TEAM WATERPOLO BIOGRAPHY
Waterpolo is a team sport that requires a large degree of stamina, athleticism and skill……and you spend the entire time trying not to drown. Thankfully, Team Waterpolo’s history thus far has not been quite so much of a struggle. But a team game it most definitely has been, with all the players involved being of Premiership quality.
The gods of fortune seem to be smiling on this four piece from Preston, Lancashire. A chance rendezvous of old school friends in July 2007, all sharing a desire to get back to what they did briefly when they were 14 year olds; playing around in a band. Armed with only a limited amount of equipment and no real idea of what they were doing, their initial sessions gave birth to the off kilter pop gem that is Letting Go. With the tune having been crafted with only a simple Mac computer, a keyboard, a guitar and a microphone, the band’s only real option for getting their music heard was to put it on that contemporary Mecca of instant music access, MySpace. From then on the magic began to happen and just kept right on going. Within a matter of weeks they were the featured artist on the Myspace Music Page, gaining a huge number of fans in the process and generating a very excited response. It wasn’t long before the industry took notice.
Cue the whirlwind year of 2008 which saw the band record and release it's first two singles on indie labels Moshi Moshi and Yo Yo Acapulco, play gigs alongside such notable bands as Supergrass, The Wombats and CSS, bag a slot on the NME New Noise tour, play their first set of summer festivals (including Glastonbury) and play their very own first UK headline tour. The band picked up a whole hoard of new fans during this crazy old year, and have been championed by the likes of Huw Stephens, Steve Lamacq and Zane Lowe.
Fast forward to 2009 and we find this band from oh so humble beginnings about to open up a new chapter in their so far brief history. Now signed to major label Epic Records, they sit on the brink of unleashing their first album upon the masses. The songs are recorded, and what a collection it is: their music is at once accessible, familiar and fun, yet still manages to sound like nothing you have heard before. Thus far their sound has drawn comparisons with Franz Ferdinand, Abba, The Go! Team, Blondie, The Beta Band and Weezer, illustrating the extent to which the band has managed to create a sound that is all their own. Closer listening to their songs reveals an innovation and complexity hiding behind the instantly catchy and upbeat surface of the hooky melodies, sparkling synths, dance beats and infectious chants. The sound is an amalgam of a wide spectrum of influences; there is hip hop, dance, rock, punk, indie, new wave, and a lot of pop. The music does not take itself too seriously but still manages to sound rich and inspired. Team Waterpolo are a party for your feet, ears and brain all at once. In a music world full of a seemingly endless supply of serious guitar bands, Team Waterpolo are a much needed splash of colour and freshness.
The future does indeed look bright for these boys and with an army of devoted fans and the gods of fortune smiling on them, the ball is firmly in their court...sorry, pool.
