Ian astbury biography
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The Cult’s Ian Astbury talks Indigenous influence and the evolution of the band
Ian Astbury is best known as frontman of the legendary hard rock/post-punk outfit The Cult, a band responsible for 1980 hits like She Sells Sanctuary, Love Removal Machine and Fire Woman.
The Yorkshire native is also the band’s primary songwriter, alongside co-founder and lead guitarist Billy Duffy.
The two formed the group under the moniker Death Cult and, since 1983, have been a driving force in shaping the modern rock and alternative scene, even after the band’s breakup and a second hiatus.
Although he was born in the U.K. to a Scottish mother and an English father, Astbury, 57, spent a majority of his childhood living in Hamilton, Ont., where he discovered the cultures and backgrounds of various tribes of Indigenous Peoples in southern Ontario — a topic consistently present in The Cult’s lyrics.
WATCH: ‘Fire Woman,’ the lead single from The Cult’s • Ian Astbury of The Cult is something of a paradox. He's had huge success as a leather-clad, stage-humping Morrison-esque rock star while enchanting throngs of music lovers with his early post-punk, gothic caroling. Last year his band released a new album, Choice of Weapon, and this year they celebrated an old one (1987's Electric) on the "Electric 13" tour that just wrapped this month. We talked to Astbury before he took the stage at a concert in New Jersey, and he revelaed himself to be a down-to-earth, convivial, and funny guy who loves Yohji Yamamoto and Nikes. He spoke candidly about music, his views on fashion, and what it means to be a rock star today. ESQUIRE.COM: Hey Ian, how's it going? IAN ASTBURY: Good, good, Mick. Going on stage soon, but plenty of time for Esquire. Fire away! ESQ: Nelson Mandela recently passed away. Did he have any impact on your life at all? IA: Certainly, in the sense that • Astbury's career began in 1981, with the gothic rock band Southern Death Cult. At that time, he was going by the name "Ian Lindsay." Southern Death Cult gigged to support its "Moya" single, and secured a slot as an opening act for Bauhaus in 1983. Shortly after that tour, the grupp split up. Along with guitarist Billy Duffy bassist Jamie Stewart and drummer Ray Mondo, Ian (now going by the surname "Astbury"), formed a new grupp, The Death Cult and later dropped Death from the name. **The Cult** The Cult was one of the most successful British rock bands of the late 1980s and early 1990s. With the 1984 release of their first skiva Dreamtime, The Cult were the darlings of the Indie post-punk scene, their chart topping "Spiritwalker" single having held at number one for three months. Their second album, Love, evoked memories of 1960s psychedelia such as The Doors, and the Pretty Things. It also featured their now classic hit "She Sells
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