Whats that?? New band of the month for CIRCLEPIT?
SIX HOUR SUNDOWN might be a new name on the rock scene but they have already begun to build an impressive reputation as one of the most exciting new rock bands in the UK.
Formed in late 2009, SIX HOUR SUNDOWN was born from a desire of like-minded friends (and experienced musicians) to get back to the heart of why they wanted to make music in the first place.
SIX HOUR SUNDOWN blur the boundaries; hard, edgy, modern rock riffs, driven by a solid rhythm section and topped off by a vocalist that mixes contemporary melody lines with strong, heartfelt vocals.
SIX HOUR SUNDOWN create music that takes influences from bands as diverse as Foo Fighters, 30 Seconds To Mars and Velvet Revolver but at all times keeping their unique vision intact.
SIX HOUR SUNDOWN are very much a band that lives for the stage.
Months of touring the world, appearing in legendary venues such as New York’s Madison Square Garden and Budokan in Japan, has turned Six Hour Sundown into a formidable live act.
You will get your chance to witness SIX HOUR SUNDOWN this year at various venues over the summer, keep checking back to their Myspace page for details.
SIX HOUR SUNDOWN will be releasing their debut mini-album in the Summer before heading back out on the road with a string of dates, bringing their music to every corner of the UK and beyond!”
Check out some more information on the band’s individual members.
Lauren Harris (Vocals)
Lauren’s music career began in 2005 after being spotted singing in a local UK pub, by British producer/writer/artist Russ Ballard. Russ had no idea she was the daughter of Iron Maiden’s, founding member and bass player Steve Harris. Soon after the recording session in the studio with Russ, Lauren met with Tommy McWilliams, Richie Faulkner and Randy Gregg and formed the live band.
Lauren launched her live career playing a series of introductory shows around Florida, USA and Great Britain.
As a result, she soon had her first big break, in May 2006, when she supported rock legend ALICE COOPER in Sheffield, England. This successful performance created instant industry interest in Lauren and soon after she was performing at numerous prestigious outdoor festivals, including the high profile UK and Dublin Download festivals as well as legendary German Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park festivals.
Lauren then had her biggest challenge yet, playing worldwide supporting IRON MAIDEN in the world’s largest and most prestigious arenas and stadiums. These included the renowned Budokan in Tokyo, the Desert Rock Festival in Dubai and Earls Court in England. Lauren also played Bangalore, India where Lauren made music history as the first woman to front a rock band in an Indian concert.
Lauren’s career went from strength to strength and following a tour with THE ANSWER in early 2007, Lauren was then approached to be main support for WITHIN TEMPTATION. That summer, once again, Lauren played some of the largest outdoor festivals in Europe. She played alongside rock heavyweights such as HEAVEN AND HELL, KORN and STONE SOUR, including a dazzling set at the U.K. Download Festival.
A really successful year was finished with an appearance at the UK Hard Rock Hell Festival and a UK tour supporting renowned rockers THUNDER.
Lauren’s busiest year yet started in February 2008, when Lauren and her band boarded the history making Iron Maiden Ed Force One plane, for the Iron Maiden ‘Somewhere Back in Time’ world tour. Lauren played to over 2 MILLION people worldwide. This legendary tour included visits to Australia, Central and South America and Japan. These shows saw Lauren playing to her biggest crowds yet, in Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Bogota, Santiago and Buenos Aires.
This world tour also included Canada and the U.S.A., with Lauren joining the list of artists to play the world famous Madison Square Garden, New York. She went back to Europe where she again played to huge audiences at renowned festivals including Wacken, Graspop and Lisbon’s Super Bock Super Rock.
2008 became another landmark in her career as the year which saw the release of Lauren’s highly anticipated debut album ‘Calm Before The Storm’, which was released through Demolition DR2 Records and produced by Tommy Mc Williams and mixed by Kevin Shirley.
In late 2008, the line-up changed with drummer Olly Smith joining the band and finishing with them the final part of the plane tour which took place in February and March of 2009 where Lauren once again joined Iron Maiden on Ed Force One this time travelling to countries such as Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela. Also returning to India for the third time. It was in South America where she played to some of the largest audiences ever with Sao Paulo taking the lead with an attendance of 100,000 for Iron Maiden. It is said the attendance for the tour over both years amounted to over 2 million people worldwide.
