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Miki Berenyi

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Miki Berenyi
Berenyi on stage in 1994
Background information
Birth nameMiki Eleonora Berenyi
Born (1967-03-18) 18 March 1967 (age 57)
Chelsea, London, England
Genres
Instruments
Years active1987–1998, 2015–present
Labels
Member ofPiroshka
Formerly ofLush

Miki Eleonora Berenyi (born 18 March 1967)[1] is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known as a member of the alternative rock band Lush and currently a member of Piroshka.[2][3]

Biography

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Berenyi circa 1990

Early life

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Berenyi was born in Chelsea, London to a Japanese mother,[4] actress Yasuko Nagazumi, and Hungarian father, Ivan Berenyi. She is also a second cousin of the Japanese singer-songwriter Cornelius.[5][6] Her parents divorced when she was young and Berenyi began to divide her time between her mother and father's separate houses. Berenyi mentions in her autobiography that at her father's house, she was subjected to sexual abuse from both family friends and her paternal grandmother.[7]

At age 14, Berenyi met friend and future bandmate Emma Anderson while both were students at private school Queen's College. They became interested in music and together published a music fanzine, Alphabet Soup (which lasted for five issues).[8] Berenyi first played bass with the band the Bugs.[9] In 1987, Berenyi studied English literature at North London Polytechnic, where she met drummer Chris Acland and singer Meriel Barham. Along with Anderson, they decided to form their own band, originally called the Baby Machines.[10][8] Bassist Steve Rippon joined and they changed their name to Lush. When Barham left, "the remaining members of Lush placed ads in local papers looking for Barham's replacement, but they couldn't find the singer they wanted and Berenyi took over the vocals".[8]

Lush

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From 1987 until 1996, she played with Lush, releasing several albums, singles and music videos and toured extensively through the UK, North America, Japan, Australia and other countries.[8][11] She and Acland also collaborated with members of Cocteau Twins and Moose, releasing one song in 1991 under the name Lillies.[12][13]

Lush officially announced their breakup in February 1998,[8] following Acland's death by suicide in October 1996.

After Lush split, Berenyi appeared on The Rentals' album Seven More Minutes (1999). She also contributed vocals to a remix of a Flat 7 track by Robin Guthrie (who also produced Lush's early work) and appeared on Seinking Ships' debut album, Museum Quality Capture, released in 2010.[14][15]

When asked if she missed anything about her time in Lush, Berenyi stated, "I miss the excitement and energy of playing live and the camaraderie of touring—being with the band and crew in a foreign country is like going on holiday with your mates but even more fun because it's free."[16] She also said, "I enjoyed being in the band immensely, I'm glad I did it".[17]

Berenyi later worked for a magazine as a sub-editor[18] and did not perform for many years. She explained: "I was never a proper guitarist—only in the context of Lush. I played the guitar to write songs on and to play live".[16]

Lush, including Berenyi, announced a reunion on 28 September 2015, with former Elastica drummer Justin Welch taking over for Acland.[19] They toured extensively throughout 2016 and released an EP of new material; "Blind Spot" in April of that year.[20][21] Bassist Phil King left the band in October 2016 and as a consequence Lush played their final farewell gig, with Michael Conroy of Modern English on bass at Manchester Academy on 25 November 2016.

In September 2022, Berenyi's memoir Fingers Crossed, which included her account of Lush's story, was published by Nine Eight Books.

Piroshka

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In September 2018, Berenyi announced that she had formed a new band, Piroshka, a quartet including Berenyi, Justin Welch (Elastica), Michael Conroy (Modern English) and former Moose member K.J. "Moose" McKillop.[22] Their debut album, Brickbat, was released by Bella Union on 15 February 2019.[23] A second album, Love Drips and Gathers, followed in July 2021.

