Music: The Retrospective Soundtrack Players

Alternative Christmas joy with probably the UK’s only conceptual country/folk/punk band …

Making music based on their favourite films and books, The Retrospective Soundtrack Players’ story is far from ordinary. Originally beginning as a two man concept project by two of indie-folk outfit The Dawn Chorus, the duo won a competition through Xtra Mile Recordings in August 2010 to have their track ‘Real Cool Hand’ featured as the B-side to Frank Turner’s single ‘Try This At Home’. Following on from this unexpected success, chief songwriter Kyle Evans then began to gather together a collective gaggle of musicians from the thriving Hampshire music scene – including members of The B of the Bang and All The Shapes – and the 12-legged country/folk/punk beast The Retrospective Soundtrack Players was born.

Now, they’ve gone completely off-piste with It’s A Wonderful Christmas Carol, a bundle of seasonal songs – all originals – such as ‘I’m Sleeping This Christmas’, ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’, ‘Every Time A Bell Rings An Angel Gets Its Wings’, ‘The Ghost of Christmas Past (I’m A Coward)’ and ‘No Man Is Poor Who Has Friends’.

Borrowing themes of loneliness, greed, poverty and eventual redemption from the classic works of Charles Dickens and Frank Capra, the band have emerged with a joyous album that showcases their storytelling skill.

On the surface they look like they could be a joke or novelty band, but actually all they have done is take famous works of art as a basis to write pretty damn cool music, with folk, country and indie-punk flavours to the fore.

It’s A Wonderful Christmas Carol has just been released on the Xtra Mile Recordings label, home to the likes of Frank Turner, Brighton’s Chris T-T and Ben Marwood, who all provide vocals on the album.

Also on the bill is Tom Williams of Tom Williams and the Boat, playing a solo set, and the alt-country four piece Salter Cane.
The Brunswick, Thursday 18 December, 8pm, £7
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