Graham Coxon (b. 12 March 1969) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for being the guitarist and founding member of the band Blur.
Role in Gorillaz[]
In 2017 Coxon provided guitar for the track Submission from Gorillaz' fifth studio album Humanz. He later provided guitar on the track Magic City from Gorillaz' 2018 album The Now Now. He also contributes additional backing vocals alongside Shelley FKA DRAM and Noel Gallagher on the Humanz track We Got The Power featuring Jehnny Beth. Coxon later joined Gorillaz on the Humanz Tour in 2017 and on their cover of the Blur track Song 2 at Demon Dayz Festival LA in 2018.
Coxon is the person who initially introduced Gorillaz creators Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett after requesting that Hewlett interview Blur for Deadline Magazine before Blur’s first album came out, since Coxon, a comic book fan, was a huge fan of Tank Girl. Albarn and Hewlett originally disliked each other (more like Albarn hated Hewlett, and in return Hewlett hated Albarn) for years until they grew fond enough of each other to live together in Trellick Tower in 1997, where they would throw many parties with other celebrities and eventually form Gorillaz. Thus, making Coxon an important part of the band’s creation.
Musical career[]
Coxon began playing guitar at a young age, and by age 12 was skilled in multiple musical instruments. He first met future Blur bandmate Damon Albarn at Stanway Comprehensive School at age 12 as well, with Albarn’s first words to Coxon being “your brogues are crap mate, mine are the proper sort”, and the two would soon become close friends. Alex James, Coxon met during his education at Goldsmiths College. After dropping out of College, Coxon formed a band with Albarn, James, and drummer David Rowntree, playing guitar in a band called Seymour that would later become Blur. Before Seymour, he was in a synth pop band with Albarn called Circus (originally named Two’s a Crowd). Blur would then go on to release nine studio albums, one of which, Think Tank, would be recorded without Graham. He would rejoin the band after their 2008 reunion and went on to record the songs Fool’s Day, Under The Westway, and The Puritan before recording Blur’s eighth album The Magic Whip in 2015. After 8 years, the band released their ninth studio album, The Ballad of Darren. Since his career with Blur, Coxon has also gone on to pursue a successful solo career and has released twelve solo albums, including soundtracks for television series such as The End of The Fucking World, I Am Not Okay With This, and his own graphic novel Superstate. He has also worked with artists such as Duran Duran and Bastille, and is a member of the British bands The Jaded Hearts Club and The WAEVE.
Discography[]
With Blur[]
- Leisure (1991)
- Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993)
- Parklife (1994)
- The Great Escape (1995)
- Blur (1997)
- 13 (1999)
- The Magic Whip (2015)
- The Ballad of Darren (2023)
With The Jaded Hearts Club[]
- You've Always Been Here (2020)
With The WAEVE[]
- The WAEVE (2023)
- City Lights (2024)
Studio albums[]
- The Sky Is Too High (1998)
- The Golden D (2000)
- Crow Sit on Blood Tree (2001)
- The Kiss of Morning (2002)
- Happiness in Magazines (2004)
- Love Travels at Illegal Speeds (2006)
- The Spinning Top (2009)
- A+E (2012)
Soundtracks[]
- The End of the F***ing World (Original Songs And Score) (2018)
- The End of the F***ing World 2 (Original Songs And Score) (2019)
- I Am Not Okay with This (as Bloodwitch) (Original Songs And Score) (2020)
- Superstate (2021)
Trivia[]
- Coxon was once one of Noodle's crushes.
- Murdoc first words to Albarn (quoted in Rise of The Ogre) are actually a play on Albarn’s first words when he met Coxon in high school.
- Coxon once owned a guitar with a sticker of Noodle on it.
- Coxon is actually the person who made Albarn a fan of hip-hop, reintroducing him to it sometime around the initial recording of Blur’s self-titled album.
- Coxon’s graphic novel Superstate was published by Z2 Comics, the same company behind Gorillaz Almanac and The Gorillaz Art Book.
- He is responsible for Blur’s change in sound for their 1997 self titled album, shifting the band towards a more alternative rock sound after getting into American alt rock artists at the time, like Pavement, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, and Beck. This influence would continue in Blur’s 1999 album 13.
- He is responsible for the release of Blur’s 2015 album The Magic Whip, as the album was originally put in the bin by Albarn before Coxon decided to finish the songs with Blur’s producer Stephen Street, then convincing Albarn to finish the album vocals.
- Mainly a backup vocalist for Blur, Coxon sings lead vocals on the songs You’re So Great and Coffee & TV, also singing additional vocals on Tender and Thought I Was a Spaceman.
- During Think Tank, Coxon was no longer a member of Blur, leaving the band to focus on a solo career until he would rejoin after Blur reunited in 2008. The only Think Tank song to feature Coxon is the album’s final track Battery in Your Leg.
- He initially didn’t care much for Gorillaz, having lukewarm comments on the project in press interviews when the bands debut album released.
- The original version of We Got The Power featured more prominent contributions from Coxon and Noel Gallagher, with Coxon, Albarn and Gallagher on guitar and contributing vocals to the song, but Albarn trimmed it down to backup vocals as he felt it “stunk of testosterone” and needed a more feminine voice.