Group
Spearmint
London indie pop band
- From
- London, United Kingdom
- Since
- 1995–present
- Releases
- 30
About
Spearmint are a London-based independent band founded in 1995, comprising Shirley Lee (guitar, singing), Simon Calnan (keyboards, singing), James Parsons (guitar, bass) and Ronan Larvor (drums).
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Original bassist Martin Talbot left the band after five shows, being replaced by Parsons in September 1995. Following Talbot's death, the band dedicated their debut album A Week Away to him in 1999. The dedication was repeated in 2009 when a 10th anniversary edition of the album was issued, including a new seven-song-cycle 'Life In Reverse', also in memory of Talbot.
All the group's records have been released on their own 'hitBACK' label, enabling them to maintain control over their artistic output. Most recent album 'Holland Park' is the 57th release on the label.
The band have worked together continuously since 1995, even while Parsons released a side project by Telley in 2009, and Lee released a solo double-album in 2011. At various times, the group has also been aided by Dickon Edwards, Andy Lewis and Rhodri Marsden.
The group has received coverage in the NME, Time Out, Melody Maker and Uncut magazines. and were referenced in the film (500) Days of Summer wherein Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character states “It pains me we live in a world where nobody's heard of Spearmint.”
In 2009, Image Comics of Berkeley, California released the book 'This Is A Souvenir', a collection of graphic novellas based on the songs of Spearmint and Shirley Lee.
Spearmint released their tenth album 'This Candle Is For You' in late 2023. The album was very positive received critically, with Mojo placing it at number 53 in their Top 100 albums of 2023.
Members
Discography
Albums
-
A Week Away Apple Music
-
Oklahoma! Apple Music
-
A Different Lifetime Apple Music
-
My Missing Days Apple Music
-
The Boy and the Girl That Got Away
-
Paris in a Bottle Apple Music
-
News From Nowhere
-
It's Time to Vanish Apple Music
-
Are You From the Future? Apple Music
-
Holland Park Apple Music
-
This Candle Is For You Apple Music
-
Chase Me Apple Music
Singles
-
Senseless (A Stranger) / The Music They Love Us to Hate Apple Music
-
Left Alone Among the Living
-
Julie Christie!
-
The Flaming Lips
-
The Locomotion
-
Howling Christmas
-
Happy Birthday Girl
-
We’re Going Out
-
You Are Still My Brother
-
Sweeping the Nation
-
It Won't Be Long Now
-
Sweeping the Nation / Best Friends
-
Somebody / I Can't Sleep
Live
Compilations
Links
Listen
Official
Concerts
Buy
Instrumental supporting musician
Identifiers
- MusicBrainz
- 7b0dfc5a-a3d0-4af3-b661-8a359adf8ae9
Data from MusicBrainz, saved 11 Nov 2026. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, covers from the Cover Art Archive and Apple Music.