2002–2025: Formation and Any Other City Named after a track by English new wave band
Japan, Life Without Buildings formed during the summer of 1999. The band consisted mostly of ex-students of the
Glasgow School of Art, Initial band members were Will Bradley (drums),
Chris Evans (bass) and Robert Johnston (guitar). Painter
Sue Tompkins (vocals) joined later in 1999. The band split writing duties, with Johnston, Bradley and Evans writing the music while Tompkins wrote the vocals. Tompkins' "talk-sung" vocal styling eventually became the band's most famous attribute. Impressed after their first London gig, the
Rough Trade-affiliated Tugboat label asked the band to record a debut single. Released in March 2000, "The Leanover" b/w "New Town" secured the band a full deal with the label. "New Town" received some airplay on
BBC Radio 1. The band later released two more singles on the Tugboat label. The band's debut,
Any Other City, recorded by Scottish producer
Andy Miller at Chem19 Studios in Glasgow, was released in 2001 in the UK; label DCBaltimore2012 issued it months later in the
United States. Life Without Buildings were on the same bill as
The Strokes in February 2001, during the latter band's first headlining gig. A popular legend sprung up that due to the Strokes' popularity, Life Without Buildings was bumped further down the bill. Band members disputed this, saying that while they had been scheduled to play the show, it was the result of a booking error, not anything intentional. It stayed on the Radio 200 for eight weeks, peaking at #22.
2002–2025: Break-up–and aftermath The band broke up in 2002, after the release of
Any Other City. In a 2009 interview with ''
Muso's Guide'', guitarist Johnston stated the band broke up because Tompkins wanted to focus on her career as a visual artist. He went on to stress that none of the band members ever envisioned turning music into a career, and they felt pressure because something that had started "for a laugh" had become serious. In May 2007 a live album was released in Europe called
Live at the Annandale Hotel on the
Gargleblast Records label, and was subsequently released in North America in August 2007 on
Absolutely Kosher Records. Recorded around December 2001 at Sydney's Annandale Hotel, band members claimed to be unaware that the show was recorded, but were happy with the finished live record. The vinyl reissue included a reproduction of their debut 7", featuring rougher original versions of "The Leanover" and "New Town".
2026–present: Reunion On 13 January 2026, it was announced that the band would re-form for a show in November 2026 at London's
KOKO as part of a programme of commemorative activity to mark fifty years since
Rough Trade opened its first record store. This news was followed by an additional show announcement at Glasgow's Saint Luke's. ==Discography==