On October 20, J-Card Press releases The Clientele, a biography by Jonnie Johnstone about the evocative British band, and includes myriad exclusive quotes, images, and anecdotes. Preorder it here.

This is the story of perhaps the greatest British pop group of the last thirty years. The Clientele, formed in Hampshire in 1991. Renowned for their “invincible crystalline sound,” they have become one of the most highly respected British bands of their generation.

Their first album, Suburban Light, a collection of early singles, was released at the beginning of the new millennium, just as the band were on the verge of splitting up. It was warmly received—particularly in the U.S.—and is now recognized as a landmark album of the era.

The band’s most recent album, 2023’s I Am Not There Anymore, was met with rapturous critical acclaim, but the journey in between had been a long and strange one…

Based in Glasgow, Scotland’s Johnnie Johnstone is a school teacher and freelance journalist whose credits include Shindig!, Record Collector, and Louder Than War, among others. He is also the author of Through TheCrack In The Wall – The Secret History of Josef K.

The Clientle will be J-Card’s ninth book, following successful biographies of Brainiac, the Apples in Stereo, Laughing Hyenas, The Dead Milkmen, and more. Every band has a story, and J-Card tells three to four of those stories a year. Books can be ordered directly from the J-Card’s website or wherever books are sold. J-Card also has distribution deals with Revolver/Midheaven and Revelation, which has led to several J-Card titles being stocked in record stores.

Photo courtesy of J-Card Press.