Morcheeba

Morcheeba are an English electronic band formed in the mid-1990s with founding members brothers Paul and Ross Godfrey who later recruited vocalist Skye Edwards. They mix influences from trip hop, rock, folk rock and downtempo, and have produced eleven regular studio albums since 1995, two of which reached the UK top ten. Edwards left the band in 2003, after which the brothers used a number of guest singers before she rejoined in 2010. They recruit additional members for their live performances and have toured internationally. Paul Godfrey distanced himself from the band in 2014. Edwards and Ross Godfrey later formed Skye & Ross and released a self-titled album in September 2016. Their latest studio album without Paul as Morcheeba, Escape the Chaos, was released in 2025.

Biography

1995–2001: Beginnings and mainstream success

Originally from the small village of Saltwood, just north of Hythe, Kent, the Godfrey brothers—DJ/Drummer/producer/engineer and lyricist Paul and multi-instrumentalist Ross—moved to London when they were gaining traction from A&R people.

Sometime in the mid-1990s, at a party in Greenwich, the brothers met Skye Edwards, who was singing backup in a funk band, and also played the guitar; before too long the three began recording songs together, and formed the trio Morcheeba. At first, Paul produced tracks at their home studio in his bedroom. They were eventually signed to China Records (WMG) by Angus Blair (A&R) and the band released their debut Trigger Hippie EP in October 1995. At the same time, Paul Ablett came on board as the second manager. The band's debut album, Who Can You Trust?, was released in April 1996 and fitted snugly into the trip hop genre through a combination of Paul Godfrey's hip hop roots, Ross Godfrey's psychedelic rock influences and Edwards' soul-styled vocals. A second single, "Tape Loop", appeared in July 1996 and was a hit on BBC Radio 1 and TV. The band began to play live non-stop in Europe and North America, with a live band that included five additional members. At this point, the band had outgrown the home recording set-up and the brothers were renting their own studio in Battersea, as Paul was heavily influenced by the Beastie Boys and wanted total creative freedom, having engineered many different styles in Kent before starting the project. Being a sample seeker, he felt he knew the versatile way to keep albums interesting. In 1997, after a mind-blowing phone call Paul had with a family hero, they contributed to the David Byrne album Feelings, participating in the recording and production of the release when they weren't on the road.

With a more high-end analogue recording set-up, and the fact the brothers had written most of "Big Calm" in an evening in 1995 before the release of their debut, they began developing their ideas for the second album. The band moved towards a more varied sound with Ross' skills and collaborators brought in by Paul. At the same time, Edwards appeared on the BBC charity single "Perfect Day". The follow-up, 1998's Big Calm, drifted slightly away from trip hop, incorporating a more Californian, folk song-based sound. One of the album's singles, "The Sea", became a radio favourite. The album proved to be a big seller and ensured Morcheeba as an influential act of the zeitgeist. In 1998, Morcheeba collaborated with Hubert Laws to record the classic song "Summertime" for the Red Hot Organization's compilation album Red Hot + Rhapsody, a tribute to George Gershwin, which raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS awareness and fighting the disease. Their music video "Part Of The Process" are inspired of Jason and the Argonauts (1963 film).

In 2000, Morcheeba released their third album, Fragments of Freedom. This repeated the sales of Big Calm but being too far ahead of the nu-disco trend it received a less positive critical response. Despite achieving success in Europe including their home country of the U.K., the band didn't find as much success in the United States. Although Fragments of Freedom was high charting in several European countries, it disappointed some fans. But the band's fourth album, Charango, released in 2002, saw a return to their roots. The singles "Otherwise" and "Way Beyond" followed. The lyrics for "Undress Me Now" and appearance on "What New York Couples Fight About" were written with Lambchop's Kurt Wagner. Other collaborators on the album were rappers Pace Won and old-school legend Slick Rick. In January 2003, the whole band undertook their first significant tour of the world since 1998. In 2001, the Godfrey brothers contributed three songs to the Jim White album No Such Place.