Interview with Paul Elliott - Q Magazine

Young British rock band Caimbo will play at the prestigious Download festival on June 14 before releasing their debut single, Heart & Soul, in September.
Following a series of sold-out London shows at the Borderline and the Barfly, the band are putting the finishing touches to their first album, Electric Dreams, which is scheduled for release in early ‘09. The album is being produced by Ben Mason (Arctic Monkeys, Razorlight, The Kooks) and mixed by Tim Palmer (U2, Pearl Jam, Robert Plant).
Caimbo are described by XFM as “R.O.C.K. in that old-school, big-hair, strutting and sweating way – a combination of cracking tunes, good looks, youth, and that inherent thing that makes some bands just spark and fizz on stage.” Time Out predicts that Caimbo “could follow Razorlight into the charts. “Whilst Q states simply: “Hair Rock returns!”
Caimbo’s influences range from The Strokes and Kings Of Leon to The Rolling Stones, U2 and The Police. “Our music is all about energy and vibe,” says 20 year-old frontman Leo Robarts, who formed the band in 2001 with three schoolmates: Piers Mortimer (guitar), Ali Sloane (bass) and Dave Cullin (drums). “We love playing live,” says Piers, “so to get a gig at Download before our first single is out is a fucking a good effort!“
The band will be undertaking a massive UK tour in September to coincide with the release of their debut single Heart & Soul. The song was recorded in Spring 2008 at Ray Davies’ London studio Konk, where The Kooks recorded their album of the same name. “We just knocked it out,” says Piers, “and it turned into this epic rock song. It really sums up what this band is all about: it Rocks, it’s got catchy lyrics, great drumming, groovy bass… and of course a classic Piers’ guitar solo!”
Heart & Soul is released on September 15 via Caimbo’s own imprint 3 Blonds And A Giant – a tongue-in-cheek reference to the band’s image. The single will be available as CD, vinyl and download. Caimbo’s Something In The Way, featured in Q’s 50 Essential Tracks To Download in May 2008.
The album, Electric Dreams, will follow in 2009. Initial tracks were recorded at The Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire, it marks Ben Mason’s debut as a producer.As Leo explains, “Ben is quite young, in his 20’s, so he gets us. He has a real feeling for what we do.”
Tim Palmer mixed the album in Los Angeles. His previous credits include U2’s All That You Can Leave Behind, Pearl Jam’s masterpiece Ten, Bowie’s Tin Machine and Robert Plant’s Now & Zen.
Caimbo are naming the album Electric Dreams because, as Piers explains, “It captures the energy of our music.” And as for the name of the band itself: it’s Leo’s slang for the city of Cambridge, close to where the band grew up. “Caimbo is a made-up word,” he says, “so therefore it has no obvious meaning, and people won’t have any preconceived ideas about the band. The name’s like a good tune, once you’ve heard it, it’s stuck in your brain.”
Paul Elliott - Q Magazine

CAIMBO – PRESS QUOTES 2008

CAIMBO They are R.O.C.K. in that old school, big hair, strutting and sweating way. The combination of cracking tunes, good looks, youth and that inherent thing that makes some bands just spark and fizz onstage. They played like it was Wembley and there were 90,000 fans singing all the words. It's just a matter of time!”
Marsha Shandur, XFM Radio
Young Cambridge rockers CAIMBO who sound incredibly accomplished for their tender years and should follow Razorlight into the charts...
Time Out
MONSTERS OF ROCK! Meet CAIMBO our favourite new band...
F*@K MAGAZINE
Our cover stars CAIMBO, screams "Stadium Rock Band" and we're certain it won't be too long before you see these boys playing some of the biggest venues around the globe...
Music-Zine
Hair Rock Returns! This largely teenage quartet from Cambridge come on like McFly tackling the Guns N’ Roses songbook..
Paul Rees, Q Magazine