The Union

Emerging from the remnants of contrasting outfits within the British blues-rock landscape—one an overlooked modern act, the other a long-running powerhouse—The Union united Peter Shoulder, frontman of the North East trio Winterville, and Luke Morley, primary songwriter, guitarist, and producer for London rock stalwarts Thunder. Winterville issued just a single album, Everything in Moderation, prior to disbanding in 2007. The pair had first crossed paths in 2001 and continued occasional collaborations over the next eight years whenever their separate group obligations permitted. Only after Thunder disbanded in 2009, following two decades and nine studio albums, did the duo commence recording as The Union. For live performances they enlisted Morley’s ex-bandmate Chris Childs on bass alongside Phil Martini, drummer with both Quireboys and Tokyo Dragons. Their inaugural show took place that same year at London’s The Relentless Garage, after which they appeared at the Sonisphere and High Voltage festivals plus a headline tour of their own. The self-titled debut arrived in 2010, propelled by the singles “Step Up to the Plate,” “Watch the River Flow,” and “This Time Next Year,” and ventured into a broader palette that encompassed blues, Americana, folk, and acoustic textures while retaining the harder-edged approach for which the principals were known. The album earned them Best New Band of the Year at the Classic Rock Awards, leading to support slots on European runs by Thin Lizzy, Triggerfinger, and Whitesnake, before the follow-up Siren’s Song appeared in 2011.