In a time when the rock scene is overrun with bands more obsessed with their hair straighteners and eyeliner than their music, the world needs new guitar heroes. It needs a band who have only two aims in life – to write big, fat, intelligent rock songs with guts and melody and have a bloody great time doing it. Enter getAmped– they might just be the UK’s best kept secret and with their new album ‘Postcards From Hell’ they look set to blast their way into the spotlight.

getAmped draw on diverse influences - from the timeless sound of US pop-punk like Strung Out and Blink 182, the weight and power of ‘90s grunge and classic pop-rock from The Police to The Darkness and unpretentiously fuse it all together like some kind of rock alchemists. As a result their music is almost impossible to pin down, and all the better for it. It’s melodic but ballsy, upbeat but frequently sensitive, and youthfully energetic, but arranged with maturity and style. It’s unashamed power pop of the kind that soundtracks your summers and brightens up your winters. You’re going to love it!

Formed in 2001 by brothers Tim and Rick Parkhouse – surf-obsessed boys from the south coast of England, and completed by party animal drummer Chris ‘Dougal’ Leredde, getAmped may be newcomers to the limelight in the UK but there’s a back story to be told. Tim and Richard had a varied upbringing, first in Hampshire, then moving to Doha, near Qatar in the Middle East for three years (their dad worked for a helicopter company), then back to the UK and eventually settling in Cranborne, near Bournemouth. This constant moving made the brothers more open to different cultures, religions and styles of music and they say this is the key to the diverse sound of getAmped. “I really love going to lots of different places and listening to lots of different music,’ says guitarist/vocalist Tim, “I like things that are a little quirky and a little different and while we lived in the Middle East we picked up all sorts of Arabic melodies and scales so we try and incorporate a bit of that in what we do.”

It was during their university years when Tim and Rick went traveling together, began writing songs and decided to stop cocking about in punk and funk covers bands and do something more worthwhile. When they returned, they found their way into a Battle Of The Bands competition, but realised that they’d need a drummer. A trip to the Poole Percussion shop led to them meeting Chris ‘Dougal’ Leredde. They asked him to join the band. He told them to ‘fuck off’. But eventually, he was persuaded and brought his own grunge and metal tastes into the band’s mix. This led to the recording and self-release of the band’s first album ‘ Phoney Society’, which bassist/vocalist Rick now says was ‘a big learning curve’.

Many of their early live shows came through the brothers’ surfing connections, with companies like Ripcurl and Red Bull investing in the band and their tracks appearing on numerous extreme sports videos, but while riding the waves is undoubtedly their second great passion, they’re keen for people not to label them a ‘surf-rock’ band. “It has a bit of a stigma,” says Tim. “People always start comparing us to the Beach Boys and bands like that, which is not really us, you know? That said, my absolute ideal life would be touring America and Australia’s coasts, surfing during the day and playing at night – that would be perfect!”

The band’s biggest break so far came when they were invited by an enthusiastic promoter to tour China for two weeks – playing festivals to around 100,000 people in total. A completely speculative approach to tour booking it may have been, but the band pulled it off – going down an absolute storm. They’ve been invited back in October for 18 more shows. “It was really amazing!” gushes Tim. “The hard thing was coming back to the small gigs over here. But having had that experience is really motivating because we want to try and make it like that here too.”

One thing getAmped have no desire to do is become part of any kind of homogenous scene – their music is undoubtedly shot through with contemporary cool (with hints of ‘A’ and CKY coming to the fore every now and then), but eschews the galloping rhythms and dual vocals of much of the oh-so-fashionable emo/screamo scene. “We run our own recording studio,” says Tim. “And you get a real idea of how many bands are doing exactly the same things as each other – all looking up to Thrice and Funeral For A Friend but not doing it anywhere near as well, and it makes us want to do something totally different. There’s no point just copying your favourite bands.”

Instead, getAmped concentrate on writing carefully crafted slabs of pure rock fun – focusing on water-tight riffs and infectious rhythms and decorating it all with the catchiest melodies this side of Cheap Trick. “We loved Iron Maiden, Police and Queen,” says Rick. “Those were our early influences. We like music that is hyper-tight and isn’t sloppy, but that doesn’t mean we don’t let the music have its own space and we really let the real rock ‘n’ roll element loose in the live show”. “I like songs that leave an imprint on you,” adds Tim. “I want people to go away humming the tunes.”

Which brings us to ‘Postcards From Hell’ – an effervescent collection of songs that are as refreshing as a raspberry frapuccino in a 30 degree heatwave and could well see the band’s touring opportunities growing exponentially. Such is their confidence in their sound that they even included a faithful cover of The Police’s ‘Walking On The Moon’ – something many bands would be scared of doing for fear of the fashion police knocking on their door. “The first album was basically Dougal laying down drums to songs we’d already written” says Rick. “This is the sound of getAmped as a band, making music together. In fact 60 to 70 percent of it was recorded live with no click tracks, so that you get that natural push and pull of the band.”

So prepare yourself for the rise of getAmped – a truly independent band, rocking out for all the right reasons. “Basically, we want people to have fun,” says Tim. “We want to put smiles on people’s faces.”

They might just be exactly what the UK rock scene’s been waiting for.

-Ends-

‘Reject & Sterilise’ single is out on Sept 19 on StrongLikeBull Records. It is taken from getAmped’s forthcoming album, ‘Postcards From Hell’, due out in Feb 2006.

Press
“Pop perfection, stuffed with irresistible harmonies and hooks the size of Jupiter. Yes, we’ve heard it before, but seldom as good as this.” Kerrang!
“Best of new acts from the west” Music Week
“Melodic punkers who look set to break the So.Cal stranglehold on the platinum-selling, pogo-friendly combos.” The Independent
“getAmped...do it with maturity , witty social commentary and a great chorus.” rock sound
“serious challenge to the super league American punk bands” City Life
“An undeniably promising talent” Big Cheese
“Very talented...I love this band and I predict big things for them.” Total Rock

TV & Radio
Scuzz TV – 232 Plays of their last video
Kerrang Radio: spot play
Radio 1: Spots on rock show, interview on J Whiley and Vernon
XFM – Spotplays
Virgin – 30+ spotplays
Total Rock – play listed and Session
MTV Asia documentary

Sponsored/Endorsed by
Rip Curl, Red Bull, Orange County Drums and Percussion (OCDP), Protection Racket

www.getamped.co.uk