{{Short description|English rock band}} {{about||this band's self-titled studio album|Theaudience (album)|the German band|The Audience (band)|other uses|Audience (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Theaudience | image = | caption = Band photo | background = group_or_band | origin = London, England | genre = {{hlist|Britpop|indie rock|alternative rock}} | years_active = 1996–1999 | label = {{hlist|eLLeFFe|Mercury}} | past_members = * Sophie Ellis-Bextor * Billy Reeves * Kerin Smith * Nigel Butler * Patrick Hannan * Dean Mollett }}
'''Theaudience''' (styled as '''theaudience''') were an English rock band, formed in London in 1996.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/theaudience-mn0000755237/biography|title=Theaudience | Biography & History|website=AllMusic|accessdate=21 December 2019}}</ref> They released one album and saw three singles enter the UK Singles Chart.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography">{{cite book | first= Martin C. | last= Strong | year= 2000 | title= The Great Rock Discography | edition= 5th | publisher= Mojo Books | location= Edinburgh | page= 980 | isbn= 1-84195-017-3}}</ref> The band's lead vocalist Sophie Ellis-Bextor became a successful solo artist after the band's disbandment.<ref name="Larkin90">{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=Virgin Books|date=2000|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0427-8|page=391}}</ref>
== History == theaudience were founded by guitarist Billy Reeves, formerly of the indie group Congregation.<ref name="Larkin90"/> The group was fronted by Sophie Ellis-Bextor and included drummer/producer "Patch" Hannan (ex-The Sundays), keyboard player Nigel Butler (ex-The Bridge), guitarist Dean Mollett (ex-Porcupine) and bass guitarist Kerin Smith.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sophie-online.net/en/info/theaudience.php |title=Sophie Ellis-Bextor - www.sophie-online.net • Your 24/7 resource for all things Sophie Ellis-Bextor |accessdate=2015-01-06 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224012354/http://sophie-online.net/en/info/theaudience.php |archivedate=2015-02-24 }}</ref> Their one, self-titled album received critical acclaim and reached No. 22 in the UK Albums Chart, with two of four singles released reaching the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart.<ref name="Larkin90"/>
Reeves left the band in December 1998,<ref name="Larkin90"/> and although the remaining band members wrote and demoed at least 33 songs for a second album, it was rejected by record label Mercury Records, who then dropped the band, which split in 1999.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> Approximately half of these tracks were leaked onto the internet, and most of those appeared as a fan-made 14-track bootleg album in 2009 under the title ''Quiet Storm''.
Ellis-Bextor started a solo career in major label artist-driven dance-pop music following the success of her collaboration with Spiller on "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" in 2000.
== Discography == {{Infobox artist discography | Artist = theaudience | Image = | Caption = | Studio = 1 | Music videos = 4 | Singles = 4 }}
The discography of theaudience consists of one studio album, four singles and four music videos. The album track ''Keep In Touch'' was earmarked as a potential fifth single.
33 songs were recorded as full band demos in 1998-1999 for a second album. Just over half of these circulate as bootleg/download tracks. One such track, ''Out With The Old School'', was released contemporarily on NME sampler cassette "Wicked Women" in late 1998.
=== Studio albums === {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:6em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:14em;"| Album details ! scope="col"| Peak chart positions |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| UK<br /><ref name=uk>{{cite web|url=http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_A.HTM |title=Chart Log UK: 1994–2010, A – Azzido Da Bass|website=Zobbel.de|accessdate=21 December 2019}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| ''Theaudience'' | * Released: 17 August 1998 * Formats: CD, CS, LP * Label: Mercury | 22 |}
=== Singles === {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:30em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| UK<br /><ref name=uk/> |- ! scope="row" | "I Got the Wherewithal" | 1997 | 170 |rowspan="4"| ''theaudience'' |- ! scope="row" | "If You Can't Do It When You're Young; When Can You Do It?" |rowspan="3"| 1998 | 48 |- ! scope="row" | "A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed" | 27 |- ! scope="row" | "I Know Enough (I Don't Get Enough)" | 25 |}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{cite news | first = | last = | author-link = | author = | title = Entertainment feature | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/new_music_releases/151039.stm | format = | work = | publisher = BBC News | location = | id = | date = 16 August 1998 | accessdate = 25 May 2010 | language = | quote = }} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090409150052/http://www.sophie-online.net/en/info/theaudience.php Theaudience page] at Sophie-Online.net * [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19980814/ai_n14172273 Album review]
{{Theaudience}} {{Sophie Ellis-Bextor}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:English rock music groups Category:Musical groups established in 1996 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1999 Category:Alternative rock groups from London Category:Indie rock groups from London Category:Britpop groups Category:Sophie Ellis-Bextor Category:Female-fronted musical groups Category:Mixed-gender bands Category:Mercury Records artists Category:1996 establishments in England