The Cocteau Twins were formed in Grangemouth, Scotland, by guitarist Robin Guthrie and bassist Will Heggie. They quickly added Elizabeth Fraser, whose voice contributed significantly to the distinctive, dream-like sound that became the band's trademark over their period of activity from 1979 to 1997.
Fraser sang in the soprano range, but there was a strange, difficult-to-describe quality in her voice that can't be so easily classified. At its most ethereal, it's one of the most truly unique voices in music history. This quality had Simon Reynolds of the New Statesman declaring, "The Cocteau Twins are still the best by far at the 4AD ethereal dreamscape, thanks largely to the extraordinary voice of Liz Fraser. Somehow she's found a voice that falls completely outside rock or pop." The "4AD" in that quote referred to the band's longtime UK record label.
The band took their name from the song "The Cocteau Twins," recorded by Johnny and the Self-Abusers - the band that eventually changed their name to Simple Minds and became one of Scotland's most prominent musical acts.
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