Justine Frischmann

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Justine Elinor Frischmann (born 16th September 1969, in Twickenham, Middlesex) is an English singer and guitarist best known as the lead singer of Britpop band Elastica.

She studied architecture at The Bartlett, University College London, where she was a founder member of the English band Suede with then boyfriend Brett Anderson, also from The Bartlett. Frischmann played lead and rhythm guitar for the group, but she left in 1991, claiming she did not have enough say in to the band's development. She later formed her own band, Elastica, which emerged in 1993 with the single "Stutter".

In 1995, Elastica was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize for their album Elastica.

The band struggled to complete a follow-up album. In later interviews, Frischmann admitted that the group's 2000 release, The Menace, was a result of burn-out following the stress of long periods of touring.

Justine split from long term boyfriend Damon Albarn (of Blur) in 1999. She is still good friends with Albarn and Brett Anderson.

In 2003, Justine co-presented a series called Dreamspaces for the BBC about modern architecture. She also wrote the incidental theme tune for Channel 4's Working It. In 2004 Justine presented the UK's premier and longest running arts programme The South Bank Show and appeared as a judge for the Stirling Prize for Architecture.

In 2005 Justine helped her flatmate M.I.A. by co-writing all the first demos for her album. She cowrote the music on M.I.A.'s single, "Galang". Justine is now studying visual arts and psychology at Naropa University. She has also produced demos for the band White Rose Movement.