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)
Untogether
Lush Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But try to picture this: do
You remember
That we were once together?
Isn't it strange
Isn't it?
I'm sorry it's come to this but
Why are we here,
What was it we talked about? so
Just remind me
Of why I'm wasting so much
Time pretending
That there is something more than
Only this
Only
This pointless accusation
Tell me again,
Why are we here?
I'm not offended by the
Things that you say
'cause it's such a predictable
Way to behave
Talk and insult me 'til you're
Blue in the face
You were right, I was wrong, now does
That make you happy?
I'm quite aware of all the
Bad things I did
You don't have to remind me of
Why you dislike me
There's no solution to the
Mess that we're in,
It's so sad and so boring
I wish you'd just leave me alone
But I understand the games you play
I'm ashamed of all the things I did to you
In Lush's song Untogether, the singer is reflecting on a past relationship that has fallen apart. The singer is struggling to understand why they are still communicating with their ex-partner and dwelling on the past. They question if they're wasting their time pretending there is something more to their interactions. The singer's frustration is evident as they ask their ex-partner to remind them why they are still bothering with each other. The song's title, Untogether, aptly captures the chaotic feelings of the singer as they navigate their way through the aftermath of the relationship.
The chorus continues this theme of frustration and resignation. The singer acknowledges that they were wrong and that their ex-partner had every right to dislike them. However, the constant insults and accusations are not a solution. The singer wishes for their ex-partner to leave them alone, and they find the situation sad and boring. They are aware of the relationship's messy situation and the mistakes they made, but there seems to be no resolution in sight.
The universal theme of Untogether is relatable to anyone who has ever faced the end of a relationship. The song's lyrics capture the confusion, pain, and melancholy of trying to move on from a past love. Lush's dream pop sound creates a dreamy, ethereal atmosphere that perfectly complements the lyrics' emotional weight.
Line by Line Meaning
It's not easy
This situation is difficult and challenging
But try to picture this: do
Imagine what it was like when we were together
You remember
Do you recall that time?
That we were once together?
We used to be a couple, can you believe it?
Isn't it strange
This current situation is unusual and unexpected
Isn't it?
Don't you think?
I'm sorry it's come to this but
This situation is regrettable
Why are we here,
What is the purpose of us being in this situation?
Bothering?
Why are we even trying to make this work?
What was it we talked about? so
What did we used to discuss that brought us closer together?
Just remind me
Refresh my memory
Of why I'm wasting so much
Help me understand why I'm spending so much time and energy
Time pretending
Pretending like things are better than they are
That there is something more than
Trying to find something that doesn't exist
Only this
This current state of affairs
Only
There's nothing else
This pointless accusation
These meaningless arguments are leading us nowhere
Tell me again,
Remind me once more
Why are we here?
What's the purpose of us being in this situation?
I'm not offended by the
I'm not bothered by
Things that you say
The words that come out of your mouth
'cause it's such a predictable
Because I know what you're going to say
Way to behave
Your behavior is expected
Talk and insult me 'til you're
Keep talking and insulting me until you're satisfied
Blue in the face
Until you're tired and out of breath
You were right, I was wrong, now does
I admit that you were correct and I was incorrect, now what?
That make you happy?
Does admitting fault bring you joy?
I'm quite aware of all the
I already know all the
Bad things I did
Mistakes that I made
You don't have to remind me of
You don't need to bring them up again
Why you dislike me
I understand that you don't have positive feelings towards me
There's no solution to the
There's no answer to the
Mess that we're in,
This complicated situation we're in
It's so sad and so boring
This is a depressing and dull situation
I wish you'd just leave me alone
I want you to stop bothering me
But I understand the games you play
I know the tricks you use to manipulate situations
I'm ashamed of all the things I did to you
I feel bad about the ways I hurt you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Miki Berenyi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
nathanjs55
I will always love this song
LightFromADeadStar
My favorite lush song❤
Rob Vespa
A favorite of mine... 💙
Bruce Bowman
The best
GhengisFly
Aww gosh..im now pining for that aweful femfetal..as a hellrake...haha😂 🖤 heart
granouze
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AQhexNJKME (ex equo)