Life Without Buildings were a Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 based indie rock

Indie rock

Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...

 band. The band, mostly ex-students of the Glasgow School of Art

Glasgow School of Art

Glasgow School of Art is one of only two independent art schools in Scotland, situated in the Garnethill area of Glasgow.-History:It was founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Government School of Design. In 1853, it changed its name to The Glasgow School of Art. Initially it was located at 12 Ingram...

, formed during the summer of 1999. The band initially consisted of Will Bradley (drums), Chris Evans (bass) and Robert Johnston (guitar). Painter Sue Tompkins

Sue Tompkins

Sue Tompkins is a British visual and sound artist based in Glasgow. She is best known as vocalist for the now defunct indie rock band Life Without Buildings.-Biography:Tompkins studied painting at the Glasgow School of Art, and graduated in 1994...

 (vocals) joined later that year. Sue's "talk-sung" vocals eventually became the band's most famous attribute. Impressed after their first London gig, the Rough Trade

Rough Trade Records

Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...

-affiliated Tugboat label asked the band to record a debut single on the label.

Released in March 2000, "The Leanover" b/w "New Town" secured the band a full deal with the label. The band released two more singles on the label. The band's debut, Any Other City, recorded by Scottish producer Andy Miller

Andy Miller (record producer)

Andy Miller is a record producer based in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Miller is noted for his production on influential albums by Mogwai, Life Without Buildings, Arab Strap, The Delgados, Scout Niblett, Songs: Ohia, Sons And Daughters, De Rosa and Desert Hearts.He is freelance, but has mainly...

, was released in 2001 in the UK; DCBaltimore 2012 issued it months later in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. In May 2007 a live album was released in Europe called Live at the Annandale Hotel on the Gargleblast Records

Gargleblast Records

Gargleblast Records is an independent record label based in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland.-Early years:Founded by record producer Andy Miller and friend Shaun Tallamy in May 2003, the aim of the label was to support, develop and release music by some of the bands Miller had recorded at Chem...

 label. The album has subsequently been released in North America on Absolutely Kosher Records

Absolutely Kosher Records

Absolutely Kosher Records is an independent California-based record label founded in 1998 in San Francisco by Cory Brown. The label moved to Berkeley in 2002 and then to Emeryville in October 2006 when it partnered with Misra Records...

 in August 2007.

The band broke up in 2002 for unknown reasons. Although existing for three years, Life Without Buildings has developed a strong underground following, with their only LP Any Other City widely admired in many critical circles.

Any Other City (2001)

1. "PS Exclusive"
2. "Let's Get Out"
3. "Juno"
4. "The Leanover"
5. "Young Offenders"
6. "Philip"
7. "Envoys"
8. "14 Days"
9. "New Town"
10. "Sorrow"
11. "Daylighting" [US bonus track]

Live at the Annandale Hotel (2007)

1. "Liberty feelup"
2. "Let's get out"
3. "PS Exclusive"
4. "Philip"
5. "Juno"
6. "Love Trinity"
7. "Young Offenders"
8. "The leanover"
9. "14 days"
10. "Is Is & The IRS"
11. "Sorrow"
12. "New Town"

Singles

The band released three singles on Tugboat Records, and a further single released only in Australia:

• "The Leanover" / "New Town" (2000) (Double A Side)
• "Is Is and the IRS" / "Lets Get Out (New Version)" (2000) (Double A Side)
• "Young Offenders" / "Daylighting") (Double A Side)
• "Love Trinity" / "Is Is and the IRS" / "Daylighting" (Australia only, on Trifekta Records)