Glasgow, Scotland-based indie rock band formed in 2003 by main songwriter and lead vocalist Sam Smith aka Mother (b. Aberdeen, Scotland). After a spell in Brighton, East Sussex, Smith returned to Glasgow in 2003 armed with some demos, which referenced his favourite bands Roxy Music, Dr. Feelgood, and the Ramones. The demos were so strong that Smith was signed by top underground Scottish record label Chemikal Underground Records in December 2003. This was all without actually having a band, although the search for a line-up did not take long, enlisting the first member, drummer Ian Cronan (b. Glasgow, Scotland). At that point ‘the Addicts’ were born, and the recruitment drive took on great speed with the addition of bass player Peter Vallely (b. Glasgow, Scotland), an old friend of Cronan’s, and Douglas Morland (b. Glasgow, Scotland), an acquaintance from the Glasgow club scene, as second guitarist. The final member, Kendall Koppe (b. New York, USA; samples/vocals) was enrolled for his eccentric musical taste in sampling and general stage presence.
The band practised hard, although with ready-made songs the process happened very quickly, and they soon became known as the ‘next big thing’ on the Glasgow music scene. A fortuitous break came in 2004 when the Roxy Music-inspired ‘They Don’t Even Like You’ was featured on record label Wall Of Sound’s compilation. The quintet released the singles ‘Who Art You Girls?’ and ‘Oh Yeah, You Look Quite Nice’ before making their album, Take The Lovers Home Tonight, in August 2005. Taking the best bits of Franz Ferdinand with a more leftfield presentation of art school rock, it was a surprise that Mother And The Addicts did not achieve the commercial success of their fellow Scots, despite many favourable reviews. Koppe left the band in mid-2006.
