Drugstore

Drugstore are a London-based alternative and dream pop band led by Brazilian singer-songwriter and bassist Isabel Monteiro (b. São Paulo, Brazil), who relocated to England in 1990s, with Dave Hunter (later replaced by Daron Robinson) on guitar and Mike Chylinski on drums. The band’s name is taken from the 1989 Gus Van Sant film, Drugstore Cowboy.

The band was formed in 1993 by Monteiro, Hunter and Chylinski. Shortly before the release of their first single «Alive” in 1994, Hunter was replaced by Daron Robinson. Soon after this, the band signed a major record deal with Go! Discs. A number of singles earned them Single Of The Week awards, as Drugstore’s rise continued. The band came to prominence at the following year’s Phoenix Festival, at which Monteiro took the stage in the national football strip of Brazil, followed by performances both at the Reading and Glastonbury festivals. Tours with Radiohead, Tindersticks, Jeff Buckley and The Jesus and Mary Chain followed.
Drugstore played at a protest in London which called for the extradition of the Chilean General Augusto Pinochet. Their song «El President», a duet with Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, is dedicated to former Chilean president Salvador Allende, who was ousted in a 1973 coup d’état in which Pinochet played a key role.
Drugstore’s music has been featured on four film soundtracks. «Superglider», from the album Drugstore, is used on All Over Me and House of America, both released in 1997. «Fader», also from Drugstore, is featured on the credits of the 2000 film Cherry Falls. «Old Shoes», originally written and performed by Tom Waits from the album Step Right Up: The Songs of Tom Waits, is used in the 2004 film East of Sunset. The band’s music was also featured throughout the BBC series This Life, whose music producer was Ricky Gervais.
The band went into a seven-year hiatus in 2002: they returned with a sold-out gig at Dingwalls, London, in September 2009.
Early in 2010, Monteiro announced a new line-up, consisting of Tito (guitar), Guy Wier (guitar) and Leon Baker (drums), which will be unveiled at the ICA, London, on May 5th 2010.