To mark our first amplified, electric, FULL ON, full band night, with our friends “Before The Gold Rush” on 29th Aug at The Sebright Arms, here’s the first in a short series of guest blogs from some of the acts performing. Below Blind Atlas tell us how they formed and what has influenced their sound…

Blind Atlas was born in Manchester, none of the members, however were born there. We all ended up in Manchester drifting from different parts of the UK except for Ross who came all the way over from the States, Denver to be precise. I’m sure Manchester itself added influence to our music, it’s hard to write happy lyrics and music when the weather is always pretty crap for 11 months of the year! We relocated down to London a couple of years ago and we have some happier tunes so maybe there is something in that… Your surroundings and state of mind can play a big part on the music you’re writing at the time, along with the other music you are listening to.

We all shared common influences enough to get together to form a band and like all good bands we have differing tastes and bring some of that into our music. Some bits are subtle like maybe a thrown in hendrix guitar lick or a reference to another band’s songs in the lyrics. The diverse tastes of music include things like old blues stuff, GnR, Dolly Parton, Radiohead, Bach or movie soundtracks.The more common links between us musically are Ryan Adams, Neil Young, Grateful Dead, Magnolia Electric Co., Rolling Stones, Dylan (although maybe not the 80s stuff!) and Townes Van Zandt. A song may be born into the band as a full on country or folk song, but then an added riff or a bit of distortion/feedback can turn it into something completely different or sometimes it goes the opposite way, full on rock to a folk ballad. With a different line-up in London and the addition of a pedal steel player, we are probably leaning more to the Country element of things at the moment, but with new guitar gadgets being bought that could all change…

Come and see Blind Atlas live at “Before the Gold Rush: Under The Influence” at The Sebright Arms this Friday, Aug 29th. Entry £5/£6. 31-35 Coate St, London E2 9AG. 7.30pm till late. For advance tickets please visit beforethegoldrush.co.uk.