Del Amitri

Del Amitri, a Scottish alternative rock band, was established in Glasgow in 1980 by Justin Currie, who served as founding member and main songwriter, alongside other early members such as James Scobbie, Donald Bentley, and Paul Tyagi. The band gained recognition for their distinct blend of alternative rock, pop rock, jangle pop, roots rock, and folk rock genres. Their career commenced with a recording contract with Chrysalis Records, leading to the release of their eponymous debut studio album in 1985. Over the course of their career, Del Amitri has released seven studio albums and sold over six million albums globally, with five of their albums reaching the UK top 10.

A significant turning point for Del Amitri occurred with the release of their second studio album, ‘Waking Hours,’ in 1989. This album climbed to No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart and featured their most successful UK single, “Nothing Ever Happens,” which peaked at No. 11. The band achieved international exposure, with ‘Waking Hours’ finding success in several territories and the single “Kiss This Thing Goodbye” charting in the US Billboard Hot 100. The lineup evolved with Andy Alston joining on keyboards, and David Cummings and Brian McDermott becoming permanent members. Their album ‘Change Everything’ in 1992 became their biggest chart success, reaching No. 2 in the UK and yielding the single “Always the Last to Know,” which peaked at No. 13 in the UK and entered the US Top 40, leading to appearances on ‘Late Night with David Letterman’ and the Woodstock ’94 festival.

The band’s continued success in the mid-1990s included the album ‘Twisted’ (1995), which reached No. 3 in the UK, and featured the US Top 10 single “Roll to Me.” Their fifth studio album, ‘Some Other Sucker’s Parade’ (1997), secured a No. 6 position in the UK. Del Amitri also recorded “Don’t Come Home Too Soon,” the official anthem for the Scottish World Cup squad in 1998, which became their third biggest UK hit at No. 15. After a hiatus following their 2002 album, ‘Can You Do Me Good?’, the band reunited for tours in 2014 and 2018. In 2021, they released ‘Fatal Mistakes’, which reached No. 5 on the UK Album Chart, marking their sixth album in the UK Top 10. In 2024, Del Amitri joined Simple Minds for their World Tour across the UK and Europe. Justin Currie, the band’s frontman, also released a best-selling memoir, ‘The Tremolo Diaries,’ and embarked on a book tour.