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Groovy, Laidback and Nasty
A History of Independent Music in Sheffield
Author: Daniel Dylan Wray
Narrator: Daniel Dylan Wray
Unabridged: 11 hr 39 min
Format: Digital Audiobook Download
Publisher: White Rabbit
Published: 05/28/2026
Categories: Nonfiction, Music, History & Criticism, Recording & Reproduction, History, European History
Includes:
Bonus Material
Synopsis
'A brilliant book by one of the best culture writers in the UK' MIRANDA SAWYER
'A thrilling, immersive journey' ★★★★ RECORD COLLECTOR
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.
'A thrilling, immersive journey' ★★★★ RECORD COLLECTOR
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.