AGENT

Agent emerged onto the New Zealand music scene in early 2003. Combining a mixture of hard rock, metal, and alternative undertones with a twist of funk, Agent has developed a unique sound, which bucks any current trends. Agent features James Donaldson (vocals and guitar), Tim Hargreaves (drums) and Matt Flower (bass and backing vocals). Agent formed after long time jam buddies Donaldson and original drummer Zane Read decided they were ready to take their music out of the practice room and start something more serious. Recruiting bass player Red Mann, the trio began writing and performing their own take on hard rock/metal. To date Agent has released The Pheng Nom Shakedown EP (2003) from which the title track was released as a single along with a video on C4 and Juice TV. Other songs on the EP have appeared on various New Zealand Music compilation CDs and have featured as soundtracks on Sky TV s/TV2 s extreme sport and music show XSTV. Agent spent most of 2004 playing numerous live shows around NZ including their own headlining North Island tour. 2004 also saw their second foray into the studio, which resulted in the single Power Trip (released January 2005). It was around this time that Red Mann announced that he was leaving the band for personal reasons. It was an amicable split and Mann agreed to stay on until a replacement bassist was found, he still remains a close friend of the bands. 2005 began with the addition of bass player Matt Flower who brought a whole new dimension and freshness to the band with his funk roots. Agent returned to the studio and recorded the Hiatus EP (June 2005), which included two bonus tracks Pawn and Cold Culture Artwork. This release received some very positive reviews in leading NZ music publications. An accompanying video was released to TV and Hiatus started getting regular rotation on the b-nets, Paul Martin s Axe Attack on The Rock, Kiwi FM, The Generator, and The Revv. The rest of 2005 saw Agent make it through to the World Battle of the Bands New Zealand final, where Read took out the award for Best Drummer and Flower received the award for Best Bassist and Best Instrumentalist. In February 2006 Agent entered the studio to record their first full-length album. After laying down a number of tracks, 12 were chosen and the result became Expand/Contract (September 2006). Expand/Contract explores most of the sound scape that is Agent, from the funk slap bass of Crave to the driving double kicks of Independent Thought Alarm to the sing along chorus of Hiatus to the psychedelic rock influenced Etunim a Ni and everything in between, Expand/Contract shows Agent are comfortable experimenting and taking risks with their music. For the remainder of 2006 and the majority of 2007 Agent toured NZ promoting Expand/Contract, which received 5 star reviews in NZ music publications and websites. At the end of 2007 after putting in the hard yards in NZ, Agent made the decision to move the band to London, England to further their musical opportunities. The move came with the departure of original drummer Zane Read and the addition of Tim Hargreaves as chief skin beater. Agent now reside in West London between the suburbs of Fulham, Shepherds Bush, and Bayswater and are currently rehearsing their new live show and working on new material for their second album.Check out the Hiatus video from June 2005! Please note that this is the Hiatus EP version of the recording and the song was re-recorded for the Expand/Contract album but you get the idea.