David Cronenberg's Wife

David Cronenberg's Wife is a London-based band; the name is taken from the Canadian film-maker and actor David Cronenberg. Described as "where genius meets idiocy" by BBC Radio 2's Mark Lamarr, the band's lyrics combine dark subject matter (anorexia, murder, rape) with an off-kilter humour. They released their first single "I Couldn't Get Off" in 2007, followed up by two singles and their first album Bluebeard's Rooms in 2008. The album was recorded by Simon Trought (formerly of Tompaulin and Hayman, Watkins, Trout and Lee) and Dot Allison guitarist Ian Button (formerly of the Thrashing Doves and Death in Vegas) and was described in The Fly as "one of the albums of the year". Other reviews, however, were more critical of the album's dark subject matter and "repugnant imagery".In August 2009, the band released their fourth single "The Fight Song" and played a second session on Marc Riley's 6Music show. This was followed by an appearance on Cerys Matthews' show, also on 6music, in October. Second album Hypnagogues was released in November 2009, with a noticeably more personal feel to the lyrics and a less harsh sound, even approaching alt.country on some of the tracks. The NME called it "a promising work in progress" with Drowned in Sound naming opening song "Sweden" (the band's sixth single) "one of the tracks of the year", adding that "it stands so far out from the rest that it encumbers the rest of the album."Their third album "Don't Wait to be Hunted to Hide" was released in December 2012 and features some of the band's most controversial songs, such as the album's first single "Spiked" which describes a date-rape from the attacker's point of view. The album's themes caused one reviewer to call it the "most truly controversial I’ve heard all year", adding that it may "upset and unsettle" some listeners. In December 2012, the band supported The Fall at the Islington Assembly Hall. The band had two previously unreleased tracks featured on Trashmouth Record's 2014 compilation "Thinking About Moving to Hastings" along with songs by The Fat White Family, Pit Ponies and Warmduscher. In 2018, David Cronenberg's Wife released a new EP entitled "The Octoberman Sequence" on 12" vinyl. Band members are currently singer & songwriter Tom Mayne, keyboard player Mary Boe, lead guitarist Adam Croucher, drummer Stuart Saunderson, violin player and guitarist Thomas Alder and bassist Jeremy Walton. Former bassist Ian Button also produced many of the tracks from the first three albums.