Alex Turner

Sheffield native Alex Turner formed the Arctic Monkeys with a few friends when he was 17. Little did he know that his creation would become one of the biggest British bands of the 21st century. In 2006, when Turner was just 20 years old, the band released their debut album ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’, which became an international hit, despite its inherently British qualities. Turner’s rough-around-the-edges northern voice sang of mid-2000s pub and club culture while also observing darker themes such as prostitution.

The album shot to number one, selling 360,000 copies during its first week. This was followed by a string of successful releases, such as ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’, ‘Humbug’ and ‘Suck It and See’. Arctic Monkeys headlined Glastonbury in 2007 and toured internationally, proving to be an indomitable force in the British music industry.

Meanwhile, Turner kept himself busy with a side project, The Last Shadow Puppets, formed in collaboration with his close friend Miles Kane. The pair recorded two albums together between 2008 and 2016, influenced by artists such as Scott Walker, Serge Gainsbourg and Ennio Morricone. Their albums ‘The Age of the Understatement’ and ‘Everything You’ve Come to Expect’ were recieved with praise.

In 2010, Turner created the soundtrack for Richard Ayoade’s coming-of-age film ‘Submarine’, and the following year, he co-wrote Kane’s album ‘Colour of the Trap’. Over the next decade, Turner rose to greater prominence as his style evolved into a slicked-back leather-clad rocker. This transformation coincided with the release of 2013’s ‘AM’, which was an international sensation.

Arctic Monkeys’ success continued with lounge and jazz-influenced ‘Tranquillity Base Hotel and Casino’, released in 2018. To follow it up, the band released ‘The Car’, an album which was also been met with critical acclaim.