Scissor Sisters

New York to the top of the UK

Jake Shears and Babydaddy met in Lexington, Kentucky in 1999 and founded the band in 2000, originally under the name Dead Lesbian and the Fibrillating Scissor Sisters. Ana Matronic joined in 2001 after a club performance, followed by Del Marquis and drummer Paddy Boom. In 2002 a two-single deal with the small New York label A Touch of Class produced a cover of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" that became a dance club hit. They toured Europe in 2003, finding audiences more receptive than at home, and "Laura" reached 54 in the UK that year and 12 on re-release in 2004.

Scissor Sisters came out in the UK on February 2, 2004 and in the US on July 27, 2004. Recorded in 2002 and 2003 at 5D in Brooklyn and The Shed in New York, it reached number one in the UK, Ireland and Scotland, was the UK's best-selling album of 2004 and went nine times platinum there, with about 3.3 million sold worldwide. In the US it reached 102. Bono called them the best pop group in the world, and they won Brit Awards in 2005. Ta-Dah (September 2006) was self-produced, went to number one in the UK and 19 in the US, and its "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'", co-written with Elton John who played piano, spent four weeks at number one in the UK from September 10, 2006.

Later years

Paddy Boom left in 2008 and an album shelved after about 18 months' work led to Night Work (June 28, 2010), made with Stuart Price, which reached 2 in the UK. Shears and John Garden wrote the score for the musical Tales of the City, premiered in San Francisco in 2011. Magic Hour followed in May 2012, with producers including Price, Boys Noize and Pharrell Williams, reaching 4 in the UK and 35 in the US. They announced a hiatus at the Camden Roundhouse in London on October 23, 2012, released the charity single "Swerlk" with MNDR in 2017, and announced a reunion on October 31, 2024 for the 20th anniversary. Ana Matronic did not join it. In 2025 they played Glastonbury with Ian McKellen, Beth Ditto and Jessie Ware as guests and toured with Kesha. GLAAD gave them media awards in 2005, 2007 and 2011.