The Gresham Flyers profile picture

The Gresham Flyers

About Me


Formed in 2005, London-based powerpop misfits The Gresham Flyers started life as a septet of friends brought together by the internet. This proves that despite what The Daily Mail says, it does do some good. Since then, the band have been through three different lineups into their current five-piece configuration in order to realise their manifesto; the firm belief that pop music should be FUN, ENTHUSIASTIC, THOUGHTFUL and GENUINE. With four songwriters and three singers, the sound is diverse, but always exciting.
To say that The Gresham Flyers have a wide breadth of influence is an understatement; they may not agree on what bands to call influences (there is not one band that they all agree on liking), but what they create reflects the best part of their record collections. Initially likened to Belle & Sebastian due to lead singer/ songwriter John Waring's focus on kitchen-sink minutiae and indiepop-based sound (a comparison the band now shun), a closer description would now be somewhere between Pulp's claustrophobic, synthetic sleaze and The Arcade Fire's anthemic histrionics, with a dash of Prolapse's dual vocal approach thrown in for good measure.
Following the release of the Shiftwork 7" in 2006 ("a cracking little single that is sure to announce the band to the wider world" – Rough Trade), and numerous appearances on compilation CDs, the band released debut album Sex With Strangers in July 2008. The album was picked up by Cherryade Records, and has drawn much acclaim as "well crafted indie pop with a bite" and "genuine pop bliss…melding some of the finest indie pop of the last 20 years into their own form". As a bonus, 2008 also saw the release of a split 10" with fellow Londoners Wintergreen.
Live, the band have picked up a devoted following thanks to their outstanding performances with bands such as Bearsuit, Saturday Looks Good To Me, Lucky Luke, Ladybug Transistor, Persil, MJ Hibbett, The Loves and Kristeen Young. The belief that the current configuration is their best yet is borne out by their improved live performances; Martin, Thom and James provide a fearsome backline, while Sharon and John offer dual vocals leading the fray with wit, charm and enthusiasm, adhering to the manifesto of providing pop music with a smile. While the instrument-changing sets of the previous six-piece lineup have settled down, there are still plenty of opportunities for members to swap roles, each being proficient multi-instrumentalists.
The album is available directly from the Cherryade Records website here: http://www.cherryademusic.co.uk/buysws.html and the first 50 buyers will receive a free copy of our debut single Shiftwork!
There is also a song about hitting an elephant with a cricket bat.
The full album tracklisting is:

1. Everyone Has To Meet Somewhere
2. Suits
3. Student Nurse
4. Foolscap
5. Cricket Bat
6. Higher Education
7. Shiftwork
8. Clockwatching
9. Red Nose Day
10. Falling Down
11. Pretty But Not Beautiful

If you want a copy of Shiftwork (7") or the Gresham Flyers/Wintergreen split 10", send us a message on Myspace - we only have a few copies left!
The Kids At The Club compilation (featuring Blackpool) can be bought via How Does It Feel Records: http://www.howdoesitfeel.co.uk/hdiflabel.html
A Very Cherry Christmas, Vol. 3 (featuring Diamond White Christmas) and Vol. 4 (featuring Perfect Christmas Snow) are available at the Cherryade Site here: http://www.cherryademusic.co.uk
You can buy Sex With Strangers on CD in all good record stores, or digitally:
Emusic .

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 04/10/2005
Band Website: www.thegreshamflyers.com
Band Members: Brother John Waring:
Vocals/ Guitar
(+ Keyboards/ Bass)

Brother Martin Hall:
Guitar
(+ Bass)

Sister Sharon Leach:
Vocals/ Keyboards
(+ Percussion/ Bass)

Brother Thom Allott:
Bass
(+ Guitar/ Keyboards/ Percussion/ Drums/ Vocals)

Brother James Agnew:
Drums
(+ Keyboards/ Percussion/ Bass/ Guitar/ Vocals)
Influences: The Arcade Fire
Art Brut
The Beach Boys
Belle & Sebastian
Blur
De Novo Dahl
The Deviants/ Mick Farren
Dexys Midnight Runners
Duran Duran
ELO
Fairport Convention
The Fall
The Features
Fleetwood Mac (mostly Bob Welch-era)
Inspiral Carpets
New Order
Love
The Millennium
Ooberman
The Organ
Pink Floyd
Pulp
Rihanna
Roxy Music
Sparks
Super Furry Animals
Talking Heads
10cc
The The
The Tubes
The United States of America
The Wedding Present
The Who
XTC
The Zombies
Sounds Like: On one hand, pouring a bag full of sherbert into a bottle of lemonade on the first day of the school holidays and consuming the lot.On the other, putting some meths in a can of Skol just after you've been battered by a tramp, and downing it in one.
The Gresham Flyers - Berry Buck Mills Stipe MyGen Profile Generator

Record Label: Cherryade Records mainly, but others too...
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

The Gresham Flyers sign to Universal Records

The Gresham Flyers are pleased to announce that they have signed a deal with Universal Records in The Philippines for the release of their 2008 album Sex With Strangers.  This marks the first internat...
Posted by on Fri, 22 May 2009 05:49:00 GMT

Gig Archive.48 - 6th May 2009

The blog is being used as an archive of our past shows...if you were thereand have any thoughts, opinions or pictures to share, please post them below!Venue: Catch, LondonBands: The Gresham Flyers/...
Posted by on Wed, 06 May 2009 15:59:00 GMT

Gig Archive.47 - 1st May 2009

The blog is being used as an archive of our past shows...if you were thereand have any thoughts, opinions or pictures to share, please post them below!Venue: 229, LondonBands: ? /The Gresham Flyers...
Posted by on Fri, 01 May 2009 15:59:00 GMT

Six songs! SIX SONGS!

Happy days!  Or rather, happy day!  Per our last blog entry, we set aside some time in the studio today; John's off gallivanting around the country so there was just four of us today, and even then Sh...
Posted by on Sat, 25 Apr 2009 12:25:00 GMT

Being The Bloguine

Hello all, Im writing this to the soundtrack of multiple versions of Begin The Beguine; my granddad once told me a story about how when he was on shore leave and at a dance, a sailor hopped ...
Posted by on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 06:07:00 GMT

Gig Archive.46 - 17th March 2009

The blog is being used as an archive of our past shows...if you were thereand have any thoughts, opinions or pictures to share, please post them below!Venue: The Wheatsheaf, OxfordBands:  White Sails/...
Posted by on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:59:00 GMT

www.thegreshamflyers.com

Just in case you hadn't noticed, our sparkly new website is active.  No longer will www.thegreshamflyers.com point at MySpace, but at our own dedicated site, complete with MUSIC, FACT, and PHOTOS.  It...
Posted by on Sat, 04 Apr 2009 03:43:00 GMT

Gig Archive.45a - 31st March 2009

The blog is being used as an archive of our past shows...if you were thereand have any thoughts, opinions or pictures to share, please post them below!Venue: The Lamb Pub, LondonBands:  MJ Hibbett/ Ge...
Posted by on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:59:00 GMT

Gig Archive.44 - 15th March 2009

The blog is being used as an archive of our past shows...if you were thereand have any thoughts, opinions or pictures to share, please post them below!Venue: The Wilmington Arms, LondonBands: The Gres...
Posted by on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:59:00 GMT

Gig Archive.45 - 26th March 2009

The blog is being used as an archive of our past shows...if you were thereand have any thoughts, opinions or pictures to share, please post them below!Venue: 93 Feet East, LondonBands:  The Gresham Fl...
Posted by on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:59:00 GMT