The Winter Olympics

1) The Winter Olympics are Martin Bowman (guitars) Nick Dutton (bass) Bruce Graham (drums) James Mitchell (keys) and Andrew Wagstaff (singing).

2) Nick and Andrew are friends from school. They met James at college. James met Martin at University. Martin met Bruce playing five-a-side football for the London Underground.

3) The band formed in the year 2000.

4) At the time Andrew was trying (and failing) to be a music journalist. His writing might not of won him any prizes, but it did give him a wealth of ideas about what a PROPER band should be like. He started telling Martin all about it in the pub, and is still telling him today.

5) A proper band should be AMAZING. In a proper band, every note should be played like you're headlining Reading. Even if you can't really play. In fact, especially if you can't really play. Being able to play isn't actually that important, being AMAZING is. In proper band's songs the words should mean something. Even when that something is stupid. Proper bands might be funny but they'd better not be joking. Proper bands should never apologise for rocking. Proper bands should never say "this is a new song" until they are at least as big as The Stones. If you're just Dermo from Grumblebuggy playing to three drunk dudes and the lady who does the coats, don't you dare mumble something about your new song. Just do the hits. The coat lady deserves better than your sorry shit. Proper bands shouldn't worry about being successful. Being AMAZING is success in itself and it doesn't really matter if no one knows it. Proper bands should be punk rock but also punctual and polite. It might be nice if they bought you all a drink for the effort you've made in going out to see them too... That really would be amazing. A proper band should.... (you get the idea)

6) Partly to try and achieve this vision (and partly as an excuse to be allowed out on a school night) Nick and Bruce joined the band which was originally called (against Martin's wishes) 'Bowman'.

7) The band released their debut single in 2008 through Office Rock. They also appear on the Satellites and Clouds comp 'Little Pieces of Sky' doing Is It Leaves? and the 100% Basingstoke charity comp performing Attention all Departments.

8) James joined the band in 2007. They haven't played a bad show since.

9) Nick took three months out of the band (paternity leave) in early 2008. His deputy was Kids Near Water bass player (and our best mate) John Astbury.

10) The Winter Olympics 'ep1' is out on Office Rock Recordings. You can buy it now from iTunes and eMusic and reputable indie record stores.

11) The band are looking to book as many shows as they can in the coming months to promote their new ep. Hopefully many of these will be at their newly adopted home venue of The Windmill in Brixton.