Artist Of The Week: Ian Curtis

In a fleetingly enigmatic career exuding lyrical and musical prowess, perplexing post-punk Joy Division singer, Ian Curtis, graced the 1970s alternative scene for a mere four years before his untimely and tragic death, but left behind an unparalleled legacy and two album-strong discography in his wake that many consider some of the finest work of its kind. Aside from his renowned deep and melancholy laments of confusion and despair, the Lancashire-born musical messiah's private life and mental health was subject to much speculation, fuelling a short but iconic career that still burns incandescently nearly thirty-five years on.

Born in Stretford, Lancashire, on 15th July 1956, Curtis' childhood was one of placidity and suburbia which saw him receive a scholarship at the age of eleven by The King's School, Macclesfield. Despite not being a particularly dedicated student and leaving education following his O Levels, Curtis notably had a natural aptitude for the arts: upon leaving school he embarked on a pursuit of art, literature and music. After being employed in a variety of jobs during early adulthood, the post-punk pioneer later went on to meet fellow Joy Division members, Peter Hook and Bernard Sumner at a Sex Pistols gig in 1976. Later selecting Stephen Morris after recruiting a string of unsuccessful drummers, the four-piece penned their iconic debut album, 'Unknown Pleasures' in 1979, rife with motifs of isolation and decay and described as an 'opaque manifesto' by Melody Maker's Jon Savage. Arguably somewhat representative of Curtis' notoriously troubled state of mind, the band's debut carried evocative imagery of desolation and alienation, its profound lyrical style punctuated with Curtis' stark, aggressive vocals and the barren, gritty atmosphere stirred up by the clanging, conflicting riffs the band were so strongly associated with.

Curtis was noted for his quiet and awkward demeanour, and eccentric dancing style onstage, somewhat reminiscent of his frequent epileptic seizures, which notably dominated his life and even led to prematurely-ended shows after affecting his live performances. 'Premature' is a particularly relevant adjective to every aspect of Curtis' life, as it happens, whether that be in relation to his inauspicious death, his cut-short career or even his married life: he tied the knot with childhood sweetheart, Deborah Woodruff aged just 19 and welcomed the birth of their sole child, Natalie, in April 1979. Things certainly weren't as rose-tinted as they may have seemed for the vocalist however; the deterioration of his mental health and unrelenting struggle with depression, stemming from his epilepsy, were widely documented, particularly as the band's two album-strong discography rose to prominence in the years following his death. His depressive battle was subject to assiduous speculation within his songwriting itself, which is laced with 'confusion' and a sense that Curtis didn't feel particularly 'settled' in various aspects of his life, with lines like 'I feel it closing in as patterns seem to form, I feel it cold and warm, the shadows start to fall,' from 1979's 'Digital':

'People claim we’re about death and destruction. But, you know, there are other things besides that. Particular feelings. People have been saying, “Oh yeah, it’s all about death and doom,” but we’re not. None of the songs are. I don’t like it, I think it’s such a heavy metal thing, that ‘death and doom’ and all of that. I mean, I think some of the things come out of confusion. But I’m not too sure exactly what, or why.'

Curtis' concluding live performance was at Birmingham University in May 1980, which featured the first and only performance of Joy Division's 'Ceremony', which later went on to be recorded and released by New Order, formed by the three remaining Joy Division members, as their first single. Curtis asked his wife to leave him alone in his parents' house on 17th May following and argument, until he caught his scheduled train to Manchester the following morning. Having just watched Werner Herzog's 'Stroszek' and listened to Iggy Pop's 'The Idiot', Curtis hanged himself in the early hours of 18th May 1980, riddled with the overwhelming pressure of balancing his faltering health with his musical career and his marriage, which was vacillating in the aftermath of his close relationship with journalist, Annik Honoré, later described by Honoré as merely 'platonic'. His wife, Deborah, found his body the morning after. Curtis' ashes were buried following his cremation at Macclesfield Crematorium, his tombstone inscribed with 'Love Will Tear Us Apart', after their 1980 hit and first UK chart success.

Despite his heart-wrenching demise, Ian Curtis evoked a stir in the post-punk scene and British music industry in its entirety that has continued to reside in the forefront of listeners' attention throughout countless generations. The equivocally shy and unassuming alternative singer acted as the torch-bearer and catalyst for the legacy left by one of Britain's most pioneering post-punk exports of the 20th century, an accolade which still shines brightly and is evident throughout Joy Division's carefully-crafted and critically-acclaimed 'Unknown Pleasures' and 'Closer'. With their fragmented riffs and inky, melanoid undertones, I firmly believe there is a something in Curtis' songwriting that strikes a chord with everyone. There is no denying the rarity and prestige of Curtis' songwriting gift, and it is clear from the band's ever-devoted following that the admiration and spectacle surrounding his brief but enduring success will continue to live on.

'Love, love will tear us apart' - Ian Curtis; 1957-1980

Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division

She's Lost Control - Joy Division