The Rumble Strips

While the standard rock configuration of two guitars, bass, and drums continues to prevail, the British quartet the Rumble Strips pursue a contrasting path, centering their distinctive sound on Charlie Waller's acoustic guitar and dramatic vocal delivery, the soulful horn contributions of Henry Clark and Tom Gorbutt, and Matthew Wheeler's sharp, concise drumming. The name derives from the narrow grooves along highway shoulders that generate sound and vibration whenever fatigued motorists cross them. Waller, who spent his formative years in the modest Devon town of Tavistock, established the group after deciding to emulate his uncle's career as a rock-band musician. An early fascination with songwriting during adolescence remained largely dormant until he relocated to London and earned an art-college qualification. Balancing jobs painting and decorating, he rediscovered his musical drive and, after reconnecting with Tavistock native Tom Gorbutt, resolved to launch a band. Waller and Gorbutt then enlisted fellow Tavistock expatriates Clark and Wheeler, thereby bringing the Rumble Strips into existence.

Their earthy, soul-inflected style initially struggled to attract listeners, prompting Waller to split his efforts between the Rumble Strips and Vincent Vincent & the Villains. Managing simultaneous commitments to both acts—without either ensemble learning of the other—eventually proved unsustainable, leading him to step away from music temporarily. Momentum returned once the London independent imprint Transgressive Records extended a recording contract. The band's first single, "Motorcycle," preceded extensive United Kingdom touring alongside Dirty Pretty Things, the Young Knives, and the Zutons, after which the Island-distributed Fallout label signed them in 2006. Their EP Cardboard Coloured Dreams appeared before year's end, followed by album sessions completed in Los Angeles for an anticipated 2007 release. That project materialized as the debut album Girls and Weather, issued in September 2007. Mark Ronson helmed the more refined follow-up, Welcome to the Walk Alone, which surfaced in 2009.