| Barefoot Contessa | |
| Origin: | UK |
| Genre: | Indie, country blues |
| Years Active: | 1994 - 2001 |
| Label: | Indie 500 Records,[1] Global Warming[2] |
| Associated Acts: | Codachrome, Helene |
| Past Members: | Graham Gargiulo Helene Dineen Dinesh Bhatt Andy Kingston James Corner |
Barefoot Contessa were a UK indie band active in the late 1990s. Their music was blues-tinged country, a style which would later become known as Americana.[3] [4]
The band formed in London in 1994 after Helene Dineen and Graham Gargiulo met at a PJ Harvey concert.[5]
Early in their career they received UK-wide radio airplay on BBC Radio 1 courtesy of Mark Radcliffe for whom they recorded a couple of live sessions in 1995 and 1996.[6] In 1997 they performed live on BBC Radio 4's Kaleidoscope.
They disbanded after the release of their fourth studio album, however, in 2002, several members of Barefoot Contessa formed a new band named Helene. Singer Helene Dineen later explained the significance of the change of name, saying "there was a shift in the musical direction at that time. It seemed right to acknowledge it and start afresh".[7]
Barefoot Contessa released four albums, one EP and one single.[8] [9]