Persona b

Persona B was not the beginning. As the name suggests, this is what we came to be. Everything was fine for a while, better than fine in fact. JYlt was the old persona in which we performed and JYlt was doing well. After seven years, since we were kids, two boys and two girls were starting to take on the world, an apprenticeship that began when we were only fifteen years old.

Illusions (and delusions) of grandeur appeared. We obtained the record deal. We held the signed publishing contract and we were partying in style in a country manor drinking fine wines and trying to cook chips on an aga. (Not a good idea, trust me.) Nia George went to bed with the flu.

Nia George was the best friend a person could ask for. She was one of the singers, our precious bass player and one of the most original songwriters that we had the pleasure of knowing. Nia went home to Wales the day after, along with Sarah Howells, another vital component of the group. Tim Ramsey and myself (Alex Cooper) went to Leeds festival as we were just down the road and left the world behind for three days.

I was walking down the corridor of a cold hospital wing because Nia's flu had escorted her there. Trish George, Nia's mother, walked out of a waiting room and hugged me in the most terrifying way. After shedding some tears, Trish told me what was wrong: Nia had Leukaemia.

I will never forget the next moment for the rest of my life. My mind went numb and Nia said something that chilled me to the core: "I've got cancer."

I promised Nia that we would get through this together. After a year of Nia's strength and battling, Nia passed away leaving behind no doubt who her best friends really were - her mum and dad.

A year is a long time. Trying to function in a band where one of your members may or may not ever play with you again changes your life. We tried to use a temporary player but as good as he was, we could not settle with each other. We all found it difficult to be around each other.

The band split before Nia passed away. No amount of drive and focus could have prevented it. Sarah Howells moved away and formed a new group called Halflight and Tim Ramsey and I took a BIG break from the music world.

Persona B was a long time in the making. It started from the very beginning again. Talk about a shock to the system. Music is hard from the bottom. Everything changes in a year and contacts disappear in a short space of time. Mathew Bearne was the first long-standing member of Persona B with any real faith.

Bearnie had never played Bass before. He actually joined whilst mocking me and some friends (Sean Adams, Jonski) who were trying to form a band. After being dragged into the situation, Bearnie did what he always does - evolved fast. The fun and games of our early, mess around band dissolved, however, and songs emerged like they used to in the good old days.

Tim Ramsey was a necessity. Out of all the musicians around, he new my brain and I new his. The fact that Bearnie and Tim could lock together into the kind of rhythm section made worry a thing of the past. Almost a year after Nia moved on, music was finally beginning to feel right again

Persona B is a tribute to the friends we have lost in the last few years (Nia, Archey, Clively, Dorothy) and to all the friends we will make and break along the way. These people made us who we are and for that we are forever in their debt. As far as the future goes, your guess is as good as mine but we're going to make sure it's as happy as it can be.