Music
Press
The Shoestrung will take one’s breath away, with there enchanting
take on a sound that screams out 1960's revolution, which is somewhat fitting in regards to Dare’s Ethos.Brace yourself…..
http://www.myspace.com/theshoestrun - Dare Collective
With a pure rhythm and blues sound and tongues planted firmly in cheek The Shoestrung are taking back the spirit of rock and roll one day at a time. With a forthcoming series of gigs across the South of England the band are working hard to take their classic sound out to the masses. - Digitalgig.co.uk
Mick Jagger and Stones references abounded at this year's Marathon, with bands like The Shoestrung, pictured above, pulling off commendable riffs on ideas espoused by the classic rock gods who first figured out that the blues was the key element missing from popular American music all those years ago.
Without a trace of the recently ubiquitous dance punk aesthetic in their mix, British baby band The Shoestrung courageously reinvigorated the lessons that John Lee Hooker inadvertently taught their musical forefathers nearly four decades ago. - MSN.com
We like The Shoestrung (from left to right in the above pic - Treggy, Al Ritchie, Rob Miles, Bryn Hoffman). They are a Brighton based, self-professed Kooks hating, Stones loving old school R&B band so fresh out of college that they can probably still remember their timetable. Our Brighton correspondents Kelly and Becks and photographer Sam Hiscox met up with them for a cream tea...
Like all the best things in life the band started out as a happy accident. They met by chance and started cheating on their respective bands to start the sordid affair they now call The Shoestrung. Lead Bryn and guitarist Al came from a skiffle band. Not knowing what the fuck this is, I ask, and they describe it to me as "tying tambourines to your feet". Bassist Treggy is a classically trained cellist and Rob (drummer) brings in the dollar cutting asparagus when he isn't living the dream.
Lead Bryn has something of the Jagger about him - read slightly cocky (in a good way). "We're doing something different, y'know," he says. And they are. This is not, repeat NOT an indie band... they like to describe themselves as original R&B, but there's a strong folk influence.
Mick who?
Inspired by the likes of Iggy Pop, The Stones, Devandra Banhart, smoking fags and spooning each other, they have developed a unique sound. They prefer the traditional sound of old instruments and compliment this by recording their songs on analog tape. They don't make life easy for themselves.
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They have done the rounds in Brighton, playing little nooks and some of the bigger venues and are looking to elope to the greener grass of East London to try and hit the big-time. They consider the Brighton music scene "very incestuous", and they are right - you can be very successful in Brighton and nowhere else. They want to spread their wings a bit, y'know. But if you're in B Town then catch them while they're still knocking about if you can.
Rock n roll tea party
Listen to The Shoestrung at www.myspace.com/theshoestrung. - Don't Panic
" I CANNOT HONESTLY SAY I'VE FELT THIS EXCITED BY A NEW BAND FOR A VERY LONG TIME. THIS WAS NOT JUST PLAYING BY NUMBERS IN A WHAT'S NEXT STYLE, NO, IT WAS A BRILLIANT PERFORMANCE." - Tracey Wilmot for ZANI - Tracey Wilmot
http://www.digitalgig.co.uk/cover_issue-2.html
- www.digitalgig.co.uk
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Starting out in London squatting a tiny concrete room in an old sweet factory, the inevitable seesaw of creative energy surging in 4 desperate young men soon exploded onto the stage. Inspired by artists such as Howlin Wolf, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, The Stones, Dylan & Bruce Springsteen; The Shoestrung roar with the colour and honesty of a band far beyond its years, weaving hi octane rhythm & blues with lyrical tales of rare depth and subversive bite, giving a personality to the music only found by artists having no other choice but to live and breathe it.
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