Cornershop is a British indie band formed in Leicester in 1992 by Wolverhampton-born Tjinder Singh (singer, songwriter, and dholaki player), his brother Avtar Singh (bass guitar, vocals), David Chambers (drums) and Ben Ayres (guitar, keyboards, and tamboura), the first three having previously been members of Preston-based band General Havoc, who released one single (the "Fast Jaspal EP") in 1991.
The band name originated from a stereotype referring to British Asians that they often own street corner stores. Their music is a fusion of Indian music, British indie rock, and electronic dance.
In the early 1990s, when popular singer Morrissey was being vilified by the UK music press (particularly the NME) for refusing to deny that he was a racist, the band burned a picture of the singer outside the offices of EMI.
Debut single, the "In The Days of Ford Cortina EP" was a blend of Indian-tinged noise pop, the sound mellowing somewhat by the release of debut album proper "Hold On It Hurts" in 1994. David Chambers left the band in 1994, the band re-emerging in 1995 with the acclaimed "6 a.m. Jullander Shere" single and the album "Woman's Gotta Have It".
The departure of Avtar Singh around the end of 1995 led to a major line-up change, with Anthony Saffery (sitar, keyboards and harmonium), Nick Simms (drums) and Peter Bengry (percussion) joining.
They were more widely noticed after the success of a Fatboy Slim remix of their song "Brimful of Asha", from their 1997 album When I Was Born for the 7th Time. blank">Cornershop at the Leicester Bands website The song was a tribute to the prolific Indian [[playback singer], _Asha Bhosle, and the entire Indian music industry in general. Norman Cook mixed the track without charging a fee because he liked it so much. Paula Frazer appears as a guest vocalist on the track 'Good To Be On The Road Back Home'.
In 1999 they released a disco inspired album Disco and the Halfway to Discontent as part of their side-project, Clinton. This album inspired the launch of the London based clubnight called Buttoned down disco, which took its name from the third track on the album.
Their next official Cornershop release was the 2002 album, Handcream for a Generation.
According to their official website, Cornershop have been making a film about London’s independent music industry since 2003. In February 2006, some four years after their last album, they released a new single "Wop the Groove" featuring guest vocals from Happy Mondays and X Factor finalist Rowetta. A new album is expected to be released in early 2008.
Tjinder Singh now lives in Stoke Newington, London and is often seen on and around Church Street.
