Quench (band)
Encyclopedia
Quench were an English rock band
based in Cheltenham
, Oxford
and Bristol
. The band toured the UK and Europe and performed at festivals, including the UK's Greenbelt festival
.
The band's Christian faith impacts their music and performances, making them a "four piece rock band with solid mainstream appeal" according to independent industry magazine The Hit Sheet, which featured Quench's Bring The Summer In on one of their compilation CDs.
, who signed Quench on the strength of their early showcase gigs in April 2001.
In 2002, guitarist Kevin Sefton left the band and Mark Hamilton was recruited to replace him. Mark brought a harder edge to the band which drew them away from their early Punk/Pop influences into a more Emo
direction, drawing influence from bands like Jimmy Eat World
, Lostprophets
and Finch in their new sound.
Upon its release in 2003, Afterglow received rave reviews from the music press including a 10/10 rating in Cross Rhythms Magazine. The album also won the Best UK Christian Album award at the 2003 UK Gospel Awards.
on 29 August 2009.
Former members
Several Quench songs have also featured on compilation album
s including The Hit Sheet and Lemonaid.
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
based in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. The band toured the UK and Europe and performed at festivals, including the UK's Greenbelt festival
Greenbelt festival
Greenbelt Festival is a festival of arts, faith and justice held annually in England since 1974. Greenbelt has grown from a Christian music festival with an audience of 1,500 young Christians to its current more secular festival attended by around 20,000 - Christians and non-Christians.The festival...
.
The band's Christian faith impacts their music and performances, making them a "four piece rock band with solid mainstream appeal" according to independent industry magazine The Hit Sheet, which featured Quench's Bring The Summer In on one of their compilation CDs.
Early years (1997–2000)
Quench grew out of Christian folk band Why?. Singer Jamie Hill and drummer Andy Davis then started a new rock project without the folk influences of Why? and joined by guitarist Kevin Sefton and bassist Ron Knights, they formed Quench (originally under the working title of 4 Real).The Quench EP (2001)
The Quench EP was released shortly after the band signed to Elevation Records, the rock subsidiary of ICC RecordsICC Records
ICC Records is the record label owned by ICC Media Group and is a UK charitable-status Christian record production and distribution company based in Eastbourne, East Sussex....
, who signed Quench on the strength of their early showcase gigs in April 2001.
In 2002, guitarist Kevin Sefton left the band and Mark Hamilton was recruited to replace him. Mark brought a harder edge to the band which drew them away from their early Punk/Pop influences into a more Emo
Emo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
direction, drawing influence from bands like Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, that formed in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind....
, Lostprophets
Lostprophets
Lostprophets is a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997. Founded by vocalist Ian Watkins, bassist Mike Lewis, drummer Mike Chiplin and guitarist Lee Gaze, they were originally a side-project to hardcore punk band Public Disturbance. To date, Lostprophets have released four studio...
and Finch in their new sound.
Afterglow (2003–2006)
Afterglow was recorded with producers Trevor Michael and Dave Lynch at Chapel Lane Studios in Hereford and ICC Studios in Eastbourne. The album was almost entirely arranged in the studio and the process of arranging, recording and mixing was achieved in just over three weeks.Upon its release in 2003, Afterglow received rave reviews from the music press including a 10/10 rating in Cross Rhythms Magazine. The album also won the Best UK Christian Album award at the 2003 UK Gospel Awards.
Track listing
- Beautiful – (Jamie Hill)
- Lost – (Mark CocksMark CocksMark Hamilton is a British lead guitarist who plays for UK rock band Quench, . He has also played for Warner Bros’ Top 40 artist Doug Walker and features on Doug’s debut album Fear Together as well as ex Dum Dums frontman Josh Doyle in the USA, Vicky Beeching and Martyn Layzell...
) - Think About It – (Andy Davis)
- Bring The Summer In – (Hill)
- I Can't Hear You – (Davis)
- Underwhelmed – (Hill)
- Alright – (Hill)
- Siren – (Cocks)
- Turn The Summer Off
- Gollum – (Cocks)
- Time For Change – (Davis)
- Afterglow – (Cocks)
Reality Radio (2007–present)
2007 saw Quench's return to record a new 4 track EP with rock producer Joe Gibb (Jane's Addiction, 3 Colours Red, Funeral For A Friend, Brigade, etc). The new EP was recorded in one week in January 2007 at Mighty Atom studios in Wales and mastered by Pete Maher at Topfloor Music. The Reality Radio EP was released in August 2008 exclusively as an iTunes download. Reality Radio has been released and scored an excellent review from Christian media outlet Cross Rhythms and CCM website Louder than the Music.2009 Breakup
On 29 July 2009 Quench announced on their official myspace site that the band was splitting up. They played their last gig at GreenbeltGreenbelt festival
Greenbelt Festival is a festival of arts, faith and justice held annually in England since 1974. Greenbelt has grown from a Christian music festival with an audience of 1,500 young Christians to its current more secular festival attended by around 20,000 - Christians and non-Christians.The festival...
on 29 August 2009.
Band members
Current members- Jamie Hill – lead vocals, additional rhythm guitar, (keyboards 2001–2002)
- Mark Hamilton (a.k.a. Mark C) – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Andy Davis – drums, backing vocals
- Ed Powell – bass guitar, backing vocals (2005–present)
Former members
- Kevin Sefton – guitar (2001–2002)
- Ron Knights – bass guitar (2001–2005)
Discography
- Reality Radio (distributed by Elevation) (2008)
- Afterglow (Elevation) (2003)
- Quench EP (Elevation) (2002)
Several Quench songs have also featured on compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s including The Hit Sheet and Lemonaid.