In June 2009, Lauren headed back to Europe touring with Rock legends Motley Crue on their Saints of Los Angeles European Tour. A great end to the summer was then finished off with an appearance at new festival Sonisphere at legendry Knebworth House on the Bohemia Stage.
From late 2009 to 2010 saw Lauren taking some time out and planning the new creative phase of her career with drummer Olly Smith creating new band Six Hour Sundown.
In early 2011 band members Richie Faulkner and Randy Gregg left Six Hour Sundown before the band had surfaced with Richie joining Metal legends Judas Priest and Randy leaving due to other commitments and an ongoing distance problem. Lauren and Olly recruited new members Tom Gentry and Mitch Witham to make up the present line up of Six Hour Sundown. They made their first big appearance as a new band at 2011’s Sonisphere festival which lead shortly after to their signing to Rock/Metal management company Transcend.
Olly Smith (Drums)
My first love for rock music began when Queen re-released Bohemian Rhapsody after Freddie’s death. I’d never heard anything like it up until then, next thing I heard Queen’s Greatest Hits I which blew my mind and then I saw Metallica on the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert on TV which changed my life forever. After a couple of years at the age of 13 I took up guitar trying to copy everything James Hetfield and Dave Mustaine played. My first gig was at the age of 15 on guitar. I played guitar in a couple of different bands in my teenage years until Jamie Floate, a good friend who was in Earthtone 9 for a while and I formed my next band, Cubic Space Division in which I was guitarist/vocalist. We had a small independent deal with Undergroove Records and our debut album came out in November 2003 and received 4 K’s in Kerrang, 8/10 in Metal Hammer and 9/10 is Rock Sound. I began drumming after this time playing in local bands and then began guitar and drum teching for Lauren Harris Band in 2007, I took over on drums from 2008 going on to play the biggest gigs of my life in front of Iron Maidens and Motley Crue’s audiences around the world from Sao Paulo to India and New Zealand to the US. I also recorded an album with the legendary producer Kevin Shirley at the famed Compass Point Studios.
Tom Gentry (Guitars)
I started playing Piano age 8, Guitar age 12.
When I was 14 I played guitar in a blues band for legendary session drummer Bobby Graham (Jimmy Page, The Kinks, The Animals, Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones, Joe Cocker, John Barry……..) Age 16 I recorded in the legendary Abbey road studios with Solo artist Laura Bunn. In 2006/2007 I studied at the Institute Of Contemporary Music in Kilburn completing the higher diploma and went on to study privately with Martin Goulding. I toured America for 3 months November 2009 to February 2010 and released one studio album in November 2010 with the band Parramøn alongside spanish songwriter Ubaldo Esteban. In summer/autumn 2010 I played for alternative pop rock band Wicked Wendy alongside Tiffeny Joyce (Venefica/Liquid Sky), Mike Watchorn (Nya), Paul White (Tricky/Kee Marcello/Nya) and Ryohei Ineba. I teach Guitar and Piano and played in a Thin Lizzy tribute band (Pheel Lizzy) 2009-2011.
I have worked as a session guitarist in theatre productions with West End/Broadway MD David Barber (Rocky Horror Show) and as a guitar demonstrator for Dubreuille custom guitars.
Mitch Witham (Bass)
I studied music for about 6 years, I studied Music performance at ACM (Academy of Contemporary Music) for 3 yrs (HDip & BMus (hons)), where I was tutored by Nick Preston (Imelda May, Julian Lloyd Webber,John Blackwell), Paul Geary (George Michael, The Lighthouse Family, Mary J Blige), Pat Hughes, and Mike Nichols. My Tutors recognised and praised me for my ability to play by ear (Great Relative Pitch), having excellent Timing, Rhythm, Feel and Tone. I have been in many originals bands giving me 6 years of live performance experience across a variety of contemporary genres including Rock, Pop, Indie, Grunge, Punk, Ska, Blues, Nu Rave and, live D&B. Most recent band I was involved with before I joined Six Hour Sundown was a Classic/Thrash Rock band known as ‘The Love Rockets’…where I performed under the stage name Mitch Hunter or Hunter for short as the Bassist/Backing vocalist. The Love Rockets supported acts such as Young Gun’s, Godsized, Eye For An Eye, Hotleg, Fury UK, Blaze Bayley, Adam Bomb, Lord Bishop, The Quireboy’s, And Vice Squad to name a few.
Check out Six Hour Sundown out on facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SixHourSundown?ref=ts
and also their new video
