Squeeze

Squeeze began life in Deptford, South London in 1974, when Chris Difford posted a small advert for a guitarist and Glenn Tilbrook answered—an everyday moment that launched one of Britain’s sharpest songwriting teams. Their early rehearsals took place in a former hairdresser’s basement, a setting as scrappy and charming as their first demos.

Fans love the real anecdotes: Difford really did jot early lyrics on cigarette packets and scraps, and the band’s name was lifted from the Velvet Underground’s 1973 album. A young Jools Holland became their whirlwind keyboardist, while Elvis Costello and Roger Bechirian co-produced the widely praised East Side Story (1981), often cited as their creative peak.

Beyond staples like “Tempted,” “Cool for Cats,” and “Up the Junction,” Squeeze also splintered briefly—Difford and Tilbrook recorded the 1984 album Difford & Tilbrook during the band’s hiatus. They reunited in 1985, split again in 1999, and returned once more in 2007, this time staying active with touring and new releases such as Cradle to the Grave (2015) and The Knowledge (2017).

Amid all the lineup shifts, the Difford–Tilbrook partnership remains the band’s magnetic core—clever, melodic, and unmistakably British, still rewarding even the most seasoned fans with layers of craft and character.