The
Martin Harley Band are a vibrant eclectic acoustic front porch style
folk’n’roots band with an exhilarating and original sound.
They blend three part harmonies over a backdrop of stunning
finger style and slide guitar, acoustic bass and brush drums.
Homemade instruments grace the stage and add to the rootsy, diverse
nature of the sound.
The
Surrey based trio formed in early 2002, and perform original
compositions, ‘Songwriting what is staggeringly good’ (Annabel’s
diaries, Kashmir Club) alongside
the odd daring cover,
and released their
self-titled debut album in 2015, “..this album is a rare
achievement” Blues
Matters.
Their
second album, called ‘Money Don’t Matter’ was released to
critical acclaim on August 1st 2005 and has so far sold
over 1000 copies.
The
band’s sound is built around Martin’s guitar playing, a style
that forcefully throws the rule book out the window, and ‘..gives
you that spine tingling feeling of “Oh Yeah”.’ (modmusic.co.uk)
and ‘..a voice that engulfs the room and seems to come, as
the best voices do, from somewhere else’ (Porter
Cellar Bar Review),
Adam
Wolters’ intense and animated playing of a homemade 2 string,
fretless bass and Pete Swatton with inspired work on a cocktail
drumkit complete the line up. They’ve played numerous festivals,
appeared on Sky One & Channel 4, and 2005 has seen them support
Little Toby Walker, Nine Below Zero, Chas’n’Dave, Omar & the
Howlers, Papa George & Lisa
Mills amongst others. They’ve
also shared the bill with James Blunt, Donovan Frankenreiter, the
Happy Mondays, the Magic Numbers and the Beautiful Girls.
The
band’s live performances are an energy-filled, dynamic, vibrant
celebration of music that capture the integrity of folk & blues
whilst imbuing them with freshness all their own,
an ‘Acoustic phenomenon…” (Surrey
Advertiser, What’s On?)
“If
‘quiet is the new loud’, these guys turn it up to eleven” Phil
Jackson, BBC SCRadio
“Stunning,
absolutely stunning” Nonny
James, BBC Radio Hereford & Worcs
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