Lush & Piroshka lead singer MIKI BERENYI releases acclaimed autobiography

Miki Berenyi is best known as the lead singer, rhythm guitarist and founder member of U.K. band, Lush, who The New York Times note were “the brilliant, unsung underdogs of the ethereal pop wave that crashed through Britain in the late 1980s and early ’90s.” Today, Berenyi releases her acclaimed autobiography, Fingers Crossed: How Music Saved Me From Success, in North America via Mango Publishing. Originally published in the UK in 2022, the searingly honest and beautifully written memoir by the musician is an incredible account of a trailblazing woman and a seminal band delivered with the vivid, emotional power of an accomplished storyteller.

From the bohemian lifestyle of her Hungarian father’s social circle to the privileged glamor of her Japanese mother’s acting career, Miki’s young life was a blur of international travel, celebrities and peripatetic schooling. Frequent relocation, parental neglect and the dark presence of her abusive Nazi grandmother resulted in crippling shyness, mental health problems and a vulnerability to exploitation. The route out was music – a passion shared by schoolmate Emma Anderson. The teenagers began attending gigs together and would go on to form Lush in 1988.

Talented and exuberant the band became hot property as they moved from pub gigs to Shoegaze icons and finally Britpop darlings. This uncompromising autobiography documents the excitement of playing live, the camaraderie of the gang, the thrill of signing to 4AD and the craziness of Lollapalooza.

But at the heart of the story are Miki’s internal battles: the conflict between her mouthy public persona and her thin-skinned private identity; the trials of being a woman in an infuriatingly male world; and the struggle to find a middle ground between ‘safe’ indie obscurity and ‘sell-out’ international success. Miki also explores her complicated relationship with Emma – one that has fluctuated between camaraderie and rivalry over the years – and addresses the most devastating tragedy of all: the suicide of her best friend and soulmate, Lush drummer Chris Acland.

Told through frank confession, wry humor and emotional honesty, this is the incredible tale of a trailblazing woman and a seminal band.

Berenyi is also set perform in the U.S. this May and June with the Miki Berenyi Trio. The shows follow her 2016 reunion with Lush that saw them perform at Coachella, tour the world, and release an EP. Most recently, Berenyi has fronted MB3 as well as Piroshka. The Miki Berenyi Trio is set to release new music soon, and will perform with Lol Tolhurst x Budgie supporting on most dates during the upcoming U.S. run — see tour dates below. 

You can order Fingers Crossed: Here