Delphians

If you do a google search on “Delphians” you get all kinds of weird shit. It’s the name of a Russian athletics organization. It’s the collective name for a caring group of lady university graduates (from Houston). It’s an advanced civilization of great intelligence, living on the planet Gomoray. Whatever. The fact is we thought it was a cool band name. Or at least a bit better than Captain Shazam and the Hams…………. Delphians got together through the usual humdrum local band breakups and line-up changes usually described in sickening detail in band bios. Boring really. I (Paul) also do gigs as a very serious solo artiste. The music is acoustic and melodic with barbs that stick in your brain. I write the songs in Delphians, and the others play their respective instruments and help develop my sometimes scattered songs and ideas.

The band sound took a while, but it was worth the wait. Our first recording together sounds like an MTV unplugged gig attended by the sooooo cool EMO kids, with the (acoustic) guitars turned up to like, 11 dude!!! It’s acoustic, but it’s heavy. It’s melodic, but it’s raw as fuck. It’s a bit obtuse, but it’s radio friendly (ish). It’s entirely our own, and we’re rather pleased with it! Collectively, our influences are probably stuff like Pearl Jam, R.A.T.M, Deftones, we’re all into the metal. Individually though, my influences probably took it to the acoustic place. The wonder stuff, Jeff Buckley, Neil Young, Nick Drake, blah etc.

Geoff (drums) was originally a metal player (and what simian males of my age might call a “sweaty mosher”). He’s played in metal and rock bands for years now, and is enjoying the change of playing stuff in a different style. He’s certainly not missing the muscular fatigue or the blisters. In this band the guitars are an additional part of the traditional rhythm section, and me and Geoff really lock on. Both live and in the studio he’s been instrumental in creating OUR sound. He sometimes plays very loud, and sometimes plays very quietly, but it’s always right, which is a totally different world from Ian (bass). He’s a quite brilliant lead guitarist, but we only need one guitar, so he’s been cruelly shunted onto the bass. Infact, he didn’t even own a bass at first. Infact, technically he still doesn’t, because he’s still paying sound control for it in very small monthly instalments (which he keeps “forgetting” to pay). Ian likes to throw up fresh ideas at every turn, creative little fucker. Most of them are shite, but he comes up with the occasional gem which makes it all worthwhile. Sometimes his widdly lead guitarist instincts take over, and Geoff and I shout “ROOT NOTES” at him. It usually ends up somewhere in the middle with Ian scowling and stealing my beer while wearing his jacket over his shoulder looking like something out of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”. I (Paul, guitar/vocals) have made two albums already as a solo guy. The second “ A Lighthouse Keeper’s Diary” was distributed by Absolute/Universal, and is available from an overpriced and impersonal retail outlet near you. I recommend you pinch it off the net, if you can find it. I’m kind of the architect of the Delphians sound, a bit like the dude off the matrix with all the TV’s, but marginally less evil. I write the lyrics and music and take it into rehearsal with the band. It usually comes out of our sweaty little practise room better that I hoped, which is nice. I could brag about my previous conquests with BMG, Independiente and EMI etc, but I don’t think you really care. More importantly, I love watching Jonathan Creek, drinking Geoff’s cocktails and pinching Ian’s weed.

The live arena is where we feel truly at home as a band. We do lots of gigs around our region (the grim/beautiful North-East) and we’ve managed to build up a good following and reputation. We love playing gigs in packed out, dark pub venues, occupying half the room with our gear (much to the annoyance of many publicans). We’re selling CD’s (both my solo records and band CD’s) at our shows. We get through quite a few. Anyways, enough of the rambling bullshit (I tend to do that, even on the mic), hope you like our music.xx