Artist description intense alternative rock

Music Style indie rock

Musical Influences joy division, the stooges, sonic youth

Similar Artists sonic youth, pixies

Artist History 'this dumb desire' evolved on a slow burn basis, it just happened. There was no aim of creating a band, let alone writing songs together. It was just something we all did that just happened to come together at a certain moment in time... Our origins can best be described as forming around early 1999 in two locations: Bristol (Ash & James) and the Forest of Dean (David). David had just taken up the guitar around this point while Ashley was a seasoned veteran of the drums since 1993 with various Leicester bands to his tally. James had sung when he was a kid but nothing serious hitherto. Ash and James met at University when James moved into Ash's house in 1998. They became best mates, a friendship based around a love of Nirvana, Apocalypse Now - drinking and dark humour. In 1999 James and Ash started messing around doing covers of Bowie hits. At this stage Paul Ashton a young guitarist from Plymouth was involved, he was a housemate of James and Ash, and a great friend. When James went home for Easter in 1999 he and his brother David wrote the first songs. An early version of "Purified" was written a little later, when James had a bout of self hating, self mutilation - and Ashley told hime to write something. Ashley also penned his first songs aimed at James voice. It wasn't until November 1999 that James, David and Ash played together. An imprompu set in the house in Bristol which had the neighbours screaming. Summer 2000 was the time at which most of the songs were written. James and David, have to be together to get the songs down, the Forest is also a means of inspiration, whether it be its sublimating beauty, or the surrounding hardship of local post-mining towns - bankrupt, on heroin. It was at this point that the band got serious, they got a name and they enlisted a bass player. Richey Barnes, was the bands first choice. The "shed session" (in Richey's shed) brought their first demo, with about 10 songs penned, among them "poppies" and "fluxatine", the band got there first gig - "The Severn Revels". At this local festival the band were on first, waking up a sleepy crowd of 40 with an raucous set. After the gig the band took a rest, James was organising his move to London, Ashley to Leeds. Richey also had to leave the band, his ambition was to play drums, not bass, and he remained a good friend. It looked as if there would be only one gig and the band would split. Yet hope arrived in London, James met Rob Hill and old acquaintance who lived in Wimbledon. Rob agreed to play bass and with this new hope, David and James began writing new songs "i'm no longer lucky".."crows" in preperation for a London gig. Again though it wasn't to be, Rob who had the London connections, was the most elusive bassist and by Christmas he had disappeared. James and David would not be dissuaded and organised a gig in Cardiff at "The Oz Bar" in the Spring. David's friend Charlie Wraith was quickly enlisted as temporary bassist. The "Oz Bar" gig did not go well, with no actual residents of Cardiff turning up. This bitter experience only added to the raw emotion in the set and the band discovered a more intense sound. Charlie became a fully fledged menber and setup a gig in Gloucester at "The Tall ships". This was a great success with over 100 people watching and a buzzing atmosphere. The band recorded another session in James' house using a 6 track, stolen from Charlie's old school, recording "conversation" and "poppies" among others. In the summer of 2001 this dumb desire wrote some more songs (including "waste land" and "waking dream") the sound became more raw and heavy as the sonic youth influences began to show. They debuted the new sound in cheltenham, in an effort to get a larger following. The JD Peppers gig was and remains there most successful both in terms of performance and audience. The band were on a new high. Yet later that summer Charlie, the most reliable bassist yet, decided to leave the band. Perhaps to pursue his interest in recreational drugs and hard house. This was a great shock, he left acrimoniously and the band have lost touch with him. In the winter of 2001 the band played a few gigs as a three piece, in Gloucester and Cheltenham to mixed success, ending each with raw anger and attempts to destroy their equipment. The band had the first proper talk in a while and decided to take some time off to record and for James to learn bass. The emphasis was on enjoying the music as in those early days of summer 2000. In the winter of 2001 the band launched there MP3.com site and this has become a success, bringing many more fans from across the world. In the spring of 2002, this dumb desire decided to move to London as the youth scene there is much more powerful and vibrant. The band are recording at some London studios and getting ready for London gigs.

Group Members Vocals: James Percy, Guitars: David Percy, Drums: Ashley Smart

Instruments Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Drums

Location London, London - United Kingdom

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