Echo & The Bunnymen

Formed in Liverpool in 1978, Echo & the Bunnymen became one of the most influential bands of the post-punk and neo-psychedelic eras. Originally a trio consisting of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant, and bassist Les Pattinson—initially accompanied by a drum machine nicknamed "Echo"—the group solidified their lineup with the addition of drummer Pete de Freitas in 1979. They achieved critical and commercial acclaim in the early 1980s with landmark albums such as Crocodiles (1980) and Heaven Up Here (1981), eventually reaching their commercial peak with the lush, orchestral Ocean Rain (1984), which featured their signature hit "The Killing Moon". Following McCulloch's departure in 1988 and the tragic death of de Freitas in a 1989 motorcycle accident, the band experienced a period of fractured lineups and a brief hiatus before McCulloch and Sergeant officially reunited in 1997 with the album Evergreen. Since then, the band has continued to tour and record, with McCulloch and Sergeant remaining the core duo and releasing their most recent studio album, Meteorites, in 2014.