Tiscali Showcase - The Tenderfoot

Before them sat 'The Modern Lovers': original pressing, near mint condition... lush. But chaos potentially loomed. Following a silent exchange of furrowed brows, a stalemate existed. Thankfully it was relieved by the realisation that none of them had the required 75 pence for said record. Collectively though, they did. Hence The Tenderfoot was born.

Chewing the fat of the day's events over glasses of mulled wine, further revelations unfolded: brothers Darren and Gavin Moon worked at Brighton library and played guitar, both were song-writers. Darren sang like William 'Smokey' Robinson, Gavin played guitar like Bark Psychosis. Russell 'Rusty' Prior worked at a local pub and played bass, he got his kicks playing along to James Jameson bass lines, he had love to give. Joel Gibson played drums, loved Aphex twin and also had a complete collection of Battle Beasts. Marc Beatty ran Mockin' Bird studio; he had produced British Sea Power's first single and numerous Electric Soft Parade and Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster demo's and B-Sides. He played keyboards, lap-steel guitar and melodica and was keen to join a concept band to quell his growing Yo La Tengo addiction. The puzzle was complete, the machine constructed and well oiled. It just needed a flick.

After a few experimental rehearsals involving tambourines and 17 antique microphones (at Marc's insistence), The Tenderfoot resigned themselves to playing their accustomed instruments. A few traits developed that the band realised could be exploited to their advantage. They were able to combine their musical powers and form a mega-sound. Joel's rolling beats tightly underpinned chiming guitars that flittered between plucked country waltzes and growling tides of distortion. Accompanied by Motown bass lines and churning keyboards the songs had a warmth and tenderness that hadn't existed before. The Tenderfoot explore musical structures and textures, some songs are simple ditties, a sole verse and chorus, others sprawl restlessly, verses and bridges escalate unceasingly as songs develop, leading to peaks that reach dizzying crescendos. Each song is focused by Darren's vocals that drift like a Bailey's float whilst the lyrics contain a poignancy normally reserved for European cinema. It's a combination that gained immediate acclaim.

Soon they had played with the heavy hitters of the Alt-Country and Americana scenes, supporting bands like the Webb Brothers, My Morning Jacket and the American Analog Set. The Tenderfoot sat off-kilter to their fellow musicians, their symphonic vignettes of suburban bleakness portrayed an English-ness that by its very nature acted as a refreshing contrast.

Soon a new local label noticed them. 5:15 Records approached them as their first signing, the relationship was consummated with two singles: the coal miner's ballad 'Still Holding My Stomach In' ('big business won't protect you son, we'll pay our dues and join a union') and a bitter reflection on an abused relationship in Waking Me Up Again ('as nice as you were to kiss, there's a hell of a lot I don't miss').

Following the releases they toured with fellow eccentrics British Sea Power. A recent tour with the Electric Soft Parade saw an equally appreciative audience and the community of Brighton musicians grew closer. This is best exemplified by the formation of Brakes. British Sea Power's key basher, Eamon, asked the White Brothers of ESP to play the drums and guitar for his punktry songs, whilst Mr Beatty was invited to thud the bass end.

...And now The Tenderfoot enters phase three, with a mini-album out that was out in February of this year and an LP to follow in the spring, they're set to define a new genre.