Cornershop

Cornershop are an English indie rock band formed in Leicester, in 1991. The group are best known for their single "Brimful of Asha" from their third album When I Was Born for the 7th Time. A remixed version of the track reached number one on the UK singles chart in 1998. They were formed by Tjinder Singh (singer, songwriter, and guitar), 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 General Havoc, who released one single (the Fast Jaspal EP) in 1991. The band name originated from a stereotype referring to British Asians often owning corner shops. Their music is a fusion of Indian music, indie rock, alternative and electronic dance music.

==History== ===Formation and early years: 1991–1996=== Tjinder Singh formed General Havoc whilst a student at Lancashire Polytechnic in Preston in 1987. He relocated to Leicester, where his brother and sister lived. He formed Cornershop in 1991 along with his brother Avtar and Chambers and Ayres while working as a barman at Leicester's Magazine pub, a popular local music venue near O'Jays, where the band played their first gigs. Named after the stereotype of South Asians owning corner shops, Cornershop drew inspiration from Singh's experiences as a British-born Sikh, mixing traditional Punjabi music with British indie rock. In the early 1990s, when the UK music press criticised singer Morrissey after accusations of racism, the band were invited to comment and the Melody Maker ran a story featuring the band burning a picture of the singer outside the offices of EMI.