The Brent Flood

The Brent Flood is a four piece band based in London, England. Since their formation in Northern Ireland in 1997, their music has been likened to a number of classic British influences such as The Smiths and Blur, whereas, on some songs, the influence of post-punk revival bands such as Interpol and British Sea Power is evident.

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Members

The Brent Flood has 4 members. They are:

  • Jay Marsh - Vocals, Guitar
  • Rob Chesterman - Guitar
  • Eddie Stalsberg - Bass Guitar
  • Chris Chesterman - Drums

Music

The sound of The Brent Flood is definitely less abrasive than many of their British contemporaries. This is due to the heavy influence of recent US exports such as The Shins and Explosions in The Sky who rely on atmospheric guitars and slower tempos to create their sonic landscape.

The subject matter is diverse. Jay Marsh is as happy to fabricate a persona or a stance as he is to sing from a personal perspective. This has given the material a storytelling slant reminiscent of early American singer-songwriters such as Bob Dylan or Bruce Springstein.

History

The band formed in 1997 when J Marsh (vocals) moved to Northern Ireland from Manchester and met Rob Chesterman (guitar) and Chris Chesterman (drums) at Methodist College Belfast. In the early years they performed as a trio gigging exclusively in Northern Ireland. Eddie Stalsberg (bass) and Richard Simms (keyboard) joined the band in September 2000 as they sought to establish themselves in the live music scene in Belfast.

In September 2002 the band recorded The Limelight Lady EP at Homestead Studios, Randalstown under the direction of Mudd Wallace (Van Morrison, The Divine Comedy). This E.P. introduced two of their most popular tracks, The Mariner's Tale and My Only Angel.

Shortly after this time the band moved to Bristol and new recruit Sam Clarke replaced Stalsberg on bass. While studying at Bristol University they began to establish themselves within student circles playing the circuit of annual balls and student venues. In 2004 Simms left the band to pursue other projects, a move which resulted in a stylistic shift in The Brent Flood's sound as they chose not to audition for a replacement keyboard player. Later that year they recorded The Brent Flood E.P., comprised of 2 self-produced tracks and 2 tracks cut at a second session in Homestead. This E.P. received a Highly Commended award in the UK-wide Sennheiser Unsigned Artists Competition 2004.

In the summer of 2005 the band relocated to London in search of a more vibrant music scene and were rejoined by Stalsberg. They established themselves as regular performers on the London circuit and during this time they worked on several occasions with producer Jess Corcoran of Gravity Shack Studios in South London. The 5 track EP The Brent Flood: A Demonstration Tape which was recorded at Gravity Shack in September 2006 and included the single Heavy Petting. In May 2007 they recorded in Atomic Studios with the producers at The Animal Farm (theanimalfarm.co.uk). These sessions gave Paint Our FACES Red, Superhappy and Skinny Machines.

UK Discography

Singles and EPs

  • The Sylvia EP (UK 2001)
  • The Limelight Lady EP (UK 2002)
  • The Brent Flood EP (UK 2004)
  • The Not So Chiselled Now EP (UK 2006)
  • The Brent Flood: A Demonstration Tape (UK 2006)
  • The Brent Flood: Autumn 2007 EP (UK 2007)

Samples

  • Download sample of "(This One's For) Jethro's Baby" from The Not So Chiselled Now EP.

Trivia

  • The band are currently based in Tooting, South London. Their material contains various geographical references to London and the South East. The protagonist of Not So Chiselled Now is described as having a "Whitbread Surrey smile"; A Jolly Good Rant refers to "A field you own near Walthamstow" and This One's For Jethro's Baby refers to the "Northern Line to Morden". Walthamstow Central is the most northerly station on the Victoria Line of London Underground and Morden is the most southerly station on the Northern Line, only 4 stops past Tooting Broadway.
  • "The Brent Flood" was not the original band name. After a series of short-lived alternatives it was coined in 2000 by Duncan Harvey, a popular D.J. in Glasgow and long time acquaintance of the band.

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