This fiery five-piece band hails from Lanarkshire, near Glasgow.Founding guitarists Greg Leighton and David "Avi" Davidson have been playing music and writing together since 1995.After various name and line-up changes, vocalist Grant Campbell and Jason J Hastings (drums) joined in late 2000, and Austin made their live debut in April 2001, establishing themselves as a bright new live act, quickly building up a loyal fan-base in their local area. Well-received shows at many of Glasgows salient venues soon followed; including Nice n Sleazys; The Cathouse; Barfly and The Ferry. An early highlight was a memorable night at The Garage, supporting The Shirehorses (then more commonly known as Radio 1s Mark & Lard).Amongst all this, in 2004, Bassist Brian MacDougall joined the band, forging a powerful and dynamic rhythm section partnership with Hastings. Unfortunately a move to England in late 2006 meant saw the end of MacDougall's run with the band and after a long search they recruited the expertise of new bassist Ross McGlaughlin (Of DKarts fame) in mid 2007.The group are constantly adding to their live repertoire, and have amassed an impressive amount of material. All five members share song-writing duties, and this is a major factor in their eclectic, and prolific musical output . Diverse styles like country, funk, and jazz are obvious influences. However, dont be fooled - Austin rock! Check out Delayed, and the edgy Go Blind, or the blistering This Life Cant Last.Also, several Austin compositions have been described as atmospheric, and even cinematic in their scope. In this respect, live favourite Dead Man Walking instantly springs to mind, as does Money Shot, a track that could have been ripped from a moody road movie soundtrack. For all their diversity, the band retain a cohesive sound that is uniquely Austin.In this age of the soundbyte, Austin are happy to let their music do the talking. No outspoken comments or gimmicks are needed.Refreshingly, they arent out to change the world their ingeniously simple plan is to keep writing great songs, play them well, have a laugh, and make some new friends along the way.If you havent already seen Austin play live, then youre in for a treat!
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