Razorlight Biography

Razorlight formed in London in 2002 around vocalist/guitarist Johnny Borrell and guitarist/vocalist and Swedish ex-pat Björn Ågren. Joined by bassist Carl Dalemo and drummer Christian Smith-Pancorvo, the combo recorded some early demos at London's Toe Rag studios, and those songs led to radio exposure and the initial stirrings of hype.

Mercury Records signed Razorlight in 2003, and the group began recording their debut in between a series of hectic club gigs, working with U2 and The La's cohort, Steve Lillywhite. Lillywhite soon left the project, but Razorlight continued to write and record their album while still wowing audiences with a spate of live dates, including a strong showing at the 2004 South by Southwest industry fest.

At this point, drummer Smith-Pancorvo left the group and was soon replaced by Andy Burrows. Reconfigured, Razorlight released their debut album , Up ALl Night in August 2004. The release was hailed for its stylish, fizzy mix of The Strokes' sensibilities and post-Britpop cool. Far from hiding their desires to attain commercial success, bigger shows with the likes of Queen/Paul Rodgers and Oasis showcased Razorlight to a wider audience.

The band's snowballing appeal hit critical mass on their second, self-titled album. Produced by Chris Thomas (INXS, The Pretenders), it spawned a number one in the form of America (a Burrows and Borrell co-write), saw them embark on a UK arena tour and headling the Reading/Leeds Festival in 2007.