Log in to your account
No upcoming concerts
Stats
Biography
Lead singer Peter Liddle, who was originally born in Norway, started Dry the River as a solo platform for his singer/songwriting, finding inspiration in his university studies of medicine and anthropology. With the addition of punk-rock drummer Jon Warren, classically trained violinist William Harvey, guitarist Matt Taylor and Scott Miller on bass Dry the River was set to blossom, with their mix of melodic instrumentation with indie, folk and classical elements.
The band landed a record deal with Transgressive in 2009 just after releasing their debut self-released EP titled “The Chambers & The Valves”. The release allowed the band a heavy tour schedule supporting the likes of Johnny Flynn, Paloma Faith and The Magic Numbers. On top of this Dry the River had their first headline show at the Luminaire in London, followed by strong performances at Glastonbury and SXSW festivals.
The band’s first full-length album titled “Shallow Bed” was released March 12, 2012 and was recorded in the U.S. with producer Peter Katis, who is known for his work with Interpol and The National. The album’s lead single “New Ceremony” became very popular due to backing by BBC Radio 1 and XFM and was played at the many European and U.S. festivals the band played in support of the album.
The following year Dry the River headed to Iceland to record their follow-up album “Alarms in the Heart” which was released on August 25, 2014.
Live reviews
A good friend recommended Dry The River to me after we suffered missing out on Bon Iver tickets when he came to our University town. I think it’s fair to say that after listening to the first line of Peter Liddle’s lead vocals, I understood exactly why. His high falsetto vocals have almost the exact same airy quality as Justin Vernon of Bon Iver but their overall sound doesn’t attempt to mimic his music. The rhythm of Dry The River tracks are much more upbeat, folky and altogether not dissimilar to Dallas Green (of City and Colour and Alexisonfire fame). This is especially noticeable on tracks like “Shaker Hymns” and “Demons” where backing vocalists Matthew Taylor and Scott Miller harmonise with Liddle to create ethereal layers to overlay the rhythmic guitar melodies and smoother chord progressions. I managed to catch them live at their album launch at Rise Records in Bristol in 2011, (one of the best record stores I’ve ever encountered, if you get a chance, go! They have a massive range of music, films and books plus a new brilliant café downstairs with the best, wholesome food ever, but back to the music…) Rise is an independent, intimate venue that offered tickets to this performance when you purchased the band’s LP, which all made for a crowd filled with excitement and anticipation and a brilliant, appreciative atmosphere. Dry The River did not disappoint – they played a brilliant selection from their debut album, ‘Shallow Beds,’ a favourite of mine though, was the more electric guitar-lead haunting track, “New Ceremony” which made for a welcomed change in tempo to their other tacks and really showcased their showmanship and musical ability well. In short, if you get the chance to see Dry The River, do not miss it.
hbrownn02
There are certain bands that you listen to for the first time and just feel as if they’ve been around forever; London four-piece Dry the River are one such outfit. They played live extensively and honed their craft for three years in between their formation in 2009 and the release, in 2012, of their first LP, Shallow Bed; it marked one of the most intelligent, self-assured British debuts for some years, blending all the best elements of recent indie rock - a little Arcade Fire here, a little Wild Beasts there - to create an album that carried a genuine emotional weight in elegant fashion. As many of the critics who responded to Shallow Bed positively noted, too, it was the sheer sumptuousness of the sound that made it stand out; it was something, too that the band were successful in translating to the stage for their live shows, despite only appearing in their basic form; no extra musicians were taken on the road when they supported the album across the UK in April of 2012. And if you won’t take my word for it, ask one of their unlikeliest fans; Rio Ferdinand showed up to their Manchester show on that particular tour.
Joeg_67
Videos (33)
