Cranes

Cranes, a British rock group formed in Portsmouth, United Kingdom, were founded in 1985 by siblings Alison Shaw (vocals, bass guitar, acoustic guitar) and Jim Shaw (guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, drums). Their early work emerged from local independent label Bite Back!, releasing the cassette‑only Fuse in 1986 and the 12" EP Self‑Non‑Self in 1989, which led to a John Peel session and a subsequent signing with Dedicated Records in 1990. The band’s first full‑length album, Wings of Joy (1991), entered the UK Albums Chart at number 52, followed by Forever (1993) which peaked at number 40; the single "Jewel" reached number 29 after a Robert Smith remix. Subsequent releases included Loved (1994), Population Four (1997), and Future Songs (2001) on their own Dadaphonic label. Cranes supported The Cure on tour in 1992 and 2002, and performed at Hyde Park and European festivals. Their sound evolved from gothic minimalism to dream pop and later incorporated electronic ambient textures, as heard on Particles & Waves (2004) and the self‑titled Cranes (2008). After an indefinite hiatus post‑1998, the group reformed in 2023 for live performances and has overseen reissues of early recordings, including John Peel sessions.

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