Hurts

Founded in 2005 by Manchester duo Theo Hutchcraft and Adam Anderson, Hurts emerged from the ashes of the ill-fated Daggers, who disbanded shortly after the release their electro-pop single Money/Magazine. Looking to innovate their sound, Hutchcraft and Anderson focussed on building a more emotive and dramatic synth-driven aesthetic. Working with Swedish producer Jonas Quant, the duo released Wonderful Life in 2009, accompanied by a self-produced video that secured Hurts early viral fame. Picked up by Sony's RCA Records, the band won the coveted BBC Sound Of 2010 accolade ahead of releasing their debut album, Happiness.

Released in August 2010, Happiness cemented the duo's mastery of epic compositions, featuring the singles Wonderful Life, Stay and Sunday, among others. Hurts also teamed up with pop superstar Kylie Minogue, who provided backing vocals on Devotion. The pair returned the favour in turn, recording a cover of Minogue's 1994 cult classic Confide In Me.

Having begun their live career in the build-up to the record's release, finding fan bases at home and across mainland Europe, their debut record jumped to No.4 on the official UK album chart. Their subsequent headline tour saw Minogue joining them on stage at London's O2 Academy Brixton.

Learning from the success of their debut, Hurts' sophomore release Exile was preceded by another heavily stylised video for lead track The Road. Once again working with producer Quant and joined by Dan Grech-Marguerat, Hutchcraft and Anderson took more creative control over the album, one that upped their orchestral experimentations. The album subsequently reached the top ten on the UK chart, as well as securing notable positions across much of mainland Europe.

Having worked with the likes of Madonna and The Killers, producer Stuart Price joined the fold for Hurts' third album Surrender, with Desire following in 2017. Throughout, the band maintained their cinematic approach to music videos. The celebrated clip for Beautiful Ones, portrayed the harrowing tale of a drag queen being attacked following an altercation with a group of men in a nightclub.

In May 2020, Hurts revealed their new track Voices, going on to confirm the release of their fifth studio album Faith. Speaking of the album's style, Hutchcraft discussed returning to their very essence. "We’ve always been drawn in by the darker elements of pop music”, he added.

Marking the release of Faith, Hurts announced two headline UK dates as part of a wider European run, taking to London and their Manchester hometown in April 2021.