A selection of songs by The Family - a high energy alt-country rock n roll band from Southampton

The Byrd

Let the Love Shine In

Lay It On The Line

Carolina's Alone

Southern Ladies

How Do You Sleep

Original track by The Family.

Bradley Weeks - Vocals and Harmonica
Ashley Weeks - Guitar and Vocals
Aidan Lavin - Bass
Mike Mathieson - Drums
The Hag - Pedal Steel Guitar

Written by Ashley Weeks

Get Your Mouth Down South

Original track by The Family.

Bradley Weeks - vocals and glockenspiel 
Ashley Weeks - guitar and vocals
Mike Mathieson - drums
Aidan Lavin - bass
The Hag - acoustic guitar and pedal steel guitar

Mercy Of The Tumbling Seas

An audience recording of The Family playing "And Out She Waltzed" live at the Alexandra, Southampton, 2015. 

And Out She Waltzed - live at The Alexandra (audience recording)

When My Ship Comes In EP Preview



The family are a five piece Americana band hailing from Southampton UK. Here's what other people have to say about us:

"Last night's support act The Family, a Southampton group, just add to the feeling that south Hampshire in particular is producing groups who demand attention. Their heavily country-influenced rock was an eye-opener to people who thought either that 'swamp rock' has little to offer, or that English bands at least should steer clear. After their set, which saw a sold-out Wedgewood Rooms completely won over, The Bees took to the stage… " Portsmouth News

"...not some mafia-affiliated gang but a pedal steel-totin' bunch of southern rockers, and when we say southern, we mean Tooting, not Tucson.", The Guardian (The Guide supplement – recommended gig of the week).

"The Family are my favourite band in the world right now… Swaggering, bourbon-drenched, cosmic country for bow-legged women ", Bonanza on Resonance FM, London.

"The Family sound unbelievably polished for an unsigned band, with deeply instrumental, layered tracks.... ‘Bow Legged Woman’ blends the sounds of Primal Scream, Oasis and Seventies rock’n’roll to perfection… It’s great to see some different music coming out of Southampton, aside from the usual copycat bands that we keep seeing.", NME online (Southampton spotlight)

"The whole set swaggered and bubbled under the surface like a moody Clint Eastwood. The band was tight. The sound of the slide guitar [sic] held everything together expertly and even the introduction of a violin did not make the stage feel over-crowded...", Mintsouth

"Manchester has ‘Elbow’, Sheffield ‘Pulp’ and Southampton has its own band who’ve stuck at it for many years before getting a deal: ‘The Family’. Formed over ten years ago they’ve slowly morphed from a psychedelic band to, as guitarist Ash told me, “a blues band with pedal steel guitar as lead.” It is the strength of friendship that keeps this band together and ‘The Family’ are back on the circuit following a six month enforced lay-off and looking for a deal. Its not that they aren’t handy with all the marketing tools available in this ‘MySpace age’, they just: “Want a deal!” bass player Aiden told me, and his reason: “The people in the company know what they are doing.” Sharing music and influences is what ‘The Family’ love best and they would rather spend their time making and performing their excellent music instead of dealing with the promoting and managing that band’s are expected to deal with these days. However they have never been short of a good descriptive quote from a journalist and my favourite has to be: “swaggering, bourbon-drenched, cosmic country”. But someone will have to come up with a new tag line for ‘The Family’ as they are shifting their sound towards the British blues of the 60’s which the Stones and The Who are famous for. Add a manager and the band could be quickly back to their habit of selling out The Joiners and Soul Cellar and filling 52 seat coaches to London." Xan Phillips, Amazing Radio
