Candid Bench – The first incarnation of The Bench was formed in 1986. Inspired by The Smiths, Half Man Half Biscuit, the six school mates from Anstey in Leicester, with guitarist/songwriter Richard Kettle at the helm, were soon playing gigs at local venues such as OJ’s and The Princess Charlotte in support slots alongside the likes of The Brilliant Corners and CUD. 

The Manchester scene of 1990 proved to be an important influence on the band and they moved into funkier musical territory. Supporting the likes of The Real People, The Bridewell Taxis and Northside. A glittering future looked assured and prestigious support slots were secured at venues in London such as the Camden Underworld. Then, as they often do, things began to go wrong. One band member quit to go to uni while another moved away.
 
Yet the core members still retained their ambitions, which were aided when two close friends and ex schoolmates Lee Preston and Martin Findlay took it upon themselves to learn to play bass and drums. By 1995 the band were ready to push things forward; demos were recorded and gigs planned. The Bench were then dealt another blow when singer and founder member Gaz experienced some kind of spiritual transformation whilst living as a tramp in Barcelona and subsequently moved to deepest Norfolk to concentrate on his gardening.

Nothing much happened in the next two years until another couple of ex school mates, vocalist Neil Broughton and a new guitarist joined the band. They quickly constructed a new set and were again ready to gig. After a handful of appearances at the Charlotte including support slots with Clearlake, Regular Fries and Elbow, the new guitarist quit the band. Once again the band had taken one step forward, only to then take two steps back. 

Finally a replacement guitarist was found in the rather rotund shape of Shane Bordoli, yet another ex schoolmate of yesteryear. And so in the year 2004 The Bench are, in the words of Elton John, still standing and looking to get themselves some of the long overdue credit 
their obvious talents so richly deserve.

Robb Nesbitt lived an honest and unassuming life, trying marriage and attempting to raise two daughters, paying too many bills and busting his body on corporate industry. Then he retired.
Remaining humble, he read his poetry out and got published dozens of times and places, even editing a collection of Peace poems "Waging Words For Peace" with Chuck Culhane (a buddy of Pete Seeger), then without ever auditioning, his performance style (as evidenced in the 'Ice9' troop) won him roles in four plays - his lead character in Sweet Street (nominated for best ensemble cast - 2010 Artie Awards) was noted as the high point of the play by Buffalo News when he performed Leonard Cohen's 'Bird On The Wire' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5z2VFNO7Tg 
Simultaneous, were appearances in four local films: he provided the original song 'Roll,Lord' to Sweet Jesus, and performed in 'The Big Mess', 'Fake Job' and 'Beyond The Mainstream' for which he composed and played the music for its theme song 'Welcome To My World' which is found here on Soundcloud.com/slowheart-1/welcome-to-my-world-short
Robb Nesbitt's contributions to art also include photography and a few videos, such as his 1989 masterpiece 'Don't Believe' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdJIBKN-o80
Robb Nesbitt is a realist and knows the internet allows everyone to take what he has done for free. He makes a funny face about that, but is not bitter.
New eminent and imminent 2cd song cycle should appear relatively soon (provided he is not assassinated by anyone - or by himself for promotional purposes) will be called 'DREAMS UP THERE' and 'GRAVITY B-LO'. 
B-lo stands for Buffalo NY a cool, inexpensive place to live and own a home
 - everyone left, so there's not much traffic jam or elbow bashing sidewalk hustle. 
C'mon down. C'mon up. C'mon over. Fill yer cup !!!


Singer songwriter musician.

Having quit music in 2012 as a musician and briefly as a producer.. Over lockdown rediscoveredy passion, learned to sing and this is 11 of the demos out of around 30 songs written.

Now wanting to find a producer/partner to take these to the next level.

Exit Calm's Upcoming Gigs
Sat 20 Dec, 14 
The Underground, Barnsley , United Kingdom

Powered by GigaTools

If the past is a foreign country, then Exit Calm have a past worth exploring.  

After only two months together and one raw, visceral demo, the band were playing Tokyo’s Liquid Rooms;  a gig that gave Stone Roses bassist Mani, cause to label them “proper fuckin' music”.  The band haven’t looked back since. 

Incendiary live show followed incendiary live show as the band brought their uplifting, ethereal sound across the UK and into Europe. Sold out dates throughout the country have seen the band share the stage with groups as diverse as The Charlatans, Modest Mouse, Echo & The Bunnymen and Soulsavers, along the way developing a loyal fan base, which play their own part in making Exit Calm gigs an epic experience.

With soaring, widescreen guitar layers, deep heady grooves and front-man Nicky Smith's primal delivery, echoes of musical heroes such as Elbow, Doves, Unkle, The Verve and Spiritualized are undeniable, yet Exit Calm's output is incomparably unique and in a class of its own. This is a band that once seen, leave no doubt in belief, coming alive on stage and evoking an atmosphere of epic proportions.
 
