On my radar: John Grant’s cultural highlights

Born in Michigan and raised in Colorado, John Grant formed the Denver-based alternative rock band the Czars with Chris Pearson in 1994. After releasing six albums, including the acclaimed Goodbye (2004), they disbanded in 2006. His first solo album, Queen of Denmark, was released in 2010 to critical success, followed by Pale Green Ghosts(2013) and Grey Tickles, Black Pressure, (2015)named after the Icelandic for “midlife crisis” and the Turkish for “nightmare”. His music addresses issues of addiction, depression and contracting HIV, with caustic lyrics, candour and dark humour. He will be performing with Richard Hawley and Bill Ryder-Jones in Sheffield on 8 October and with Wrangler at the Barbican, London, on 22 October.