Tindersticks

Long devoted to the art of low-lit romantic brooding, Tindersticks explore deep veins of introspective drama. Formed in Nottingham, England in 1991 as an outgrowth of the likeminded band Asphalt Ribbons, the ensemble found immediate acclaim for its melancholic take on chamber pop and for singer-songwriter Stuart A. Staples’ dark, buttery voice. A pair of self-titled albums in 1993 and 1995 made Tindersticks indie darlings in the U.K. and U.S. alike, and in 1996 the band began a lasting creative partnership with French filmmaker Claire Denis, going on to score more than a half a dozen of her movies either as a full ensemble or with Staples in solo mode. Whether crafting soundtracks or original albums, Tindersticks’ expert use of flowing orchestral arrangements alongside gorgeous explorations of life’s (and love’s) more shadowy recesses has influenced moody subsequent acts like Lambchop, The National, and Arab Strap.