channelcairo

Born into an artistic home without a television set, lead singer Joshua Bowyer learnt to entertain on the piano from an early age, spending much of his childhood summers travelling around Europe with his father’s folk group. He built a large repertoire of musical ideas in the long nights spent sleeping on the road, inspired by the early greats of the 60s and 70s that made up the repertoire of his father’s band. As the years passed those ideas lay dormant until a move to London with long term friend and musical counterpart Hamish Murtagh would see them began piecing together a group from open-mic sessions and recording studios across the capital.

Although nameless in the beginning, Channel Cairo bonded early on over an interest in life on the road and the 'golden age of travel'. This nostalgic interest hailing back from Josh’s roots hits fever pitch amongst the group, when linked to those early 60s and 70s British rock’n’roll bands. Beyond the music; it was the stories, decadence and the Boeing 720 Starship that left them dreaming up their own particular modern day musical adventure.

Now with a gentle swagger from being free to create their own craft, Channel Cairo have honed a delicate blend of dreamy piano led melodies fronted with ethereal vocal techniques sitting over drummer James Gardiner’s propulsive looping beat style.

Luke Saunders a youthful French teenager made the perfect accompaniment joining the group later in 2011 with his surf guitar lines that come with an unhinged quality, giving a dangerous sense of foreboding to Josh Bowyer’s trademark lackadaisical vocal delivery. The group was later completed that year when Lee Matthews joined on bass, instantly shadowing the infectious rhythms to complete their trademark ambient dream pop sound.

In Spring 2012 the band plan to release their second single entitled A YEAR, the stunning follow up to the bands debut offering in 2011 of Elephant Room - an exquisite piano-led track which paid homage to their early simpler roots in being the first track that the band played together.

Following on from the success of Elephant Room, which garnered praise from BBC6 Music, FakeDiY, The Sunday Times and Music Week, A Year beckons on closer listen the spectre of a melancholic song inspired through personal loss. Yet it is the song’s infectious melody and stirring chorus that commands closure leaving its tone uplifting and unique with every listen. It is this paradoxical quality that will see A Year just as easily fill headphones as dancefloors and reaffirm Channel Cairo as a understated British talent to watch out for in 2012.