Paul Richards and John Grant

John Grant formed The Czars in 1994 in Denver with Chris Pearson. They released six albums together and despite never really achieving any form of commercial success they gained a cult following for their unique brand of dream pop. Critics also praised John Grant's innovative songwriting style and intelligent lyricism that often changed, developed and evolved from album to album.

The Czars eventually disbanded in 2006 and after this Grant retired short term from the music industry. He took time away to write and decide where he would go next with his artistry, he returned in 2010 with his first solo album 'Queen Of Denmark'. He collaborated with folk band Midlake whilst recording the album in his Texan recording studio and upon release it was hailed as a critical masterpiece. John's lyrics were all incredibly personal with many of the songs describing his battles with alcohol and drug addictions during his life as well as his sexuality and HIV status.

It was named Mojo's album of the year and won praise from esteemed publications including The Guardian, The Independent and The Sunday Times, the latter stating in their review that "One listen to 'Where Dreams Go to Die', for example, and you’ll realise that while Grant can’t attain perfection in his actual life, he gets pretty close in his art." The following album came in 2013 and was titled 'Pale Green Ghosts', it featured backing vocals from Sinead O'Connor on two tracks and was another critical success. It was named Rough Trade's album of 2013 and earned the songwriter a nomination for Best International Solo Artist at the 2014 Brit Awards.