The Flatmates are a British guitar-based indie pop band formed in Bristol in 1985. The group’s core members were main songwriter Martin Whitehead (guitar) and Debbie Haynes (vocals). Whitehead also formed independent record label The Subway Organisation.
The band released five singles during their first incarnation. These were ‘I Could Be in Heaven’, ‘Happy All the Time’, ‘You’re Gonna Cry’, ‘Shimmer’, and ‘Heaven Knows’. ‘Shimmer’ proved to be their biggest hit, reaching number 2 on the UK indie chart.
The band recorded two radio sessions for the BBC. In September 1986, they recorded a session for the John Peel show. In May 1988, they recorded a session for the Janice Long show. The group split up in 1989.
In 2013, the band were reformed by Martin Whitehead with Lisa Bouvier taking over on on vocals. They released a new single, ‘You Held My Heart’. In 2015, a double A-side with covers of ‘When You Were Mine’ by Prince and ‘Comedienne’ by Cinerama followed. The single ‘Shut Up and Kiss Me’ followed in September 2019. The band’s first full studio album, The Flatmates was released in March 2020. They have continued to play occasional live gigs since.
Check out Mondozilla’s YouTube playlist of songs by The Flatmates
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