Cranes are an constantly evolving, dynamic and enigmatic band led by the unique vocalist/lyricist Alison Shaw and her multi-instrumentalist brother Jim Shaw.

Formed in Portsmouth on the south coast of England in 1988, Cranes became one of the major trance-pop/shoegaze groups of the early '90s, releasing several popular albums characterized by the combination of ethereal vocals and melodies with loud, droning guitars earning the band a sizable cult following along the way.

 

After a short sabbatical in the second half of the 1990s, the band re-emerged in 2001 with their own label Dadaphonic to release a series of albums containing a more electronic sparsely arranged sound whilst still retaining the core characteristics of their previous works.