Berenyi and partner McKillop have two children.[24]

Miki Berenyi Trio

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Berenyi formed the Miki Berenyi Trio with her partner McKillop and guitarist Oliver Cherer. On 8 May 2024, the they released a video of their debut single 'Vertigo'.[25] The ‘Vertigo’ single release was supported with an 8-date tour of America in May/June, including an appearance at the Schellraiser Festival in Nevada and headline shows at Los Angeles’ Fonda Theatre and New York’s Webster Hall, where the Miki Berenyi Trio (MB3) was joined by Lol Tolhurst (The Cure) and Budgie (Siouxsie & The Banshees, The Creatures, The Slits) as special guests. The two drummers also joined MB3 on stage in New York for a live performance of Lush’s ‘Baby Talk’.

Influences

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In 2020, Berenyi cited The Shangri-Las as an influence for their harmonies and lyrics.[26] She has also cited ABBA and The Smiths as influences.

Discography

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Lush

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Piroshka

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  • Brickbat – 2019
  • Love Drips and Gathers – 2021

Books

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  • Berenyi, Miki (2022). Fingers Crossed. Nine Eight Books. ISBN 9781788705554. OCLC 1418972247.

References

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  1. ^ "Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  2. ^ Erlewine, Stephen. "Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  3. ^ "LUSH Remembered - Discography". Lightfromadeadstar.org. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  4. ^ "lush interview from go (loooong)". Eyesore.no. 18 May 1996. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  5. ^ "second cousins - his grandfather and mine were brothers". Twitter. 2 October 2022.
  6. ^ Carpenter, Lorraine (2 October 2007). "Miki Berenyi". Under the Radar. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  7. ^ Mossman, Kate (23 September 2022). "'I could see the trap in the ladette thing': Lush's Miki Berenyi on childhood abuse, hating Britpop, and her relief at dodging fame". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e "LUSH Remembered - Biographies". Lightfromadeadstar.org. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  9. ^ "LUSH Remembered - Miki's Reminiscences". Lightfromadeadstar.org. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  10. ^ Thompson, Dave (2000) Alternative Rock, Miller Freeman, ISBN 0-87930-607-6, p. 478-9
  11. ^ "Lush - 'Record Collector' Article". Curve.demon.co.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  12. ^ Miki Berenyi of Lush in the Von Pip Musical Express Interview, contains a link to the title
  13. ^ Bonner, Michael (October 1991). "Lillies". Lime Lizard. London: Lime Lizard Ltd. ISSN 0961-8104. OCLC 500000024.
  14. ^ Deville, Chris (24 April 2014). "Stars Of Britpop: Where Are They Now?". Stereogum.com. Stereogum. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  15. ^ Dan, Jen (30 August 2010). "Interview with Seinking Ships". Adequacy.net. Delusions of Adequacy. Archived from the original on 5 December 2010. Retrieved 16 March 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  16. ^ a b "The VPME | "Sweetness And Light"- The Miki Berenyi Interview 2008". Vonpipmusicalexpress.wordpress.com. 25 January 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  17. ^ "The VPME | Old Favourites-Lush". Vonpipmusicalexpress.wordpress.com. 31 July 2007. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  18. ^ Lorraine Carpenter (1 October 2007). "Miki Berenyi: Lush's Former Singer Reminisces on Britpop". UnderTheRadarMag.com. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
  19. ^ "Lush". Facebook.com. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  20. ^ "We've been away for ages and ages, but we're really excited..." Facebook.com.
  21. ^ "Lush". Facebook.com. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  22. ^ "members of Lush, Elastica, Moose, and Modern English form new band Piroshka". BrooklynVegan.com. 26 September 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  23. ^ "Piroskhka - "Everlastingly Yours"". Stereogum.com. 6 November 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  24. ^ Aston, Martin (2013). Facing the Wrong Way: The Story of 4AD. The Friday Project.
  25. ^ "Miki Berenyi Trio Share Debut Single "Vertigo"". Under the Radar. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  26. ^ Berenyi, Miki. "My Favorite Album: Miki Berenyi of Piroshka on The Shangri-Las' "Shangri-Las-65!"". undertheradarmag.com. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
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