Groovy, Laidback and Nasty

A History of Independent Music in Sheffield

By: Daniel Dylan Wray

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Hardcover | 7 May 2026 | Edition Number 1

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Format
Hardcover

Dimensions(cm)
24.2 x 16.4 x 3.1

Hardcover

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Spanning seven decades and with over 150 new interviews, including Richard Hawley, Arctic Monkeys, Self Esteem, ABC, Pulp, Def Leppard, The Human League, Toddla T, Cabaret Voltaire, Warp Records, Clock DVA, Heaven 17 and many more

From dazzling electronic futurism to pioneering post-punk, via pop, metal, bassline, bleep techno and generation-defining indie rock, Sheffield has long been a crucible for world-leading music.

Some artists have excelled on the fringes, others have achieved global success, but all remain connected through a fervently independent ethos. In Sheffield, creativity flourished in the face of isolation, economic decline and bleak political circumstances, resulting in some of Britain's most groundbreaking and singular music. But the region's ingrained humility and dogged stoicism means it has never been documented or celebrated to the level of more hubristic cities.

In Groovy, Laidback and Nasty, acclaimed Sheffield journalist Daniel Dylan Wray sets out to remedy this, telling the story of the city's DIY spirit and the musical visionaries and innovators who helped build its inimitable legacy.

Both a compelling cultural study and an unapologetic love letter to the city, this - finally - is the definitive musical history Sheffield so richly deserves.

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