A began in Suffolk in 1988
After changing their name to A in 1993, and abandoning their early progressive rock-inspired sound for a more punk rock style, they signed a European recording contract with Warner Bros. Records UK in 1996 and released their debut LP How Ace Are Buildings in 1997. Also in 1997, the band briefly appeared in the music video for \"Anthem\" by the Wildhearts. A found a healthy underground reception and even had a couple of low-charting singles in the UK.
Although A achieved some recognition with How Ace Are Buildings, bassist Stevie Swindon left the band. He was replaced in 1997 by bassist and future BBC Radio 1 Rock Show DJ Daniel P Carter. Swindon went on to establish the award-winning community arts charity TAPE Community Music and Film in 2008.[citation needed]
A licensing agreement for the American music market was reached with the North Carolina–based Mammoth Records. Future releases would be distributed in the U.S. and Canada by Mammoth.
A's second album A vs. Monkey Kong followed in 1999. The band then toured the world and enjoyed a small degree of success worldwide, especially in Germany. The band have now signed with cooking vinyl and will embark on a 2026 support tour with the Darkness
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