After three sold out vinyl singles, the release of their self-titled LP in 2010 was the culmination of three years hard work.  Aggressive but not confrontational, focused but not myopic and melodic rather than pop, Exit Calm was an album that had to be made. The majestic beauty of ‘Don’t look down’, the massive attack-drive of ‘Forgiveness’ and the soaring call to arms of ‘Hearts and Minds’ all invoke the spirit of the band's influences, at the same time standing alone as a unique statement of intent. 

The album has garnered much praise. Upon hearing it, Todd Eckhart (producer, 'Control') said: “Pure Genius – the assembly of iron and wood because temples must be made. And the avoidance of all that whiny, sexless bullshit passing for rebellion at the moment." And his is not alone. Huw Stephens (Radio 1) said the band is “Truly Epic”, Guitarist Magazine described the album as “A sonic and soulful masterpiece.”, Inspiral Carpets/XFM’s Clint Boon declared: “file under the greatest rock bands of all time”. Both Radio 1 (Zane Lowe) and Radio 2 (Janice Long) have supported the band's releases, and the band performed on the Janice Long live session in 2012.

But it’s not all about the past with Exit Calm. Recent live shows have seen the debut of the modern- baggy-meets-grunge anthem blow out of ‘The Rapture’; the breakbeat-tinged fury of ‘Albion’ and the melodic, Bunnymen guitars and groove of ‘Fiction’. In the current era of disposable heroes, Exit Calm tread a different path. From a band who simply list their influences as three legendary record labels, their output invokes the same classic approach to music as Creation Records. They bring the euphoria and hedonism of Factory to the progressive, with the forward thinking ideals of Mo Wax, producing music with heart, style and integrity.


Naming Trees consists of two members, Jae Knox and Jaret Burkett. Jae spent her young adult years flying by the seat of her pants, frequently wandering through haunted deserts and along the liberating coast of the western United States, searching for herself and someone she could genuinely call home. After a lifetime of practicing the deadly art of being human, Jaret broke the conventional lifestyle mold and went on a worldwide manhunt to find others of his kind. They crossed each other's paths in the summer of 2008 in the most unlikely of places, a small town in West Texas, and moved in together a week later. In the fall of 2010, they decided they had outgrown their small town and, throwing all caution to the wind, moved to Austin, Texas, searching for some mental elbow room.

 Inspired by a deep connection with the earth, the psyche, and the word "freedom", they began composing music about their experiences and ideas about their place in the universe, layering psychedelic textures to create their unique sound. Their music creates a landscape for reflection and asking questions, given their perpetual desire to find all of the answers. Taking on a complete DIY approach, they assembled their musical capabilities through a wide range of instruments, mastered the recording process, and constructed their captivating promotional qualities. The result is their debut album, "Alex". 

Late Model European is a songwriting and music collaboration between John and Tones; two life-long best friends who grew up together in a sleepy little village in Scotland.

Starting their musical journey together as wide-eyed teenagers with big dreams, big hair and big amps, back in the late ‘70s/early ‘80s, they had plans to conquer the music world. That didn’t quite happen but they did rip it up around the Scottish and Northern England music scene. Not knowing whether they were Punks, Mods or Rockers didn’t really matter to them; they just shared a passion and a love for making and performing music together!

Then life came along and took them down different paths. Their jeans weren’t as wide as before but their eyes were still wide open; they knew there was a whole world out there waiting to be explored. Little did they know they were destined to come together again some 40 years later, across the other side of the world in New Zealand!

Brothers in arms
With Tones based in Auckland and John in Marlborough, it would take more than the wild Cook Strait to prise these brothers in arms apart. After spending a few months in their home studios bouncing tracks back and forth from island to island, they had crafted a bunch of demos. Along with their dreams and Producer, Ben King (Goldenhorse/Grand Rapids), they headed into Neil Finn’s Roundhead Studios. Ben pulled in the cream of NZs session musicians to play on the songs; a gem of a debut album was born out of these Roundhead sessions. The songs then winged their way to Sydney where Aussie legend, Don Bartley – revered for mastering INXS ‘Kick’ and, the most highly praised and sought after remastered release of Sergeant Peppers – worked his mastering magic on the tracks for vinyl and digital release.

Drawing on influences from iconic artists that have inspired them on their musical journey – The Beatles, The Stones, Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Dire Straits, The Jam, Elvis Costello, U2 through to Crowded House/The Finns, Goldenhorse, Oasis, Stereophonics, Elbow et al – it’s no surprise that Late Model European’s debut LP is a genre-busting body of work that is sure to appeal to a broad audience. There’s something for everyone on this record.

It’s time to step out and write their story and share these songs with the world. They invite you to join them on this journey of musical kinship that is, Late Model European. Who knows where life’s long and winding road will take you.

