An Americana ensemble hailing from the scholarly university enclave of Cambridge, England, might appear ill-conceived at first glance, yet the Southern gothic evangelists the Band proved four-fifths Canadian, demonstrating that the genre functions more as a mindset than a strict geographic requirement. The Broken Family Band came together in Cambridge during 2001, initially envisioning itself as a loose collective where participants would rotate in and out based on availability and inclination. Although recurring collaborators and guests frequently appear on recordings and at performances, the lineup soon settled around singer-guitarist Steven Adams, lead guitarist Jay Williams, bassist Gavin Johnson, and drummer Mick Roman. The group issued its first release, the seven-track EP The King Will Build a Disco, on the independent Snowstorm imprint in late 2002. Spring 2003 brought the single “The Perfect Gentleman,” followed that summer by the full-length debut Cold Water Songs. Three additional singles—“Mitchum’s Corner,” released on the respected German alt-country label Glitterhouse, along with “At the Back of the Chapel” and “Poor Little Thing”—and the EP Jesus Songs paved the way for the second album, Welcome Home, Loser, in 2005. Early 2006 saw the arrival of the third album, Balls, with the fourth, Hello Love, emerging in summer 2007.
