Band to showcase talent Stateside

Jan 9 2009 by Laurie Stocks-Moore, Chester Chronicle

Band to showcase talent Stateside

A band is going Stateside to play in front of international industry experts at the world’s biggest music showcase.

Chester rock group Out From Animals, who found fame on TV talent show mobileAct Unsigned, will fly to the US in March to play every day for five days at the prestigious South by Southwest (SXSW) music showcase in Austin, Texas.

Electro-punk-rock outfit Out From Animals are one of the few unsigned bands travelling to SXSW but in the absence of a label to provide the financial backing to their trip, the band are now appealing for funding.

Lead singer Andy Morgan, of Gorse Way, Huntington said the quartet have already had to cancel plans to perform at Canadian Music Week days before SXSW.

He added: “We had been promised funding by the Performing Rights Society but they pulled it because of the economic climate at the moment.”

Last month the band ended their search for a fourth member, unveiling Tom Hyndman, former singer in local band Jolly Not So, joining Andy and Cambrian View residents bassist Paul Bunker and drummer Sean Howe.

They now have two frontmen who both sing and play guitar and samples. Founding member Andy says they sound better than ever.

He added: “We used to be a five-piece before the other guy left to do his own thing. Then we became three.

“Now we are writing for four and the whole thing sounds a lot fuller.”

Out From Animals have so far failed in their bid to secure a record deal but Andy is positive about the band’s future, especially with the world’s biggest industry showcase just around the corner.

He added: “Because we played Leeds and Reading it really raised our profile. At the moment everyone in the industry knows who we are.

“We’ve had meetings with labels and they say ‘we really like what you’re doing’. A lot of people have said all three songs we have played them could be great follow-up singles but we just need that one hit.”

Catch the band in Chester tomorrow (Saturday, January 10) from 8pm at Telford’s Warehouse.