Jeff Tweedy

As front man of US indie favourites Wilco, Jeff Tweedy's dreamy brand of rootsy alternative rock propelled the band to Grammy Awards, top ten albums and heaps of critical acclaim, while their stand-out record 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot' was recognised as one of the finest of the 2000s. Born in Belleville, Southern Illinois, Tweedy first came to attention when his former college band Uncle Tupelo started mixing classic Carter Family and Hank Williams songs with garage punk attitude and were seen as pioneers of a new form of alternative country music. The band split in the mid-90s after Tweedy's drinking became problematic, but he went on to form Wilco with John Stirratt and led the band to become one of America's most celebrated indie acts for more than two decades. Over the years he also produced records for Mavis Staples, White Denim and Low and performed with a number of side projects and collaborations - including 'Mermaid Avenue' setting newly discovered Woody Guthrie lyrics to music with Billy Bragg - before setting out to write a solo record in 2014. He ended up recording demos on his mobile phone with his son Spencer on drums, and the double album 'Sukierae' was completed with an ensemble cast of musicians including Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig from Lucius and released under the name 'Tweedy'. With songs confronting his wife Susan's battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma cancer, its stripped back, delicate nature was more personal and lo-fi than the his work with Wilco, but the bittersweet, melancholy pop melodies and barbed lyrical turns were instantly recognisable. His first completely solo album, 'Together at Last', was released in 2017, with Tweedy re-working a collection of old songs from previous projects into delicate, acoustic lullabies which captured him at his most intimate and vulnerable. He followed this in 2018 with 'Warm' and also released his memoirs titled 'Let's Go (So We Can Get Back)'.

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