Altered Images

Scottish new wavers Altered Images formed in early 1979. As teenagers, they opened for the prolific Siouxsie and the Banshees, which alongside help from BBC's Peel sessions helped them to solidify themselves within the emerging post-punk scene of the time.

Vocalist Clare Grogan's chirping high pitched vocal juxtaposed uniquely with the band's darker sonic tone, and helped them to gain a cult following, with controversial songs such as 'Dead Pop Stars' (written before, but released after John Lennon's death) putting them on the musical map.

Future releases would see the group lose their darker edge, with the band instead opting for a more cheerful and poppy approach, songs such as 'Happy Birthday' and 'Pinky Blue' saw commercial acclaim, and the band catapulted into becoming NME's Best New Band by 1981.

Grogan would leave music entirely in 1987, and pursued a career in acting on shows such as Eastenders and Red Dwarf. However, coinciding with the group's back catalogue being released on CD, Grogan reformed Altered Images as an all-female group in 2004. The band would make nostalgic festival appearances from then on, and Grogan also joined Absolute Radio '80s as a presenter in 2017.

Now, the band are set to release a new record, slated for a release on 26th August, 38 years after their last outing, along with another change in members, bringing back guitarist and producer Stephen Lironi (now Grogan's husband), Bernard Butler and Bobby Bluebell.

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