Editing Republica (section)

===1994–1997: Beginnings, debut album and international success===
Former [[Flowered Up]] keyboard players Tim Dorney and Andy Todd founded Republica.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> They recruited singer [[Saffron (singer)|Saffron]], who was an actress at one point, performing for two years in London's ''[[Starlight Express]]''. She also appeared in the video for the [[Chesney Hawkes]]' hit "[[The One and Only (song)|The One and Only]]" and in the video for [[N-Joi]]'s single "Mindflux". She was also lead vocalist on N-Joi's hit "Anthem" in 1990.

Republica released the first single "Out of This World" in 1994, followed by the single "Bloke" in March 1995. In April 1996, their single "[[Ready to Go (Republica song)|Ready to Go]]" became their first to chart on the [[UK Singles Chart]], when it reached Number 43. Their debut album ''[[Republica (album)|Republica]]'' was released in the United States in July 1996 and reached No.&nbsp;4 in the [[UK Albums Chart]] after being released there in 1997.<ref name=uk/> The band added Johnny Male,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bishopsstortfordindependent.co.uk/whats-on/bish-bash-republica-are-ready-to-go-for-saturday-night-9068630/|title = Bish Bash: Republica are Ready to Go for Saturday night|date = 30 April 2019}}</ref> formerly of early 1990s [[One Little Indian]]<ref name="officialcharts.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/27006/soul-family-sensation/|title=SOUL FAMILY SENSATION &#124; full Official Chart History &#124; Official Charts Company|website=[[Official Charts Company|Official Charts]]}}</ref> act Soul Family Sensation,{{#tag:ref|also known as Sensation when their singer, [[The Shamen|The Shamen's]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/artist/jhelisa|title=JHELISA|website=JazzMusicArchives.com}}</ref> Jhelisa Anderson,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://intothepopvoid.com/2015/04/30/soul-family-sensation-the-day-you-went-away/|title = Soul Family Sensation – the Day You Went Away|date = 30 April 2015}}</ref> left the band<ref>Sensation – ''Burger Habit'' 1993 One Little Indian catalogue number TPLP45CD</ref>|group="nb"}} as an official member on guitar, with "[[Ready to Go (Republica song)|Ready to Go]]" remixed as more a rock-sounding dance track. This version became their signature single and reached No.&nbsp;13.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/32741/republica/|title=REPUBLICA &#124; full Official Chart History &#124; Official Charts Company|website=[[Official Charts Company|Official Charts]]}}</ref><ref name=uk/> The fourth single, "[[Drop Dead Gorgeous (song)|Drop Dead Gorgeous]]", reached No.&nbsp;7.<ref name=uk/>

The group attracted positive press coverage. Emerging after a wave of female-fronted [[rock band]]s (such as [[Elastica]], [[Lush (band)|Lush]], [[Sleeper (band)|Sleeper]], [[Echobelly]] and [[Kenickie]]), they had, like [[Curve (band)|Curve]] and [[Garbage (band)|Garbage]], a notably more aggressive and electronic sound. In 1997, they contributed a cover of "[[Are 'Friends' Electric?]]" to the [[Gary Numan]] tribute album ''[[Random (album)|Random]]''. That same year, Saffron performed vocals for [[the Prodigy]]'s "Fuel My Fire" from their album ''[[The Fat of the Land]]''.