Syd Arthur

Syd Arthur are an English psychedelic jazz band formed in Canterbury in 2005 by brothers Liam and Joel Magill, Fred Rother and Raven Bush.

History
Formed in 2005, the band were initially known as Grumpy Jumper and then Moshka before deciding on the name Syd Arthur. The band's name is influenced by Syd Barrett, Arthur Lee and the Hermann Hesse novel Siddhartha.

The band released their self titled debut album in 2006 on Madman Records and "Kingdoms Of Experience" EP in 2008 on Green Bean Records. The band then set up their own recording space "Wicker Studios" and their own label "Dawn Chorus Recording Company". in 2011 they self released the "Moving World" EP and "Ode to the Summer" single, before releasing their second album "On and On" in July 2012. Explaining the band's reason for releasing the album themselves, the band's bassist Joel Magill stated that it was "because it’s the only way we know. It may have been harder and longer for us but it has given us more satisfaction, I think. But if a major label waved a lot of money at us and said you could work with anyone you wanted we would have to think about that". The band undertook their first nationwide tour to promote the album in February 2013.

In December 2013, the band signed to the newly re-activated Harvest Records label. Originally a subsiduary of EMI and linked to the progressive rock movement of the early 1970's in England, the label is now owned by Universal Music Group. The band's debut album was released in the US for the first time on the label.

The band released their third album "Sound Mirror" in June 2014. The band spent much of the year in the US, performing at South by Southwest and Coachella and supporting the likes of Sean Lennon's band The Ghost Of A Sabre Tooth Tiger and Yes. The band promoted the album at home with nationwide tour in September-October 2014, after having postponed dates from earlier on the year.