Armies of You

Armed with a vibrant, inventive, idiosyncratic sound, Armies of You is recruiting Indie Rock fans from around the world. Drawing on a diverse field of influences, Armies fuses a dizzying array of styles to create unique, energetic and intelligent songs. The band can jump from anthemic rock to gentle folk to groovy funk and back again, sometimes in the same song. They regularly evoke comparisons to a diverse field of acts that includes the likes of The Clash, Eels, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and David Bowie, to name a few. Armies’ unique style and outstanding live performances have brought the band an impressive amount of success. In the short time they’ve played together, Armies has toured the UK, received airplay on national and regional British radio, played a live session on XFM, travelled to North America to play the North by Northeast (NxNE) Music Festival, and starred in the pilot episode of a television series.

Singer/songwriter J Elliot formed Armies of You with ex-members from his previous band, Kennedy Sunday, in late 2006. Armies quickly took to the road, and within a few months, completed their first national tour of the UK, culminating in a live radio performance on XFM Manchester. Soon after their tour, Armies was invited to play the headlining spot of the British Showcase at the NxNE Music Festival and Conference. In June 2007, the band headed to Toronto, Canada and played their showcase to impressive reviews and accolades, generating some genuine international interest in the band.

During the summer of 2007, J was presented with an unexpected and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel the world. The timing was complicated; Armies was gaining significant attention from fans and the music industry. Weighing his options, J felt that the opportunity to see the world and to gain more inspiration for his songwriting was too important to pass up. In late August 2007, J left the UK to experience over 6 months amazing travels. When he returned, the members of Armies were scattered and working on other projects. Disappointed, but dedicated, J spent his first few months back home building Armies back up by writing new songs, recording demos and recruiting musicians. The band’s current roster includes original member Fret Buzz on bass, “Electric” Dan Armson on lead guitar and “Mr.” DJ Strong on drums.

In September 2008, Armies of You starred in the pilot for a new television reality series called “The Next Big Thing.” The premise of the show is two bands facing off against each other in “musical competition.” The producers invited Armies to represent Cardiff after discovering the band’s MySpace page. In the same month, Armies was featured on BBC Radio Wales’ “The Evening Show” and the band has continued to get airplay on national, regional and local radio. This attention helped Armies gain high-profile support spots with acts like Milburn, Hank Pine and Lily Fawn, and Jubilee.

Back from another two date spell at the North by Northeast Music Festival in Toronto, Armies is working in the studio to record their first full-length CD with a planned release date sometime in the spring. The band is also playing shows around South Wales, West Midlands and South England in preparation for a full UK tour in early spring. Keep an eye out for show dates in your town. Armies of You will not disappoint!