When Feeder drummer Jon Lee hung himself in January 2002, the band were under immense scrutiny.

The three-piece rock outfit, formed in 1995, had amassed 14 top 75 singles by the end of 2001.

Lee and singer Grant Nicholas grew up with each other in Wales and formed Feeder after decamping to London and finding Japanese bassist Taka Hirose in the musicians' advertisements in Loot.

They gathered together a fervent fanbase from their non-stop touring and a slow-burn career lit up in 2001 with the commercial success of the album Echo Park and single Buck Rogers.

Lee's suicide came shortly afterwards.

Reports claimed the drummer, who had been experiencing strained relations with his Brazilian wife, had killed himself while depressed.

He had phoned his wife at work on the day of his death, warning: "I'm going to do something stupid," although she had not attached much significance to the remark.

Singer Grant revealed he had also received a phone call from Lee 20 minutes before he hanged himself.

He rejected the call while eating at a restaurant with a friend because his number was not displayed.

"I wish I could turn the clock back," Grant told Kerrang magazine. "Maybe if I'd spoken to Jon and talked some sense into him, then maybe I could have... maybe he hadn't decided to do it then."

With a high-profile funeral attended by guests like Stuart Cable of Stereophonics and James Dean Bradfield of the Manic Street Preachers, heart-rending tributes from the rest of the band and even the scandal of a PR company's use of the death to promote a computer game, Feeder were right in the media eye.

Grant announced very early on he and Hirose intended to carry on with the group at Lee's parents' request.

Although many of the songs had been written before the tragedy, the Comfort Of Sounds album, which came out in October, included lyrics like 'I miss you more than words can say' and was received as a confessional farewell.

"There's a lot of lyrics I think were definitely fuelled by emotions I felt," Grant commented.

Ex-Skunk Anansie drummer Mark Richardson, a friend of ten years, was asked to join them for the album and their four 2002 live performances. He continues to work with them.

"We just felt uncomfortable making the decision so soon after Jon's death," explains Grant.

It is almost unavoidable Feeder have become known as the band whose drummer killed himself and it will be difficult for them to erase that image.

Grant said: "I know you want to talk about Jon and that's fine. But this is the next chapter of what we are as a band and I want to make sure people realise that."

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