The Grey Lady Music Lounge, Tuesday 23rd August 2016

Cracks In The Land are a band with a love of tight grooves, 3 part harmonies, big melodies and guitars. Their influences meander from Fleetwood Mac to Crowded House, detouring to make no two musical journeys the same.

The band formed at the end of 2013, had a few lineup changes, produced an E.P. “Beautiful Parade”, supported Cutting Crew, appeared in several festivals, radio and played gigs in London and Berlin. In 2014 with the arrival of Bill and Ben :), on guitars and percussion the sound was complete.

With a big bag of original songs, they will be recording early in 2016 but at the moment are having a blast gigging and experimenting with live sound. 

Check out our facebook page to keep in touch with upcoming gigs and random classic cover versions.

Cracks In The Land are Bob Melrose - guitar,vocals, Meya Rein - vocals, Ben Armstrong - percussion,drums, Bill Burke - guitar, vocals.

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MODL are a unique electronic act, combining the catchy musicality of today’s pop sound with the more alternative world of diverse synth and drum sounds, keys and organic instruments. Charlotte’s soulful vocals, acquired from years of experience singing on stage and in the studio, offer an R&B-esque tone to Richard’s range of production and songwriting styles. Together they have been performing for nearly 2 years but their music careers extend much further back to numerous independent ventures and joint projects. MODL now have two official singles steadily picking up plays - with ‘The Things I’ll Do’ featuring on Spotify’s Fresh Finds playlist - and with an album on the horizon are collaborating more and more with Tunbridge Wells vocalist Imy Laurie, who offers yet another dimension of sound to their recordings.

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Whether turning his hand to the studio or the stage, it can be hard to pin Jono Harrison down. It is fair to say that he lives and breathes music in a way that borders on obsession.

Formerly a session musician playing in various bands around London, a mystifying back injury forced him to put away his guitar for nearly two years. He taught himself recording techniques, and delved into albums such as Jeff Buckley’s ‘Grace’ and Nick Drake’s harrowing ‘Pink Moon’. Upon recovering, he set about writing own song ideas and recording demos, playing dingy bars around London and Brighton to whoever would listen. Six years on, he signed a deal with boutique label ‘Which Wolf Wins’ and released his eponymous debut album.

Jono subsequently toured the US and and the UK. He co-founded a 28 piece orchestra and joined 80s legends Cutting Crew on keyboard duties, all the while producing other acts and quietly writing in his home studio. As he gathers up influences from wherever he lays his hat, including electronica, trip-hop or post-punk - Jono has been developing a wider, beat-driven sound, soaked in warm synthesisers and chiming guitars, moving on from his former acoustic leanings but still embracing his love of heart-warming melodies.

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Ben Westwood learnt to play the piano and guitar from an early age, and began writing songs as a teenager. He studied music in London but became disillusioned with the music business, channelling his creativity instead into writing. He worked for national newspapers in London and then travel guidebooks in South America.

Ben and his children’s lives were turned upside down when he lost his wife Carolina to cancer in 2013. He began pouring his emotions into songwriting and the album Sing like your life depends on it was born.

Ben comments: “The past few years have been so tough, but I have always found music a comfort in life. This year, songs began flowing out and what started as an EP suddenly developed into an album of 15 songs.

“I was determined to make music that not only confronts the sadness and confusion of losing a loved one, but also contains positive messages of defiance, strength and hope. The album contains upbeat tracks and love songs, as well as songs that deal with loss and grief. I think people need real music with real emotion that comes from the soul, not the ego. Music that is about passion, not posturing.”

The album blends pop, blues, folk, soul, rock and latin influences, with heartfelt lyrics, driving rhythms and strong melodies.

Visit his website for further information and to hear preview tracks from the album.

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