A Genuine Freakshow

A Genuine Freakshow are an artful blend of pop sensibility, icy soundscapes and blistering walls of noise. Their sound, while impressively focused, covers a range of musical staples, with the group letting influences from Mew to Sigur Ros and The National surface throughout.

Their songs capture quirky, catchy pop akin to Pulp in their pomp and grandeur – and even geeky charm. This ability to combine the poppier elements of indie rock whilst maintaining an intricate, delicate soul is what they do best. With a line-up that adds violin, cello and trumpet to the standard rock four-piece of guitar, bass, drums and vocals, their live shows are a master class in how to do epic without slipping into pompous.

There's no real way to tell when A Genuine Freakshow came into existence, as the group are fairly unsure themselves. It has been agreed, for the time being, that the official Reading based seven-piece line up was born in 2008. After finding their equilibrium with a handful of self-released singles, the group settled into a touring schedule that saw them play over a hundred live festival, showcase, and headline tour shows from 2009 onwards, recently culminating in a televised performance of their set from the Reading Festival in late summer 2011. .

With early support from BBC radio’s Tom Robinson and Steve Lamacq helping them on their way, the journey of this firmly bonded septet has taken place through the old-fashioned world of word-of-mouth and touring. In 2010 they headed into the studio to record their debut album, Oftentimes, which was released via the band's own Peartree Records, all members making a firm decision to take control over their musical destinies.