Anderson and Berenyi had been friends since the early 1980s, and published the Alphabet Soup fanzine together. In 1986 Anderson joined The Rover Girls as bassist and Berenyi joined The Bugs as guitarist but neither band lasted long.
Lush formed in 1987, initially named The Baby Machines, with a line-up of Meriel Barham (vocals), Emma Anderson (guitar), Miki Berenyi (guitar), Steve Rippon (bass), and Chris Acland (drums). After Rippon joined, the band members decided on a change of name to Lush, making their live debut at the Camden Falcon on 6 March 1988. Barham was fired, with the rest of the band deciding she lacked commitment (she later joined Pale Saints). Anderson and Berenyi then took on lead vocal duties.
Lush gained recognition when Robin Guthrie helped the band sign to 4AD. The band's first release was Scar, an EP, in 1989. Critical praise for Scar and a wildly popular live show established Lush as one of the best-selling alternative bands of the period. That year the EPs Mad Love, produced by Robin Guthrie, and Sweetness and Light, produced by Tim Friese-Greene of Talk Talk fame, followed.
In 1990 the compilation Gala, which combined the material from the first three EPs, was released by Reprise in the United States, this being the first exposure of Lush in North America.
Lush's first full-length album of completely new material was Spooky in 1992. Produced by Robin Guthrie, Spooky featured a sound very similar to Guthrie's band Cocteau Twins, with walls of sound and a great deal of flange. Reviews were mixed and critics of the album hold that Guthrie's production brought the sound away from the band's original creative vision. Bassist Steve Rippon left the band at this stage in order to concentrate on writing, though his book Cold Turkey Sandwich - a fictionalized chronicle of his time in touring - was rejected by publishers. He was replaced by Phil King. Also in 1992, Lush toured America as part of the Lollapalooza festival.
The band's second studio album Split was released in 1994 and featured a harsher sound alternated with long and softer tracks as "Desire Lines" and "Never-Never". Despite critical praise, the album sold poorly.
After adapting to the newly popular sounds of the Britpop era, Lush's 1996 Lovelife became the biggest seller of their career, including the hit singles "Ladykillers", "500" and "Single Girl", which was released in several different versions with different tracks along with the title track. Also on this album, Jarvis Cocker from Pulp contributed guest vocals to "Ciao!" and the record included the now classic/melancholic favorite "Last Night".
In 1996, drummer Chris Acland committed suicide by hanging, at his parents' house, allegedly due to depression. The situation proved too hard for the band, and in 23 February 1998 the three remaining members of Lush decided to disband.
Emma Anderson has since formed a new band, Sing-Sing, who have released two full-length albums to date.
On September 28th 2015 Lush announced their reunion. The reunited band consists of Anderson, Berenyi & King with the addition of Justin Welch on drums, an old friend of Acland.
Lush discography:
Scar EP (1989)
Mad Love EP (1990)
Sweetness and Light EP (1990)
Gala compliation of the above EPs (1990)
Spooky (1992)
Split (1994)
Lovelife (1996)
Breeze
Lush Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Skips to the starlight
Rains tinsel whispers
Breeze blows away
I crawl inside me
My eyes to heaven
Pink cloud sits sky high
Silver air everywhere, doesn't care
But silver winds cut my skin everywhere
Breathe in green velvet
My lips taste warm earth
Pink cloud sits sky high
Breeze blows away
Summer sun, so much fun, colours run
Hot summers kiss, cloudless bliss burns my tongue
The lyrics of Lush's song 'Breeze' are dreamlike and mystical, using nature-driven imagery to evoke a feeling of escapism. The song describes a fluffy pink cloud that sits high up in the sky, with the singer feeling drawn to it. The cloud seems to represent a sense of hope and freedom, but is also elusive and fleeting. This is echoed by the line "Breeze blows away" which suggests that the singer's hopes are dashed easily.
The second verse talks about the singer retreating into themselves, looking upwards in search of something bigger than themselves. This search for meaning is contrasted with the sharp, cutting winds that hurt the singer. There is a sense of being torn between two worlds, one hopeful and one harsh.
The third verse brings the focus back to the peaceful and calming aspects of nature. The visuals of velvet and warm earth suggest comfort and grounding, offering an escape from the harshness of the preceding verse.
Overall, the song seems to be about seeking refuge in nature in order to escape the difficult or mundane aspects of daily life. The pink cloud represents a sense of wonder and hope, and the vivid imagery of the natural world is used to evoke a vivid sensory experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Pink cloud sits sky high
There is a beautiful pink cloud floating up high in the sky
Skips to the starlight
The cloud is moving gently and happily towards the starry night sky
Rains tinsel whispers
There are gentle and shimmering sounds falling from the sky with the raindrops
Breeze blows away
The cool wind is blowing and taking everything away with it
I crawl inside me
The artist is retreating into their own thoughts and feelings
My eyes to heaven
The singer is looking up at the sky
Silver air everywhere, doesn't care
The air is silver-colored and seems indifferent to what is happening around it
But silver winds cut my skin everywhere
The wind is so strong that it's cutting the skin of the artist everywhere
Breathe in green velvet
The artist is taking in the soft and lush green surroundings
My lips taste warm earth
The artist is experiencing the sensation of tasting warm soil with their lips
Pink cloud sits sky high
The beautiful pink cloud is still floating up high in the sky
Breeze blows away
The cool wind is still blowing and taking everything away with it
Summer sun, so much fun, colours run
The summer days are full of joy and color that seems to run together
Hot summers kiss, cloudless bliss burns my tongue
The heat and warmth of summer is like a passionate kiss that burns the singer's tongue with a feeling of happiness
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: EMMA ANDERSON, MIKI ELEONORA BERENYI, Miki Berenyi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind