Elastica: Whatever Happened To the Justine Frischmann & The Band Behind 'Stutter' & 'Connection'

Elastica: Whatever happened to the band behind 'Stutter' and 'Connection'

0:00 - Frischmann's Early Years
2:40 - Elastica's Early Years
4:55 - Press Coverage
6:37 - Self Titled Album
8:23 - Personal Problems
10:25 - The Menace/Breakup

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I cite my sources and they may differ than other people's accounts, so I don't guarantee the actual accuracy of my videos.

Ahead of the british band Elastica even releasing their debut album there was a monumental amount of hype around the group. Some dubbed them as the new wave of new wave bands to come out of the UK. The group’s first album was big a success, but the band’s decade long existence would be dogged by infighting, lineup changes, lawsuits, drugs, aborted studio sessions, and life under the spotlight. Today we’re going to take a look at whatever happened to the band.
Elastica frontwoman and guitarist Justine Frischmann (Frishman) would grow up in a middle class family in a West London suburb. As a child she was surrounded by music whether it was going through her brother’s records which consisted of David Bowie and Blondie albums or being encouraged by her russian mother who herself wanted to be a singer. She would begin writing and studying music at age 11 and had aspirations of being an artist but her parents pushed her into architecture. Frishmann’s father,was a hungarian who never spoke about his experiences during world war 2 and would go on to become well renowned structural engineer who was e chairman of Pell Frischmann working on some of the most storied buildings in London including Center Point and Nat West Tower. Frischman would describe her father saying to the guardianmy father is an incredibly positive, ambitious, world-embracing person, and seeing that has been really important to me - which is why I try not to drag him into the pathetic little world of the music business'.
Frischmann would study architecture at University College London, but she never saw herself at this point in her life playing music professionally or even getting up on stage. She would tell spin magazine “i never really thought i’d be brave enough to get onstage. It’s a particular set of balls you need. It happened by accident. Cause i started playing guitar with a couple of people from college and they started taking it seriously.” It was now 1989 and she was referring to muaisican brett anderson who she was also in a romantic relationship with. Both anderson and frischman would co-found the british group Suede. Frishmann wasn’t happy with her role in the band and thought their songs were too indulgent and long telling Spin magazine “there was too much horror involved and I was the token girl standing at the back strumming a guitar and i became frustrated telling the guardian in a separte interview'I just thought it was better to be Pete Best than Linda McCartney,' 'Apart from anything, I couldn't deal with being the second guitarist and having this strange, Lady Macbeth role in it, along with being general mother to four blokes.'

Sources:

[gordonarmstrong]

That first Elastica album is one of the best albums of the 90s. It holds up SUPERBLY- sounds like it could have come out last week.

[MichaelJohnson-kqqg]

The initial hype wasn't about Damon Albarn, at all - we didn't even know he had a connection to the band. We just heard that first song playing in record shops and went in and bought it.

[bradkrekelberg]

I can listen to Elastica (1st album) front to back. And that's really rare for me.

[tobyjackman]

Always baffled me why Elastica never seem to crop up in *classic debut album* conversations.
It is stone cold & still sounds fresh as a daisy

[sp]

Justine's current career as a painter is going quite well from what I can gather.

[lw]

I wish more Americans knew about Suede, they're a great band. They had to go by a different name, the London Suede, in America.

[scottxu]

Saw them play in NYC when the first album came out and was able to interview Justine because my fanzine was named after the second Wire album. The entire band were very down to earth people and I’m glad to hear Justine has gotten her life in order after what happened in the latter half of the 1990’s.

[MQZ]

I will never forget the first time I heard their debut album, I was absolutely blown away. To this day its one of my favorite albums of all time. Love Elastica

[pablodelsegundo]

Justine was SUCH hot shit to my impressionable teenage senses back in the early 90s. Same with Toni Halliday and Miki Berenyi.

[bigneon_glitter]

Also in 1999, Justine briefly reunited with Suede for a b-side recording of their early Justine-era track "Implemeant Yeah!". Suede V1 with Frischmann sounded quite like The Fall.

[scottmcmahon]

Still one of the best debut records of all time, sure they borrowed off of The Stranglers and Wire, but the fact that Oasis pilfered wholesale from T Rex and The Beatles never seemed to stop them, did it..?

[willy]

What Happened? I'll tell you what happened....The same thing that happens to the majority of these

[christyler]

Elastica’s self titled was one of my favorite albums in the 90s. It’s too bad it didn’t go on to much more afterwards.

[tysongarrett]

I remember in 95 hearing this banging song on the university of iowa station and trying desparately to call them to see who it was....the song was "never here"...bought the CD that day...that first album rocks!..still good!..

[p.d.l]

"Rock star?! Go to school, dummy!!!"
- Every parent ever

[rodroller]

I remember seeing them on David Letterman and completely falling in love with their sound. Such an amazing first album. Blew me away.

[u.s.n.retired]

At least this band ended without tragedy. I was afraid at the beginning that they would end like many others.... NOT GOOD. I enjoy your videos.

[AskDrannik]

I've heard both "Connection" and Wire's "Three Girl Rhumba", and boy do they sound similar. To be fair, Elastica weren't the only culprits: Ministry's "Thieves" has a similar chorus to Wire's "Mr. Suit" from the same album. People really enjoy Pink Flag.

[noneyabizz]

As a teen, I had a massive crush on the singer's voice

[bigneon_glitter]

Good video. _The Menace_ is the sound of a band flaming out but it's pretty great & an underrated LP - fewer Wire lifts. Albarn would go on to write "No Distance Left To Run" about Justine. Justin's a lovely bloke & became a music teacher. Still somewhat active, he toured with Lush on their brief 2016 reunion run.