Syd Arthur

Since forming in 2006, the British psych-rock quartet Syd Arthur has steeped itself in Canterbury's storied musical past, absorbing the progressive explorations of late-'60s and early-'70s pioneers such as the Soft Machine and Caravan before refracting those elements through a modern perspective. Liam and Joel MaGill, brothers who handle guitar and bass, encountered drummer Fred Rother and violinist Raven Bush—nephew of Kate Bush—during their school years, after which the quartet came together and spent its early period performing live, refining an ornate jazz-rock approach, and constructing Wicker Studios in 2009. That same year the band tracked its debut EP, Moving World, which appeared in 2010 via the group's own New Dawn Recording Company label and drew acclaim from leading U.K. outlets. The single "Ode to Summer" followed in 2011, and Syd Arthur issued its first full-length album, On and On, the next year. Strong reviews for the LP attracted the notice of Britain's storied Harvest Records, which signed the band and reissued On and On in late 2013. May 2014 brought the swift arrival of the follow-up, Sound Mirror. In 2015 Liam and Joel's younger brother, Josh Magill, began substituting for Fred Rother, who had developed severe tinnitus; the arrangement soon became permanent. Josh's initial recorded contribution arrived the subsequent year on the band's third Harvest album, Apricity.