Prefab Sprout were one of the leading lights of the British “sophisti-pop” genre popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The genre – which also included artists like The Blue Nile, Swing Out Sister, Everything but the Girl and Level 42 – mixed new wave music with jazz-rock and soul influences and became a favorite of critics in Europe and the United States. Although Prefab Sprout were modestly successful in their home country – scoring seven top 40 hits, three top 10 albums and a best-selling greatest hits collection – they remained a cult band in the United States for the entirety of their career.
For the eighth episode of our music podcast This is Pop? , I was joined by David Plumer, a former writer for TYF, to discuss Prefab Sprout’s career and legacy, the genius of their enigmatic singer-songwriter Paddy McAloon and their lasting influence on a younger generation of musicians like Skylar Spence and Ice Choir.
You can listen to (and download) this episode of TYF’s This is Pop? Podcast below via Soundcloud.
Past installments of This is Pop? Podcast are available here. We are also now available on iTunes, PocketCast and Shoutcast!
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