Blackbud

Blackbud comprises Joe Taylor on vocals and guitar, Sam Nadel on drums, and Adam Newton on bass. The three English indie rock musicians first crossed paths as students at St. Laurence School in Wiltshire, their home county. Shared enthusiasm for Radiohead, Jimi Hendrix, and Jeff Buckley quickly drew them together, prompting the formal launch of Blackbud in December 2002. By 2004 the band had appeared at Glastonbury and supported Hope of the States across Spain. A limited-edition single issued by Fierce Panda followed, yet real traction arrived late that year with the Livewire EP. Impressed by the trio’s raw energy, the British label Independiente offered a recording deal to the still-teenage musicians in 2005. Youth, whose credits include Killing Joke, Embrace, and Beth Orton, helmed the follow-up EP Heartbeat, which surfaced that November. The group’s first album, From the Sky, was then scheduled for release in the United Kingdom the following July.