“I think people are surprised when they come to see us live.” says Peter Liddle, heavily tattooed frontman of London’s Dry the River. “They expect us to be really calm and quiet but in some ways we’re the opposite.”
You can see why people get confused: this five-piece band has all the hallmarks of the latest folk sensation: elemental name, beards, acoustic guitars, even a violinist. But what sets Dry the River apart is a background in hardcore and post-punk bands, hence the tattoos, lyrics that read like a Steinbeck novel and a sonic palette that sweeps from gentle to giant like an incoming storm.
Dry the River formed in spring 2009 and have lived together in the same shared house in Stratford east London since. Citing an esoteric list of influences – Leonard Cohen, At The Drive-In, Neil Young, Arlo Guthrie, Neutral Milk Hotel, Bruce Springsteen and Devendra Banhart – the band draw as much from their shared love of U.S. hardcore as they do from the classic songwriters they all admire. After three years and three EPs the band released their critically acclaimed debut album Shallow Bed last year.
Despite all that, Dry the River haven’t had a huge breakthrough yet and the press haven’t hyped them as the next big indie folk band. While I would certainly grant them the success and attention they well deserve, I’m also happy to be able to see them in a small club once more.
Thanks to the wonderful people at Queen About Music, Blitzgigs has two double passes for the show to giveaway.
To grab your free tickets, just email us at winwinwin@www.blitzgigs.de with your full name and the answer to the following question…
What’s the name of Dry The River’s debut album?
Winners are drawn at random and the competition closes Dec 3rd. Good Luck!
