AN Indie rock band with links to Burton are hoping to emulate their heroes fromrock‘n’ roll’s fabled past after securing a record dealwith a Spanish label.
The Silver Factory, whose lead guitarist,Matt Vinall, lives in Burton, have signed a two albumdeal with Elefant Records with publishing rights in the UK through the influential Rough Trade concern.
The band, featuringmembers fromDerby, Leicester and Nottingham, formed in 2008 but Vinall, originally fromPortsmouth, entered the fray in September last year aftermoving to Burton when hemarried his wife, Emily.
“I put an ad on (website) JoinMyBand and was asked to go and rehearse with the Silver Factory on lead guitar,” saysVinall. “They were into their 60s music, stuff like The Byrds, and we just gelled instantly.
“Twomonths later we signed with Elefant and that was absolutely huge for us. It’s a brilliant label and you have full artistic control. The guy who runs it, for himit’s all about themusic— he’s so passionate about it.”
The label’s labour of love-style approach is evidenced by its insistence on resurrecting the mediumof vinyl, which had once seemed defunct, with the debut Silver Factory EP, The Sun Shines Over You released on green vinyl late last year, a new 10-inch EP due out thismonth, with an album expected in the summer.
“I think vinyl ismaking a resurgence,” saysVinall.
“It’s a physical thing— something you can hold in your hand and you get that crackle when you drop the needle on.”
The band, whose Elefant lablemates include 80s stars The Primitives,mine that decade themselves for influences ranging fromindie acts who featured on the influential NME compilation tape C86 to the Stone Roses.
Vinall cites that band as a huge influence and speaks approvingly of their forthcoming reunion this summer.
He says: “I was obsessed by their first album. It inspiredme to pick up a guitar and start playing. I think it’s brilliant they’re getting back together because they’ve got unfinished business and they deserve their pay day.”
The band’s line-up is comprised ofVinall, songwriter, rhythmguitarist and founder Fran Feely, singerMarc Johnston, bassist Luke Headland and drummer Paul Hobbs.
They appear at the Oh!Vanity club night supporting hotly tipped band the Deadbeat Echos at the Grosvenor, in Brixton, south London, tomorrow, play festival dates in Spain nextmonth and return to the UK for the Indietracks Festival at Butterley, near Ripley, in July, continuing their steps towards global domination—hopefully.
“We want to take the world,” says Vinall. “We want tomake it as big and successful as possible, but we’re not doing it for themoney but for the passion formusic.
“These are exciting times for us and things are going well. I’mhoping within the year we can be full-timemusicians and I’d be happy earning £1,000 permonth to play the guitar.”
More information about Silver Factory is available online at www.thesilverfactoryband.com
