English indie rock band Audioweb, formed in 1991 in Manchester, initially went by the name The Sugar Merchants. The group consisted of Martin "Sugar" Merchant on vocals, Sean McCann on bass, Robin File on guitar, and Robert "Maxi" Maxfield on drums. Audioweb's breakthrough came with their debut single "Sleeper" in 1995, which reached number 74 in the UK. The band released their self-titled debut album Audioweb in October 1996, followed by notable singles such as "Into My World", which peaked at number 42 in the UK and number 10 in the US. Their second album, Fireworks City, was released in September 1998. Audioweb achieved two Top 40 hits in the UK Singles Chart with "Policeman Skank...(The Story Of My Life)" and a cover of The Clash's "Bankrobber", which reached number 21 and number 19, respectively. The band supported major acts such as U2 at Wembley Stadium in August 1997 and Madness at Madstock '96. Audioweb went on an extended hiatus after 2000 but reformed in 2016, with their first live performance supporting The Stone Roses at Manchester City F.C.'s Etihad Stadium. Despite a setback in September 2017 when frontman Martin Merchant faced legal issues, the band released the single "King" in 2021 and the critically acclaimed EP I/O Volume 1 in March 2023, later releasing the single "The Only One".
