Biography
Hayman, Watkins, Trout and Lee formed in East London as a country and bluegrass quartet drawn from indie rock circles, functioning essentially as a side project supergroup led by cult songwriter Darren Hayman, formerly of the now-defunct indie pop band Hefner. Hayman, who has also issued solo recordings and performed with the French, first floated the notion of assembling a bluegrass outfit during a 2005 dinner party with Dave Watkins from Pete & the Egg. Watkins agreed to pick up the banjo specifically for the project, while Hayman took up bass; they then recruited Simon Trought from Tompaulin, who already possessed a mandolin, along with John Lee of B-Monster, who joined despite limited prior exposure to the genre. The initial configuration began by rehearsing covers for informal live performances under a loose plan to rotate songwriting and vocal responsibilities, without any immediate intention of entering a studio.
Within roughly a year, Trought and Lee exited and were succeeded by violinist Dan Mayfield, known for his work with Enderby and Ellis Island Sound and, like Watkins, a participant in Hayman’s backing ensemble the Secondary Modern, as well as Dave Tattersall from the Wave Pictures. Retaining the original, now-misleading name, the revised lineup brought greater technical command and structure to the group, prompting them to commit their material to tape. The resulting self-titled album, captured across a single weekend at Hayman’s residence, surfaced on Fortuna POP! in 2008 and included several original compositions, a selection of traditional instrumentals, and renditions of songs by Townes Van Zandt, Huey “Piano” Smith, and the Mountain Goats.
Within roughly a year, Trought and Lee exited and were succeeded by violinist Dan Mayfield, known for his work with Enderby and Ellis Island Sound and, like Watkins, a participant in Hayman’s backing ensemble the Secondary Modern, as well as Dave Tattersall from the Wave Pictures. Retaining the original, now-misleading name, the revised lineup brought greater technical command and structure to the group, prompting them to commit their material to tape. The resulting self-titled album, captured across a single weekend at Hayman’s residence, surfaced on Fortuna POP! in 2008 and included several original compositions, a selection of traditional instrumentals, and renditions of songs by Townes Van Zandt, Huey “Piano” Smith, and the Mountain Goats.