Ever since the Tender Idols came together in 1994, their very melodic alternative rock has been categorized as Brit-pop, which is ironic because most members of the Atlanta-based band are American. Lead singer Ian Webber is the only member who actually grew up in England, although he had moved to the U.S. by the time he decided to form the Tender Idols with guitarist Danny Howes. One thing that all members of the band have in common -- whether they grew up in the U.K. or Atlanta -- is a love of British rock. The Tender Idols have often been compared to British alternative rockers like Oasis and Radiohead, and their influences (direct or indirect) range from the Stone Roses and Suede to the Beatles, David Bowie, Badfinger, and Pink Floyd. Webber and Howes first hooked up in 1993, when they met through an ad in an Atlanta newspaper called Creative Loafing. Webber had moved to the U.S. to pursue a career in photography; he initially chose Athens, GA, because of a girlfriend who was attending college there, but ended up leaving Athens for Atlanta. Ready to form a band, Webber and Howes auditioned various musicians before hiring bassist Joe Jones and drummer Guy Strauss in 1994. At first, the Tender Idols were a quartet, but they eventually became a quintet when David Cobb was hired as a second guitarist and background vocalist. The band's self-titled debut album came out on in 1996 and was followed by Step On Over in 1998 and Distressor in 2001. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide