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Dry The River

15.03.11

BIOGRAPHY

Only taking true shape in the June of 2009, Dry The River are quickly being recognised as one of the most interesting and exciting new guitar bands of recent times.

The group began when Norwegian singer songwriter Peter Liddle was studying Medicine and Anthropology at college. Such weighty subjects inspired him to start writing his own music, initially playing only solo shows. It was soon after that he met 'homeless' punk rock drummer Jon Warren and classically trained violinist William Harvey, and they began to perform as a three piece. Over time band members came and went, with guitarist and co-songwriter Matthew Taylor completing a five piece line up several years after Liddle was first inspired to start his strumming away.

With the line up finalised in June ’09, the band quickly went about recording their debut EP, The Chamber and The Valves, with producer Peter Miles (The King Blues, Sweet Billy Pilgrim). The EP, which was distributed on CD through the band’s MySpace page, was received well by critics and music fans alike, and Dry The River embarked upon a 30 date acoustic tour as a result. This ignited a series of shows with the likes of Plan B, Paloma Faith, The Magic Number and Johnny Flynn, a series of gigs that cemented the band’s live reputation.

2010 continued the bands rapid rise with appearances at Glastonbury, The Big Chill and Standon Calling as well as racking up over 100 UK shows and embarking on a European tour, and early this year, our sister label Transgressive Records stepped in to release the band’s debut single, ‘No Ceremony’.

Interestingly, a lot has been made of where the band’s and more importantly Liddle's influences lie - their audience is understanding that the constant comparisons to other artists that fall under the 'folk' bracket may not be the best way of understanding Dry The River. Liddle states initial inspiration for his own music was drawn from bands such as “At The Drive In, Glassjaw and Refused”, and that an admiration for those bands’ energy still informs the way Dry The River write and perform now. Yet Liddle also relished looking back on his parents’ record collection, listening carefully to the likes of “Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen and Suzanne Vega” for as much inspiration as the screaming trio just mentioned.

As a result, Dry The River’s unique brand of semi acoustic post-folk leaves them in a world of their own, one in which they will surely be able to continue to perfect their art.

- Biography by Mike Harounoff

TOUR DATES

Mar 15 Campfire Trails @ the Bat Bar. Austin, TX

Mar 16 British Music Embassy @ Latitude 30. Austin, TX

Mar 16 Transgressive @ Red Eyed Fly. Austin, TX

Mar 17 SX San Jose 2011 – High Road @ Hotel San JoseAustin, TX

Mar 19 Klub Krucial, Austin, TX

Mar 29 Pianos NYC, New York, NY

Apr 01 Leeds Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, United Kingdom

Apr 16 Honeyfest, Wiltshire, United Kingdom

Apr 25 Barfly, Camden, London, United Kingdom

Apr 26 The Castle Hotel, Manchester, United Kingdom