LUKE HAINES (THE AUTEURS)
January 1995
The Auteurs 1993 debut New Wave was said to have been one of the early sparks of the Brit Pop, though the band were always on the fringe of that movement, and had only moderate commercial success, something that in no way reflected on their music and talent.
It was a shoot for local Japanese rock magazine Rockin’On. It was winter, Luke, the singer and songwriter, walked in wearing a heavy coat and using a walking stick. He moved gingerly, a man aware of limitations. I asked him what had happened, he replied casually that he’d broken his ankle some months ago after jumping down from a wall while drunk. He was in good spirits nonetheless and happy to be in conversation.
The band was on the radar of the alternative music press, and their second album Now I’m a Cowboy had established them as a band to watch.
We were waiting for bassist Alice Readman, Luke’s girlfriend at the time, who’d been waylaid. I started by photographing Luke, chatting about life in Tokyo, and later when Alice arrived got some two-shots. The band were doing some shows in Tokyo, I didn’t get to go, though happy to have had the chance to meet Luke and Alice.