The Revolution 
  
  A three-piece indie/punk rock outfit hailing from Lowther, a rural district south of Penrith in Cumbria, comprising of Jeeves, Seamus and Benj, started out as a five-piece in February 2008 when singer/songwriter Jeeves teamed up with young drummer Ben Cuthbertson (ex-member of local punk band ‘The Scabs’) and began to pull together the bare bones of a rock band. By April that year they made their first appearance as a five-piece at The Board &amp; Elbow Room in Penrith to a packed out pub supporting local punk legends ‘No Thrills’. 
  
  They began making headway in the local music scene and were spreading throughout the northwest of England by late summer 2008. With a scheduled TV appearance on the books and a single release deal with Diffusion Records on the table, disaster struck as guitarists, ‘Swedish’ Paul Crompton and Rick ‘McFlurry’ Trowbridge, both parted company with the band in August of that year. To everyone, from their loyal fans to the band itself, fear was rife that The Revolution could be over. True grit, determination and strong friendships, combined by an overwhelming passion for the music they create, kept the band together despite the difficulties. Frontman Jeeves strapped a guitar round his neck and the band went underground, locking themselves into their Penrith rehearsal room and not emerging again until October, when Cockermouth’s The Globe was smashed away by a new, fresh, high energy three-piece sound. 
  
  The hard work had paid off - they were back and better than ever. Things moved from strength to strength from then; they received a nomination for ‘Best Live Gig in Cumbria &amp; South West Scotland 2008’ for one of their performances at Carlisle’s The Brickyard, and have also gone on to support ‘The Detroit Social Club’ and ‘The Airborne Toxic Event’, helping to harness an ever growing fan base. Their long-awaited debut Demo EP, “The Revolution – Made In Penrith”, a DIY EP (available now by contacting the band on this site or by e-mail) was well received by fans and critics alike, but it was a self-confessed fact that the band were not yet the finished article and were searching hard for a lead guitarist to complete the line-up. 
  
  After a promising start to 2009 the air of expectation surrounding the band and the relative success and acclaim gained in the media, to all it seemed things were just gonna get better and better. Then, unexpectedly, problems began to develop within in the band. Gigging up and down the country two or three nights a week playing to one man and his dog began to takes its toll. The lads had given everything just to tread water and when news came that all the major summer events had rejected there applications to perform, it was no secret that moral had hit a new low. Left bewildered at what more they could do, the band disbanded for a while. Frontman Jeeves played out a large amount of the remaining gigs acoustically and Ex-Bassist Ox stepped in temporarily until matters could be resolved, but with a fresh enthusiasm and perspective on the music, the band started to pull together again and managed to play a select few appearances, mostly for charity events, in late summer, providing great hope to the loyal and dedicated fans of the band. 
  
  In early September 2009, The Revolution announced perhaps there biggest gig to date, supporting The Towers Of London at The Brickyard Carlisle on the 20th November of that year. The gig fell amongst some devastating times for Cumbria. Right in the middle of the catastrophic Cumbrian floods it was feared by some that the gig, if it were able to take place at all would be a total wash-out but The Revolution and there loyal Penrithian fans did not let Cumbria down as the band outsold all others with there ticket sales for the event, gaining new fans from all over the flood stricken county and with the Towers Of London publicly declaring them the best support band they had ever had. Frontman Donny Tourette spent The Revolutions set in the mosh pit dancing with the Penrith bands fans. 
  
  The same night saw the launch of there second demo E.P. The Revolution – From The Middle Of Nowhere, as can be heard on the bands myspace, and the E.P. packed with new demo’s recorded at Newcastle’s First Avenue Studio of favourites from the live set, blended with bonus tracks of home-made recordings, previously recorded demo’s and an original demo of the anthemic Sundown Feeling, showing the growth of the band from a pipe dream to the present day, and portraying real depth and great lyrical strength to the bands song-writing. 
  
  Also on the 20th November 2009 voting opened for the annual TGM Music Awards covering Cumbria and Southwest Scotland. The Revolution received nominations for Best North Cumbrian Act, Best Punk/Ska Act, Best E.P. For the debut demo E.P. The Revolution – Made In Penrith , and have been re-nominated for Best Live Gig In Cumbria &amp; Southwest Scotland 2009 for there appearance at The University Of Cumbria’s Gig On The Grass ’09 held at their Newton Rigg Campus and when results were anounced in December they walked away with Best North Cumbrian Act, a massive accolade which meant a lot to everyone involved with the band. 
  
  In January 2010, Drummer Ben Cuthbertson left the band to be replaced by Ed Crocker and the new line-up are currently rehearsing for up and coming gigs. 
  

The official Soundcloud channel of iAlpha. North Essex based post rock outfit. Created by Joe Chaplin, Jake Millar, Jack Johnson, and Frank Johnson.

Visit our website (link below) and subscribe for updates on live shows, music, and more.

Businge Ollie is following