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Press
I’m not going to lie, this is truly music to make most music fans grate their teeth together at first hearing. With sickly pop melodies these bashful bards from the steel city have enough love songs and catchy melodies to class them as a band not worth listening to within the first ten seconds of one of their tracks. However, if they don’t creep up on you and infect you with those deadly pop pheromones on prolonged listening then you are strong indeed.
Matt and Sam Taylor have been writing tunes together since their early teens (that’s right – it’s a family band) and have obviously learnt all the tricks of the trade whilst inventing some of their own. On listening to a track such as ‘1000 Miles’ the intro immediately suggests Hanson and other such teeny-bop bands but don’t let this put you off as the chorus is uplifting in a much more soul inspired way and, on top of all this, the harmonies provided by Alice Faraday really add a lot of depth to the main vocal line.
The album also throws up a lot of quite surprising guitar solos. Take ‘Satellite’ for example and a bluesy and almost guttural line is ripped out of the guitar not unlike the one heard in ‘When We Were 17’. Experimenting with melody and repeating sequences, these lines show us the true knowledge of their art that these people have.
It almost feels like this is exactly what the British public needs right now – twelve cheery, summery tracks to keep you in a state of mildly happy soporific indifference until the sun really comes out and we don’t have to emulate these emotions anymore. The Taylor brothers are master craftsmen in this trade and whilst you might turn your nose up and spurn it for being throwaway pop, it’s definitely the best pop you’re going to get your hands on this year. - Bearded Magazine
With a guitar sound even bigger than their choruses, Dead Like Harry deliver blue-collar rock that makes you want to roll up your shirt sleeves and learn a lot more about classic cars.
Brothers Matthew and Samuel Taylor know how to put a song together.
From the fist-pumping Streets and Satellite, to the more introspective Driving to Nowhere and Cross The Water each track is a wonderfully crafted love letter to a romanticised reality somewhere between Sheffield and Arizona.
Gaslight what? Bruce who? It seems the real cowboys live just south of Barnsley. - The Sun
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
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Bio
Formed in Spring 2007, Sheffield sextet Dead Like Harry consists of an eclectic mix of friends brought together by their love of writing and performing music.
Since their early teens, song writing brothers Matt and Sam Taylor have been most at home in the spotlight, hitting the stages of various smoky Sheffield bars, from the tender age of fourteen for charismatic front man Sam.
Joined by old school friend and vocalist Alice Faraday, talented rhythm section Robin Baker, John Redgrave and Adam Crofts, Dead Like Harry were ready to pen some fresh new tracks and put nearly a decades worth of material to good use.
The result is a sound coloured by rock, blues, country and even folk influences, but which remains at its centre an honest, from-the-heart collection of songs written and performed by a group of young friends who want nothing more than to make great music.
The growing interest in Dead Like Harry can be seen at their regular captivating UK gigs, and in their rapidly growing fan base. The act retain an innate showmanship live, even when showcasing their talent in front of 6000, such as recently at Sheffield Hallam FM Arena. This has led to further fantastic slots, such as supporting chart-toppers Scouting for Girls and being placed on the same bill as the legendary Paul Simon at the famous Cornbury festival in Oxford, as well as being picked to play at Glastonbury Festival 2009 by Q magazine and doing live sessions on major BBC radio stations.
Dead Like Harry have been on the receiving end of positive reactions from the likes of Steve Lamacq, and are currently collaborating with celebrated producer Alan Smyth (Richard Hawley, Pulp, Arctic Monkeys) to make stand out records that live up to the live hype.
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