The Maccabees

Initially formed of Orlando Weeks (guitar/vocals), Hugo and Felix White (guitars/backing vocals), Rupert Jarvis (bass) and Robert Dylan Thomas (drums), the band released their debut single, "X-Ray," on Promise Records, which caught the attention of XFM-Radio, gaining substantial airplay. This led to The Maccabees being chosen as the support slot for an Arctic Monkeys tour. The Maccabees moved to Fierce Panda Records to release their second single, "Latchmere," which was to be a success, bolstered by the support of Radio 1 DJ Steve Lamacq. The accompanying video became popular on YouTube and also received significant airplay on MTV2.

The band then moved to major label, Fiction Records, to release their debut album, "Colour It In," which came out in May 2007. The album was a success, receiving widespread positive acclaim, charting at number 24. Their first single off the album, "First Love," entered the Top 40 in the UK. Their second, "About Your Dress," also breached the Top 40, peaking at number 33 in the UK charts. They then embarked on a US tour with Bloc Party and performed a sold-out show at the Roundhouse in London, UK.

Thomas left the band in 2008, being replaced by Sam Doyle on drums. In 2009, "Wall of Arms" was released, produced by Arcade Fire's Markus Dravs. The album built on the success of their debut, reaching number 13 in the UK Albums chart, receiving high praise from music critics, with Artrocker magazine naming it joint number one album of the year in 2009, alongside Yeah Yeah Yeah's "It's Blitz."

The band's popularity was displayed by their selection for main stage slots at Reading and Leeds Festival in the UK. After touring in support of their second album, The Maccabees spent two years writing and recording for their third offering, "Given to the Wild," released in 2012, featuring the lead single, "Pelican." The album received a Mercury Award nomination for album of the year.

For their fourth studio album, the band naturally found themselves taking a more introspective approach. Hiding themselves away in an anonymous two-storey building in Elephant & Castle, South London, and focussing on a more stripped-back band dynamic, they later sought an outside perspective in the form of much-admired producer Laurie Latham (Ian Dury & the Blockheads amongst others). The resulting LP Marks to Prove It was released on 31st July 2015 and shot straight to No. 1 in the UK album chart. Following another busy summer of festivals, the band will soon embark on an extensive US tour before returning to the UK in November.

Maximo Park was formed in 2001 by guitarist Duncan Lloyd who brought together Archis, Lukas and Tom. The band started out playing small venues, including In The City in Manchester, which showcases unsigned bands; however, in 2003 Duncan and Archis decided they wanted a frontman so that they could focus on song writing instead of vocals. They eventually recruited Paul Smith.

In March 2004 a friend of the band helped fund 300 copies of a single “Graffitti/ Going Missing” on 7’ vinyl. They followed up with another 7’ vinyl single entitled “The Coast Is Always Changing” and “The Night I Lost My Head,” and gigged around, catching the attention of Warp Records. By 2005 they recorded and released their first album, “A Certain Trigger,” which sold over 300,000 copies and was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2005.

The following year they started to record their sophomore album entitled “Our Earthly Pleasures,” and was announced to be released on 2 April 2007. They also announced an upcoming tour with the same name as the album. Maximo Park released their third album, “Quicken The Heart” which was led off by the single “The Kids Are Sick Again,” in 2009. The band continued to put out albums and successfully tour, and in 2014 released “Too Much Information.”

From the swooned-over contemporary R&B of Destiny’s Child and R. Kelly, to the eclectically-inclined Radiohead and the emotionally-charged Nirvana, Everything Everything’s influences span years and genres. Formed of falsetto-vocalist and keyboard player Jonathan Higgs, drummer and vocalist Michael Spearman, guitarist Alex Niven, and bass player Jeremy Pritchard, the band’s name derived as a commentary on the state of today’s media culture. After a series of performances that earned the attention of the music industry representatives, Everything Everything signed to the XL Recordings offshoot Salvia and released their debut single “Suffragette Suffragette” in December 2008. The single was produced by respected producer David Kosten and followed-up by “Photoshop Handsome”, which marked the beginning of the band’s excursions into synthesisers.

Everything Everything subsequently embarked on a year of touring before releasing the single “MY, KZ, UR BF” on the London label Young & Lost Club. Released in late 2009, the single introduced the band to a much wider audience and led to a nomination for the BBC Sound of 2010 award in December 2009. Shortly after, the group signed with with Geffen Records who issued the single “Schoolin’” in June 2010. Debuting at No. 152 the single was taken from Everything Everything’s debut album “Man Alive”. Once again produced by David Kosten, the album debuted at No. 17 on the UK Album Chart, earned strong reviews from the musical press, and was shortlisted for the 2011 Mercury Prize.

Known for their unpredictable and eclectic delivery, the band’s follow-up full-length “Arc” arrived in January 2013. Noted for its simpler expression of emotion, the album debuted at No. 5 on the UK Album Chart and spawned the singles “Cough Cough”, “Kemosabe”, “Duet”, and “Don’t Try”. “Kemosabe” was later nominated for Best Contemporary Song at the 2014 Ivor Novello Awards and won the UK Single of the Year at The Music Producers Guild Awards.

Originally formed of 12 year old drummer Blaine Harrison, guitarist William Rees, and Blaine’s father Henry Harrison on bass, the group underwent a series of lineup alterations prior to their musical debut. Following the arrival of Kai Fish on bass and Tamara Pearce-Higgins on the organ, Henry Harrison became the second guitarist and the band settled on the moniker The Misery Jets. Prior to the band’s debut EP Blaine misspelled Misery Jets “Mystery Jets” on his drum skin and pleased with the result the band kept it.

Having practiced in Henry’s Eel Pie Island boat shed, the band began practicing steadily with Blaine assuming the role of lead singer. Influenced by the melodies of Hall and Oates and experimentalism of Pink Floyd, Mystery Jets released their eponymous debut EP in 2004. Produced by Bishop Dante, the group’s subsequent EP the “Eel Pie Island” was issued later in 2004, following which the band began to develop new material and tightness on a modest UK tour. Mystery Jet’s first official single “Zoo Time” was released on up-and-coming label Transgressive Records, after which the band hosted a series of illegal parties. Due to this exposure the group were subsequently signed by 697 Recordings, who issued the single “The Boy Who Ran Away”.

Mystery Jets’ debut studio album “Making Dens” was released in March 2006, extolled by many, aided by the singlex “You Can’t Fool Me Dennis”, “Diamonds in the Dark”, and “Alas Agnes”. Following the release the band hosted a tribute show to Syd Barrett, featuring artists Kid Harpoon, Kate Nash, and Dan Treacy among others, and embarked on their first worldwide tour. In May 2007, the band released the U.S. only album “Zootime”, which was almost entirely made up of songs from their debut “Making Dens”.

Ahead of their sophomore album “Twenty One”, Mystery Jets released the single “Young Love” featuring indie-darling Laura Marling. The album’s second single was the seductively groovy “Two Doors Down”, which reached No. 24 on the UK Singles Chart. “Twenty One”, produced by Erol Alkan and Nick Launay, earned widespread critically acclaim, peaking at No. 42 on the UK Albums chart. Following the release the band moved away from 679 Recording and signed with the established independent Rough Trade Records. With new label backing Mystery Jets issued their third studio album “Serotonin” in 2011 lead by the singles “Flash a Hungry Smile” and “Dreaming of Another World”. The band’s fourth LP 2012’s “Radlands”, was recorded in a home studio by the Colorado River of Texas, and was supported by extensive international touring.