Dead Disco

The trio met in August 2005 at the University of Leeds.{{cite news |last=Jamieson |first=Teddy |title=Sweet sole music FOR MONTHS SHE'S BEEN TOUTED AS THE NEXT BIG THING IN BRITISH MUSIC . . . NOW IT'S TIME FOR LITTLE BOOTS TO DELIVER |newspaper=Sunday Herald |date=24 May 2009}} Hesketh answered an online advertisement posted by Lucy Catherwood and Marie France looking for a lead singer to start a band.{{cite web | title= Dead Disco – About Us|website=Myspace}} They were influenced by such artists as the Bangles, Blondie, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Ladytron, the Killers, Billy Idol, Gang of Four, the Slits and the Rapture.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.nme.com/artists/dead-disco |title=Dead Disco Biography |magazine=NME |access-date=26 December 2008}} The band got their name through randomly picking words from a hat.{{cite web|url=http://www.leedsmusicscene.net/article/6551/|first=Mark|last=Shahid|date=28 March 2006|title=Dead Disco|website=Leeds Music Scene|access-date=2 August 2011|archive-date=14 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214130812/http://www.leedsmusicscene.net/article/6551/}}

With only a few songs written, Dead Disco began playing gigs around the north of England; their live gig in the headline slot at the "In the City" event in Manchester gained them enough recognition to get a recording stint with James Ford. Working with Ford in his London attic studio, the band issued a limited release of their debut single "The Treatment" in April 2006 on the record label High Voltage. Their second release "City Place" was a digital-only release through Playlouder Records.

With the success of several sell out gigs and an appearance at the Leeds Festival, the band moved to Los Angeles to begin recording their debut album with Greg Kurstin. However, it was around this time that Hesketh herself began to write songs not in keeping with the band's "indie" style.

Choosing a new musical direction, Hesketh left Dead Disco; they officially revealed their disbandment on their Myspace blog in December 2008.{{citation needed|date=October 2017}} In an interview with The Times, Hesketh spoke about her gradual shift away from the band: "All the time I'd been hiding my own songs and finally I had to make the sort of music I actually wanted to listen to. [...] Before I used to always think, 'What would a jazz performer do?' or 'What would the band do?'—Now it's so easy because it's 'What would I do?' It's just me."{{cite news |last=Heawood |first=Sophie |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/little-boots-is-the-big-sound-for-2009-st77wf033wp |title=Little Boots is the big sound for 2009 |newspaper=The Times |date=10 January 2009 |access-date=17 June 2009 |url-access=subscription}} In a later interview Hesketh noted that the band's label was pressuring the group to have a certain style and that her bandmates lost confidence in her because she wanted to write "cheesy" songs.{{cite news |last=Diu |first=Nisha Lilia |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopfeatures/5984198/Little-Boots-interview-for-her-album-Hands.html |title=Little Boots interview for her album Hands |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=10 August 2009 |access-date=2 August 2011 |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112061118/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopfeatures/5984198/Little-Boots-interview-for-her-album-Hands.html |archive-date=12 November 2012 |url-status=live}}

Dead Disco released four singles:{{cite magazine |title=Upfront Reviews – 09.07.07: Singles |magazine=Music Week |date=30 June 2007}}{{cite news |last=Dingwall |first=John |title=Singles |newspaper=Daily Record |publisher=Trinity Mirror |date=15 June 2007}}{{cite news |last=Felton |first=Christopher |title=CD Reviews |newspaper=Evening Chronicle |volume=12 |pages=19 |date=23 May 2007|bibcode=2006SHAN...12...19D}}

1. "The Treatment" (2005, High Voltage)
2. "City Place" (2006, Playlouder)
3. "Automatic" (2006, Fierce Panda)
4. "You're Out" (2007, 679)

For both "The Treatment" and "Automatic", Dead Disco teamed up with producer James Ford. "Automatic" was the final single to be released by label Fierce Panda. "You're Out" was produced by Greg Kurstin of the Bird and the Bee.

"City Place" was also included on the 2006 Dance to the Radio compilation What We All Want.

A Myspace post in December 2008 confirmed that the group had come to an end, and that the members were working on new projects: Hesketh as Little Boots; and Catherwood and France as Video Villain. Catherwood and France also founded clothing brand Art Disco which started originally whilst on tour with Dead Disco due to the high demand they had for their self designed merchandise.{{cite magazine |last=Rich |first=Amy |url=https://diymag.com/archive/spotlight-on-art-disco |title=Spotlight On: Art Disco |magazine=DIY |date=9 February 2012}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{AllMusic|id=dead-disco-mn0002066397}}
• {{YouTube|user=OfficialDeadDisco}}
• [http://www.leedsmusicscene.net/article/4026/ Archive of Dead Disco biography, news and reviews]

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Category:2005 establishments in England

Category:2008 disestablishments in England

Category:679 Artists artists

Category:All-female punk bands

Category:Electropunk musical groups

Category:English dance-punk musical groups

Category:English electronic rock musical groups

Category:Fierce Panda Records artists

Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2008

Category:Musical groups established in 2005

Category:Musical groups from Leeds

Category:English women in electronic music

Category:English all-female bands

Category:All-female electronic bands