Witness

Witness have been together since April 1997, although the roots of the band stretch back to the time, over a decade ago, when singer Gerard Starkie and guitarist Ray Chan first met in the Northern England town of Wigan.

They played together in a series of dead-end bands before eventually deciding on a more focused course of action. Immediately before Witness, for instance, there was an six-piece version of the band – called variously Siren and High Mountain Jag, depending on which gig they played – which collapsed when the bass player and keyboardist both quit. From the embers came Witness, with Dylan Keeton switching from guitar to bass.

Finding a deal with Island Records after a handful of soulful demos, the band’s evolution from bedroom to studio was rapid. John Langley, the drummer formerly with Strangelove, joined Witness in time to play on the band’s debut recordings, ‘Quarantine’ c/w ‘Into the Waves’, which were released as a limited edition seven-inch vinyl single in November 1998.

The band also played a clutch of well received live shows with the likes of Whiskeytown, Grand Drive, Gene and Son Volt, leading to a rising UK media reputation that was cemented by numerous ‘Tips for the Tops’ in the New Year polls.

Before the end of 1998, Witness went into the studio with producer Phil Vinall to start work on the band’s first album. The immediate result was ‘Scars’, a track released as the second Witness single at the start of this year.

By the early part of 1999, Witness and Phil Vinall were working together at the Rockfield Studios in South Wales. The result is an album of extraordinary emotive power, showcasing the band’s creative rise since their first demo tapes in late-1997.

As a prelude to the album, Witness’s third single, ‘Audition’, was released in June. It coincided with the band’s first UK national television appearance on BBC-2’s ‘Later with Jools Holland’.

Witness — augmented by second guitarist Julian ‘Jazz’ Pransky-Poole (ex-Strangelove) – then went on the road again, playing their own headlining tour as well as supporting both Hurricane #1 and Wilco. Witness also appeared at the Glastonbury Festival, playing a triumphant set that reinforced the band’s critical reputation.

The band’s hugely acclaimed debut album, “Before the Calm’ was released by Island Records on 12th July 1999.