998[69] | "Swallowed" | Best Hard Rock Performance | Nominated |
MTV Video Music Awards
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996[70] | "Glycerine" | Viewer's Choice | Won |
| 1996[70] | "Glycerine" | Best Alternative Video | Nominated |
| 1996[70] | "Machinehead" | Best Video from a Movie | Nominated |
MTV Movie Awards
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997[71] | "Machinehead" | Best Song from a Movie | Won |
| 1998[72] | "Mouth" | Best Song from a Movie | Nominated |
| International | |
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| National | |
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| Other | |
