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Martin Harley Band (+ Vid)

Saturday, 16 February 2008

This guy is brilliant. He was born to play the blues! Martin Harley is a singer, song writer, and an extraordinary guitarist who grew up on blues records. Born in Cardiff, 1975, his parents soon moved to Woking, just outside London. In his early twenties, disenchanted with suburban life, he went looking for adventure and music armed with a little money and an acoustic guitar.His travels took him across the continents, from the United States, to Africa, to India, and somewhere along the line he found himself writing music and playing in small bars across Australia whilst living out of a car. Using a converted 12-string he bought from a junk shop for $30 (and still uses to this day), his warm voice, earnest yet poetic lyrics, and distinctive guitar style made an impression.

Upon his return to the UK he set about recording his debut album, “Martin Harley” (2003), enlisting Adam Wolters on two-string stick bass, and Pete Swatton on a cock-tail drum kit and balalaika. The Martin Harley Band was born. The word spread across the globe often by word of mouth alone, and to such an extent that the MHB has achieved notoriety in places he has often never been. Barbados is a shining example of this, where a music festival (Red Eye Music Festival 2007) was effectively staged in order for the band to play there.

Five years, two albums, and one bass player later, it would seem that the MHB have come a very long way. Certainly what is most surprising is the amount accomplished in such a short space of time and almost all of it on their own. Hundreds upon hundreds of gigs across the continents, ten thousand albums sold, as well as creating a new world record for the world’s highest gig.

With the departure of Adam Wolters, the band enlisted Graeme Ross on double bass. Poached directly from the chaotic dissolution of his previous band, Graeme makes his mark on the MHB sound with his distinctive brand of percussive bass playing. Combined with Martin’s unique take on slide guitar, Pete’s animalistic, groove infused drumming, and with a new album, “Grow Your Own”, on it’s way for April 2008, the Martin Harley Band are definitely back with a vengeance.

Go pay a visit: http://www.martinharley.com/joom/index.php