Gene

Gene (formed 1993, disbanded 2004) were a British indie/rock quartet who rose to prominence in the mid-90s. They were popularly labelled as a Britpop band and often drew somewhat superficial comparisons to The

Gene (formed 1993, disbanded 2004) were a British indie/rock quartet who rose to prominence in the mid-90s. They were popularly labelled as a Britpop band and often drew somewhat superficial comparisons to The Smiths, if only because of their slightly Morrissey-esque lead singer, Martin Rossiter. In truth, Gene's music owes more to acts as diverse as The Jam, The Small Faces, The Style Council, and The Clash, to name a few. Gene comprised Matt James (drummer), Kevin Miles (bassist), Steve Mason (guitarist) and Martin Rossiter (singer, keyboards).

The origin of Gene lies in the existence of a previous band called Spin, of whom guitarist Steve Mason and drummer Matt James were original members. Spin were a promising Stone Roses-like band who were sadly the subject of a serious road accident, the result of which forced their bassist, John Mason (brother of Steve) and their manager Daz Walton, to retire. Daz has now taken on Somewhere Outside New York. In wanting to continue together in a band, Steve Mason and Matt James recruited bass player Kevin Miles through a mutual friend. All that was left to find was an able singer, a task accomplished with some serendipity in a London nightclub. The story goes that after seeing Watford-based Welshman Martin Rossiter cross the floor of the club, Mason approached him and they began to talk (a process Mason once described as 'like trying to pull a lady'). Their meeting ended with Rossiter handing out his business card ('Martin Rossiter: Soothsayer to the Stars') and Mason giving Rossiter a chance to sing with the band. Rossiter appeared on Spin's last demos as 'Martin T. Falls' (a nod to the Mancunian band The Fall) shortly before the decision was made to adopt the name 'Gene'. Rossiter's eloquence and warm, emotive voice proved an effective pairing with Steve Mason's intricate pentatonic guitar riffs, whilst Kevin Miles's melodic basslines and Matt James's expertise in various rock drumming styles ensured a solid musical base for the group's successes.