The Departure

David Jones – vocals
Sam Harvey – lead guitar
Lee Irons – guitar, backing vocals
Ben Winton – bass
Andy Hobson - drums

In the wake of Britpop’s bluster and Pop Idol’s idiocy, Northampton quintet The Departure, built a reputation for powerful and dynamic live shows, their ambitious streak going far beyond their small-town origins. The title of their debut single, ‘All Mapped Out’, is almost prophetic - the band played their first live show in a Northampton pub in February 2004. Less than six months later they were supporting The Killers and playing to thousands at Reading Festival.

Typical of many bands from middle England, The Departure set their eyes on something greater: “We were bored, and we wanted to get up and do something with our lives,” guitarist Lee Irons explains. Jones, Harvey, Irons and Winton met on Northampton’s small gig circuit, the missing piece of the puzzle came when native Bristolian, Andy Hobson, responded to an internet advert for a drummer.

As children of the ‘80s, The Departure took their lead from the decade’s alt-rock heroes. Traces of The Smiths, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Echo & The Bunnymen and U2 run throughout their music and, perhaps unsurprising for a band who share their geographical turf with Bauhaus, The Departure have some progressive tendencies. Lead guitarist Sam Harvey’s, year of studying jazz at Northampton College and Irons’ raiding of his parents’ soul and Motown collection adding another dimension to their already complex sound.

Their second gig in London raised eyebrows amongst A&R men and the band signed a five album deal with Parlophone shortly after a return gig in Northampton in March 2004 – only their third live outing.  Debut single, ‘All Mapped Out’ arrived in July to a wave of critical acclaim, its darkly earnest lyrics and driving guitars earning it a top thirty placement. They built on its success by touring with fellow 80s fanatics The Killers before commencing work on new material.

Second single, ‘Be My Enemy’, appeared in October 2004, ensuring their momentum continued towards the end of the year.  ‘Lump In My Throat’ and a re-release of ‘All Mapped Out’ trailed their debut album, ‘Dirty Words’, which arrived in June 2005. The album received overwhelmingly positive reviews, with critics singling out the band’s potential for the future. Bassist Ben Winton described the first time he heard ‘All Mapped Out’ being sung back to him at a gig as a, “brilliant goose bumps moment.” With critics and fans firmly agreed on The Departure’s invention and ambition, there’s hoped to be many more such times to come.

Discography:

Singles:

‘All Mapped Out’ – (Parlophone – 2004)
‘Be My Enemy’ – (Parlophone – 2004)
‘Lump In My Throat’ – (Parlophone – 2005)
‘All Mapped Out’ re-release – (Parlophone – 2005)

Albums:

‘Dirty Words’ – (Parlophone – 2005)