Raised in Leytonstone, East London, and around Colchester, Essex, Albarn attended the Stanway School, where he met guitarist Graham Coxon and formed Blur, releasing their debut album "Leisure" in 1991. After spending long periods touring the U.S., Albarn's songwriting became increasingly influenced by British bands from the 1960s. The result was the Blur albums "Modern Life Is Rubbish" (1993), "Parklife" (1994) and "The Great Escape" (1995). All three albums received critical acclaim while Blur gained mass popularity in the UK, aided by a Britpop rivalry with Oasis. Subsequent albums such as "Blur" (1997), "13" (1999), and "Think Tank" (2003) incorporated influences from lo-fi, electronic and hip hop music.