Formation as Sub Sub (1991–1998) The Williams brothers and Goodwin met at
Wilmslow High School at age 15. Whilst the Williams brothers grew up in
Wilmslow, Goodwin grew up in
Altrincham,
Cheshire. All three members played in various local bands during the timeframe, with their paths occasionally crossing. After meeting again at
The Haçienda in 1989, the three formed
Sub Sub, releasing their first single "Space Face" in 1991. In 1993 they released "
Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use)," which reached number three in the
UK singles chart. On the Williams twins' birthday in February 1996, the band's
Ancoats studio caught fire and burned down, leading the band members to abandon their previous dance-oriented style and start afresh as
alternative rock band Doves in 1998.
Lost Souls and The Last Broadcast (1998–2003) The band released three
EPs in 1998 and 1999 on Casino Records, a subsidiary of
Rob Gretton's
Rob's Records, which established the group's new sound and met with a warm critical response. Their debut album
Lost Souls in April 2000 was nominated for the
Mercury Music Prize, which they lost to fellow Mancunian and former collaborator
Badly Drawn Boy. Doves' second album
The Last Broadcast was released two years later, reaching number one on the
UK albums chart, and was again nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. The album's first single "
There Goes the Fear" became the band's highest-charting single to date, reaching number three on the UK singles chart despite only being released for one day before it was deleted. The album's second single "
Pounding" reached number 21 on the singles chart
Some Cities was released in February 2005 and went straight to number one in the UK albums chart, aided by some of the strongest reviews they had received to date. The album was preceded by the single "
Black and White Town," which reached number six on the singles chart. The band have subsequently stated that writing and recording the album was the most difficult and fractious of their career. Worldwide tours, including multiple tours of the United Kingdom, United States and Canada, followed the album's release. On 12 July 2009 the band appeared on the
BBC Radio 1 stage at
T in the Park and the festival Latitude in Southwold. They also appeared with the
London Bulgarian Choir as part of the
BBC Electric Proms series in October 2009. The band's first best of compilation, entitled
The Places Between: The Best of Doves was released on 5 April 2010. An interview with the band regarding their history and Jodrell Bank performance was posted on
The Guardian's website on 4 April 2010. Doves toured the UK throughout May 2010, and performed at the
Isle of Wight Festival 2010.
Hiatus and side projects (2010–2018) The band took a break from recording in 2010, according to an interview with
The Daily Record. Jimi Goodwin stated: "It's nice just to have a bit of breathing space... We just wanted to get off that whole album-tour-album-tour treadmill. None of us are ready to face going into the studio for another two years. This is wiping the slate clean, we have nothing else in the vaults now. That is it. Whatever we do from now on will be a new start." On 2 October 2012, EMI International released a Doves anthology titled
5 Album Set featuring all four studio albums from
Lost Souls to
Kingdom of Rust and the 2003 re-issue of
Lost Sides. In March 2014, Jimi Goodwin released his first solo album, entitled
Odludek. Jez and Andy Williams began working on music again in 2012, recording in Andy's home studio in
Glasgow, Jez's home studio in
Salford, and in an
Anglesey cottage. In summer 2014, their project was announced under the name
Black Rivers, who began playing live shows with new material, and in February 2015 released a self-titled album.
Reformation, The Universal Want and Constellations for the Lonely (2018–present) At the end of 2018 the band members announced a series of gigs for 2019 and a tentative plan to explore new music together. As the series neared conclusion, Doves posted on Facebook that the 31 August 2019 and 6 September 2019 shows would be the last two concerts until they completed their new album. On 18 June 2020, the band released their first new music in ten years with a song entitled "Carousels". It and "Prisoners", released on 9 July, are from their new album,
The Universal Want, which was released on 11 September 2020 and charted at number 1 in its first week. On 4 November 2024, the band released a new single, "Renegade", alongside the announcement of their sixth studio album
Constellations for the Lonely, which was eventually released on 28 February 2025. On 8 November, three "intimate" shows were announced for later in the month, with Goodwin not participating due to his mental health; the Williams brothers will share vocals alongside an expanded touring band. Doves later announced a tour in support of the album, without Goodwin and with the current touring band, for 2025. ==Band members==