are a Northern Irish rock band from Larne, formed in 1989 by guitarist-vocalist Andy Cairns and drummer-vocalist Fyfe Ewing.

Ewing's departure in early 1996 preceded the arrivals of his replacement Graham Hopkins, as well as Martin McCarrick on guitar and cello.

[3] While attending a charity gig at the Jordanstown Polytechnic in 1988, Andy Cairns noticed Fyfe Ewing playing drums in a punk covers band.

In April 1989 they recorded a four track demo tape (Thirty Seconds of Silence) with Andy playing a bass guitar borrowed from Fyfe's classmate Michael McKeegan.

Their sound was becoming highly influenced by artists of the indie rock movement such as The Jesus Lizard, Big Black, and The Membranes as well as new beat disco acts such as Belgian outfit Erotic Dissidents.

During the summer of that year, the band made its first tour through the United Kingdom with The Beyond, catching the attention of influential DJ John Peel along the way.

The band's early years followed the familiar pattern of hard graft on the local alternative music scene, with Cairns often putting in a full day at the Michelin tyre factory (where he worked as a quality controller), then speeding across Northern Ireland in order to make it to gigs.

The band also took whatever support slot they could, opening for the likes of Loop, Ride, Teenage Fanclub, Inspiral Carpets, Tad, Fugazi and Ned's Atomic Dustbin.

Their use of guitar feedback as a "fourth instrument" and unconventional song structures, combined with a darkly original approach to lyrics and imaginative use of samples pulled from cult movies and obscure documentaries, led them to be spotted in 1990 by London-based independent label Wiiija Records.

The move was helped by Lesley Rankine of Silverfish, who passed the band's first single on to Gary Walker of Wiiija.

A compilation of the two albums titled Caucasian Psychosis was prepared for the North American market,[4] and the band embarked on their first U.S. tour in October 1992.

Two more UK Top 40 EPs Face the Strange and Opal Mantra followed, as the band toured heavily on the European festival circuit, made two separate jaunts to the United States in support of Kings X initially, and then both Helmet and The Jesus Lizard, and played their debut shows in Japan.

The band had attempted to create a "cinematic" record with Belfast DJ David Holmes employed to link each track with "insanity", but in the eyes of many, had produced a disjointed piece over-subscribed with ballads.

Despite a second consecutive Donington appearance at Metallica's request, and singles Stories and Loose charting in the UK earlier in the year, it was clear that Therapy?

Although the string laden single Diane (originally by Hüsker Dü) was a Top 10 hit in 15 European countries later in the year, much of the early momentum had gone.

The band quickly recruited Graham Hopkins to replace Ewing as well as the permanent addition of guest cellist Martin McCarrick, and steadily toured throughout the US and Canada in 1996.

[8][4] While the Church of Noise single in March 1998 failed commercially, it marked the return of the band following three years out of the spotlight.

The album, produced by Pedro Ferreira, was a return to the melodic tendencies of High Anxiety and again divided opinion among the band's fans.

performed an exclusive studio show of songs chosen by fans who had voted for their three favourite tracks from a lengthy list on the band's website.

's website offering previews of the new work, showcasing a more rythmetic jazz-influenced direction (Rehearsal),[13] alongside a rough track typical of newer Therapy?

[15] The band performed the new album in its entirety on selected live dates in May, played various European festivals throughout the summer (including a debut appearance at Oxegen in Ireland and a second outing at England's Download) and toured Europe extensively from October to December.

performed for three consecutive nights at London's Monto Water Rats in March which were recorded for the bands' first official live album titled We're Here to the End,[16] released in November.

also appeared at European festivals in the summer, including at Knebworth Sonisphere on 31 July when the band performed the Troublegum album in its entirety.

Contents included remastered versions of Nurse, Troublegum, Infernal Love and Semi-Detached, three CDs of rare and unreleased tracks, a DVD of the band's 2010 Sonisphere performance of the Troublegum album, official bootlegs of London ULU '91 and London Mean Fiddler '92, a 12" vinyl of their early demo releases and a cassette of a live recording from Dublin 1990.

[24] The band promoted these releases with a series of retro video and audio uploads to their official YouTube channel, proceeding a short UK tour in early April.

The single Tides was released on 15 April 2016,[26] although it was available in early March to purchase on limited edition CD at the bands' UK tour performing the Infernal Love album in its entirety.

performed a fully acoustic "Wood & Wire" tour through Belgium, Holland, Austria, Germany and the UK from 14 November until 1 December 2016.

In February 2023, supergroup JAAW (featuring Cairns on vocals) announced their debut album called Supercluster to be released on 26 May 2023 on Svart Records.

covered Black Sabbath's "Iron Man",[39] and other songs such The Police's "Invisible Sun", The Misfits' "Where Eagles Dare", The Smiths' "Vicar in a Tutu" and Turbonegro's "Denim Demon".

[41] Influences from bands such as Sonic Youth, The Jesus Lizard, Hüsker Dü, Big Black, Killing Joke and Helmet can also be heard in Therapy?