Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
This band has no press
Discography
Streaming on Myspace:
www.myspace.com/cliffordvillageband
Have demoed album: Stories of Old & Weir
Albums Written:
The Seaside Room
Metropolitan Trains
Curious Jane & Jilted George
In The Deepest Forests On The Darkest Sides
Psychadelic Serengetti
'10 Tales Of Heartbreak, Drunkeness & BadTuesdays'
Photos
Bio
The Clifford Village Band was formed at Leeds University in 2009 as a result of band leader Sam Murray (Guitar/Vocals) finding a way to voice his songs. Sam was already good friends with singer Steffi Bontoft and guitarist Mafro Archer and indeed moved into their flat in February, as you can imagine having three musicians living together will end up in some kind of music-making! The first recordings were a result of a joke-challenge set by Sam’s songwriting tutor who was impressed with the rate Sam was writing act making a quip “At this rate you will end with an album”. Suffice to say that album was written in 2 days and recorded and produced by Tom Griffiths (a good friend of the band and their Sound Engineer) in just 8 hours! Sam had to round up an ensemble to perform his songs in the final session of the 5 week songwriting course in which he picked up former bassist Chris Headley and harassed the amazing talented Stephanie Hovey on Violin and the happy maths geek James Greenland on drum kit. Sure enough after an intense thirty minute rehearsal the day before a band was born. The band played their first proper gig at Leeds University Union Old Bar and managed to get a guest appearance from Zoë Eady of Lunchtime Disco Club. The band were actually asked to headline after the bar management were impressed during sound check but declined as it was a debut gig and Sam wanted the band to work for the right to headline. Sadly shortly after this Chris Headley decided to leave Leeds and thus left the band although we picked up Jennie Allen to join us on saxophone! and Sam Terett on Bass (Who plays with Sam Murray in The Undersound Jazz Quartet).
After a few successful gigs including an Amnesty International Fundraiser at The Library venue the band earned their first headline slot at Mr Ben’s Bar. The gig went down a storm with audience members dancing along and sing-a-long to all the songs. From then on The Clifford Village Band have become an exciting output of highly original music ranging from the Sea Folk Ballad of ‘The Fisherman & She’ to the Township Jives of ‘Heels of a Thursday’.
The band cite influences such as reflection in water, weather, the country air, the sociologist Jean Baudrillard and without doubt the Sea. Musical influences vary from The Wedding Present and Paul Simon to James Taylor and Laura Veirs.
The band work on a group ethic so even though most songs are written by Sam Murray other members can perform their own songs; members such as James Greenland perform fantastic original numbers with the band to create a real sense of musical diversity.
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