The Grey Lady Music Lounge, Wednesday 14th July 2010

Sarah Tonin are an alternative rock band from south east England who are on a musical quest of discovery and self exploration. They indulge in psychedelic and progressive rock with infectious material and fresh hooks, with improvisation and funk an integral aspect of the sound. The music fuses these styles and transcends into an unheard and exciting new sound with songs for a new era.

Front man of the group, Chris Parris, brings together influences from psychedelia and space rock, giving funk driven grooves a darker edge. With lyrics exploring topics of the human condition and the mysteries and surrealness of the universe, the arrangements of the songs often take the listeners to wonderful and unexpected places.

Parris and Marcus Chapman are the creative driving force behind the band, recording and producing their debut album 'Spinning Chaos'. Chapman has been playing piano most of his life and is an experienced music producer. He crafts magical sounds bringing out different colours in various sections of their songs. He has mean organ tones, beautiful piano parts and his hypnotic, progressive synth solos leave audiences breathless.

The band's killer rhythm section is incredibly talented and versatile Jez Palmer on drums and Bouncy Piper on the bass who has an amazing natural talent for plucking, slapping and laying down a solid groove. Their immense, jaw dropping sound gets the crowd moving every time at festival stages and venues across the south. Sarah Tonin are currently working on new material for their second studio album and are psyched about the future ahead, having already performed at the spring Equinox at Stonehenge on 19th March 2018, as well as confirmed slots at Small World, Live on BBC Radio Kent, Summer Stonehenge Free Festival, Sol Party and Green Gathering for this year. After performing to nearly 2000 people at last years Local & Live in Calverley Park and putting on a tremendous show the band are certainly ready for larger audiences.

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Ollie is an acoustic singer/songwriter from Tonbridge, Kent. After growing up playing in local alt-rock bands, he decided to go it alone in the summer of 2008, playing his first solo show at the Tunbridge Wells Forum in September 08. Since then he has played towns across Kent and showcases in London and Brighton too. He is also involved with the BBC Kent Introducing, having played a live session with Phil Harrison back in January of 09. Livi Middlemiss joined forces with Ollie earlier this year adding her distinct etheral tones to the live sound. Livi’s musical interest is focused around jazz, blues, reggae and soul with Bob Marley, Nina Simone and Aretha Franklin proving to be inspiring influences. Livi also has a wide interest in Folk/rock, Metal and progressive rock. Additional influences include artists such as Reuben and Frank Turner. Taking the simplistic arrangements of folk, mixing it with the direct lyrical style of alt-rock and throwing in some good ol' fashioned catchy melodies is what the music is all about!

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Greig Mourton's sound is refreshing in its honesty. Sometimes Blues, sometimes Folk, but always soulful. Sometimes political, sometimes deeply personal, but always heart-felt and poetic. Passionate singing and melodic hooks combine with insightful lyricism, bringing a real depth to his acoustic style.

Greig began his musical life as a drummer in a Heavy Metal band, but after years of touring the UK he felt musically unsatisfied. So one day he swapped the drums for guitar, packed his bags and set off to see the World. Since then Greig has experienced many different cultures and places, and become more deeply involved in political activism. It was these experiences that shaped his music and gave him the passion for song writing. While living in Mexico, playing his songs on stage for the first time, he realised that music is a truly inseparable part of his life.

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Chloe Martyn is a singer songwriter from Tunbridge Wells Girls Grammar School. She has been playing at the Grey Lady since April 2010, and plays various other gigs in the local area. Chloe has been writing music for over six years now, starting back when she was ten years old.  During the past couple of years she has written the majority of her songs. Playing at the Grey Lady for the first time that April encouraged and influenced her to work on new material.. She has now finished her first album, Avoiding Further Heartbreak, and has been to the recording studio to record a three-track EP, which features The Truth Is, Lost My Pride, and Avoiding Further Heartbreak.

Music has always and will always be a big part of Chloe’s life, as she says “I feel my love and passion for music is what has enthused me to write my own.  I hope that even if music isn’t my profession, that it will always be my hobby.” 

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