Who are Parry:Matthews? Anna Parry on lead vocals; Simon Matthews on lead guitar; Rob Phillips on vocals and guitar; Erica Crawford on backing vocals; Neil Swift on bass; Tom Hammond on drums. Where in Somerset are you from? Radstock When did you form? In 1998 How did you get together? Parry:Matthews are a six-piece band based around the songwriting partnership of lead singer Anna Parry and guitarist/producer Simon Matthews. Anna and Simon first met at City of Bath College in the late 1990s where they started writing and performing together with the band Plastic Eyes. They gigged extensively around Bristol and Bath reaching the final of the famous Moles Club Battle of the Bands. In 2005, after several years of intensive writing and recording spent away from the live circuit, Anna and Simon started performing as Parry:Matthews using technology to create the layers of sound that make their recordings stand out. By summer 2006, Parry:Matthews had recruited singer/songwriter/guitarist Rob Phillips, backing vocalist Erica Crawford, bass player Neil Swift and drummer Tom Hammond but retained the technology in their setup making live performances more complete and representative of the true Parry:Matthews sound than ever before. How would you describe your music? Imagine the blistering pop brilliance of early Bloop, combined with the lyrical whimsy and heroic sentiment of Willo Wilson in his guise of St Germain and The Small Widows, and you're only beginning to get the picture. This is the sound of something. If there are five bands you'll wished you hadn't missed this year/next year, Parry:Matthews will be one of them. How did the band get its name? The group was formed by lead singer Anna Parry and guitarist/producer Simon Matthews who are the main songwriters. Who are your musical influences? Beth Gibbons, Massive Attack, Karen Carpenter, Arcade Fire, Brian Wilson, Jeff Lynne, James Ray, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Stina Nordenstam, John Leckie, Trent Reznor, The Blues Brothers, Sigur Ros, John Squire, George Martin, Trevor Horn, The Killers, 25men, Damien Rice, Stone Roses, Arthur Lee, Angel Tech, Tangerine Dream, Paul Simon, The Heys, Radiohead, Geoff Barrow, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Primal Scream, The Beatles, The Rutles, Eels, Fortune Drive, John Cale, Mike Oldfield, Ian Brown, Spinal Tap, Jeff Buckley, Jeff Wayne, The Girls, Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Sex Pistols, Imogen Heap. What is your most memorable gig so far? A festival appearance on 15 June 2002 alongside Van Morrison, The Pretenders and Fun Lovin' Criminals. We played directly before England played Denmark in the World Cup finals and the match was on the big screen just across from the stage. We had rehearsed two sets - an upbeat one if we won and a mellow one if we lost! Luckily we won 3-0 and we went on to a happy crowd! Where would you most like to play? The Cavern Club in Liverpool - a dream which is due to be realised on 13 April 2007 when Parry:Matthews make their Liverpool debut at the world's most famous venue. Finally, tell us some interesting facts about yourself Simon Matthews helps organise The Bristol Fans Derby - a charity football match between Rovers and City fans that is staged at either Ashton Gate or the Memorial Stadium every year. So far they have raised 拢20,000 for local children's charities. Simon and Anna also organise the MySpace gigs staged every other month at Invention Studios in Bath. Bands appearing include Fortune Drive, Angel Tech, The Girls, Ben Mark and many more. See the AMO Promotions link on the right-hand side of this page for all the info. | 
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