"Formed in 1980 in Birmingham, England, Felt released ten albums-one for every year of the decade-of delicately dreamy jangle, with Lawrence singing alternately poetic and funny-sad lyrics in a one-note speak-sing drone. And then, as he'd planned all along, Lawrence ended the band. The only thing that didn't go exactly to plan was the massive fame. "I imagined Felt would be really big and that when we split, it would have been on the news, and you'd have people on TV with tears in their eyes.""
"His next venture, Denim-a twist on the fabric-related name of Felt-couldn't have been more different. Where Felt drew on supercool sources like Velvet Underground and Television, Denim's sights were set on the pop mainstream, albeit the UK mainstream circa 1974. Bunched together with '90s nu-glam outfits like Pulp and Suede, Denim watched their peers make it big. But although they did get signed to a major label, Denim themselves were never summoned to appear on Top of the Pops, the UK's weekly chart run-down show."
Across Felt, Denim, Go-Kart Mozart and Mozart Estate, Lawrence created an oeuvre of delicate jangle-pop and witty, melancholy lyrics. Felt formed in 1980 in Birmingham and released ten albums, producing the indie-chart-topping 1985 single "Primitive Painters" that gained critical acclaim but limited mainstream reach. Lawrence planned Felt's end, expecting greater mass recognition than occurred. Denim pursued 1974-style pop and signed to a major label but failed to achieve television chart exposure. Returning to indie labels, Lawrence renamed projects and kept reinventing his sound. Documentaries and a biography later elevated his renown while his career remained defined by near-misses.
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