Formed in 2006, Earth Calling Alice has already come a long way in its first two years. Gigs at the Red Lion Folk Club, Artsfest and the Midlands Art Centre, plays on Kerrang Radio and an increasing presence on MySpace; things are looking good!

It wasn’t meant to be this way of course. In fact, there was never really a conscious decision to form a band. The original idea was conceived by two men: Jim Bryant, emotive singer, songwriter, pianist(ish) and lover of pink shirts and Alex Theay, multi-talented songwriter, pianist(not ish), guitarist, singer, trumpeter (really) and all round clever bugger. They would record some songs initially written three years ago in a drunken stupor. Then maybe do a gig. Obviously they needed a name too. That came to Jim and Alex in another drunken stupor at a pub in Solihull, completely whole. Where the idea came from no one knows. Or needs to find out…

Then of course it all got out of hand. Mainly because people liked the music. Sometimes because people liked the name. It became clear that they could make something more from it.

Andy Marshall joined fairly soon after the decision to get their arses into gear was made. An excellent guitarist, he brought a sense of where to take the music that would lift it from its original form. Not only that, he introduced more folk, more beard and more badger to the line up. Together, the three members of the Alice band proceeded to create the acousto-thrash-jazz-folk that we all know and love today.

Part of the appeal is that not a single one of their number comes from a folk-music background. Jim had spent many years singing in alt-rock bands, Alex played (and still plays) keys in a variety of different styles and Andy destroyed young minds with thrash-metal. As such, influences come from far and wide. Nick Drake, Loudon Wainwright, Jackson C Frank, Neil Finn and Bert Jansch are obvious. Slayer, Pearl Jam, Iron Maiden and Alice In Chains aren’t. You might hear the odd sprinkling of Jellyfish, Radiohead or Marillion too. Who can say…

And so here they are. At the beginning of year three, with even more excitement, wonder and trousers just waiting for them. More and more gigs are on the horizon. They’re not in it for the money, nor the fame. It’s all for the music.