Mew (band)

Mew were a Danish alternative rock band from Copenhagen, formed in 1995. The band's core lineup consisted of lead singer Jonas Bjerre, guitarist Bo Madsen, bassist Johan Wohlert and drummer Silas Utke Graae Jørgensen. Madsen left the band in 2015, and Wohlert was absent from the band from 2006 to 2013. Bjerre departed in 2026, leading to the band's disbandment.

The band began to receive attention with their third album Frengers (2003). Two of their albums reached number one in Denmark: No More Stories... (2009) and + − (2015), and the former was their only to chart in the United States. In 2025 and 2026, the band went on a global farewell tour because of Bjerre's departure.

Whilst their music may be classified as indie and on occasion progressive rock, former guitarist Bo Madsen said "I usually say we are 'indie stadium.' A mix between 'feelings' and 'thinking' is usually good."

Formed in 1995 in Hellerup, a suburb of Copenhagen, they had a profound impact on the Danish indie scene, emerging alongside the likes of Carpark North, Swan Lee and Saybia, in the early 2000s. They released their debut album A Triumph for Man in April 1997 and its follow-up Half the World is Watching Me was released in May 2000.

Their first commercial success came with their third album Frengers, released in 2003. At the 2004 Steppeulven awards, Mew won the awards for "Album of the Year" and "Band of the Year". After a European tour supporting R.E.M., they began to attract wider attention.

Their next album And the Glass Handed Kites was released in Denmark on 19 September 2005, in the rest of Europe on 26 September, and in the United States on 25 July 2006. The album received critical acclaim, with Mew described as making "dreamy thunderstorm pop". At the 2006 Danish Music Awards, they won four awards.

On 11 April 2006, Wohlert left the band to spend more time with his girlfriend, Pernille Rosendahl, of the band Swan Lee, who was to give birth to their son in May 2006. The two would later go on to form a duo, The Storm.

The band toured with Nick Watts (formerly of UK indie band Headswim) as their keyboardist, and Bastian Juel (who used to act as a studio and live bassist for Swan Lee) joined them as their live bassist. The band finished touring for And the Glass Handed Kites in the summer of 2007. They returned to Brooklyn, New York in May 2008 in order to begin recording their next record, and tapped Rich Costey (who produced their breakthrough album, Frengers) once again as producer.