Crispian Mills (born Crispian
John David Mills January 18, 1973 in Hammersmith, London) is an English musician.
Crispian (also known as 'Dodge') was born to the actress Hayley
Mills and film director Roy Boulting, and has a half-brother
called Jason. He was educated at Highgate School, North
London and Stowe School, Buckingham.
He is married to the model Jo
Mills (nee Branfoot). His grandfather is the English actor
Sir John
Mills. He currently lives in Bath.
History
Mills became a famous in the UK as the lead singer/songwriter
in the Indian-influenced 90s
Indie/rock band Kula Shaker in 1996. Kula
Shaker's first album, "K", became the best-selling debut album since Oasis'
Definitely Maybe
in the UK, and the band had a string of UK hit singles, culminating in
1997's 'Hush' which peaked at #2 there. He was one of a clutch of
mid-1990s Britpop stars to rise to prominence in the media, before
making a series of unfortunate remarks about swastikas
and being accused by newspapers such as The Independent of harbouring Nazi sympathies.
Crispian was the creative dynamo behind the band's success and his
departure, shortly after the release of band's second album - Peasants,
pigs and astronauts, signalled the end for the band in 1999.
He spent two years experimenting with new musical ideas, even
touring briefly in the UK with as part of a band called Pi. A
disagreement over the quality of an album proposed for release saw
Mills depart from his UK record company in 2001.
In early 2002 the speedy formation of a new band called The
Jeevas with Andy Nixon and Dan McKinna (previously both of the band
Straw)led
to relative success, with the first album selling over 100,000 copies
in Japan. Sales elsewhere were low but the band remained a hot ticket
in smaller UK venues. Despite extensive touring and sizeable hardcore
fanbase, The Jeevas split in early 2005, with Dan and
Andy forming a new band named The Magic Bullet Band.
During 2004 The Jeevas and a reformed Kula
Shaker (without original keyboardist Jay Darlington)
contributed to a charity album with the Californian
School of Braja
which Crispian masterminded. The sessions with Kula Shaker went so well
that the band decided to reform permanently. 2006 saw their return to
the live scene in the UK with the addition of new keyboardist Harry
Broadbent, and the release of an EP 'Revenge Of The King'. Their third
album 'Strangefolk' was released in 2007.
Crispian is currently working on a film project entitled The
Winged Boy, produced by Stephen Fry, and is also contributing to
the soundtrack. The film is still in pre-production.
Discography
Albums
EPs
Compilation Albums
Singles
External links
