Waves of Fury

Conjuring a dark, powerful sound that suggests an unholy alliance between the Funk Brothers and the Jesus and Mary Chain, Waves of Fury are a British act whose fusion of R&B and indie rock has won them a devoted following and plenty of press attention at home. Waves of Fury were founded by London-born vocalist and guitarist Carter Sharp, who joined his first band at the age of 14, playing bass in a local combo called the Laughing Boys. Years later, Sharp became fascinated with American musical forms after a trip to the deep South, and teaming with guitarist Hove, keyboard man Jamie Bird, and drummer Adam Smith, they formed Waves of Fury, a name bestowed on them by a friend of the band who was just six years old. Waves of Fury made their live debut in April 2011, and five months later they released their first recordings, an EP called Blood in Fury. After tours of the U.K. and the United States, Waves of Fury relocated to Bristol, Somerset, and revamped their lineup, with Hove and Smith leaving, Fil Ward and James MacPhee signing on as their new guitarist and drummer, and Bim Williams becoming a frequent part of their live shows on horns. U.K. disc jockey Paul Artrocker began giving the Blood in Fury EP regular airplay on his Resonance FM show, and brought the group to the attention of Patrick Boissel, who runs the Los Angeles-based Alive Naturalsound label. Boissel and Alive Naturalsound were enthusiastic about Waves of Fury and signed the group to an international deal; the single "The Businessman's Guide to Witchcraft" became the band's debut for the label in July 2012. In October 2012, Waves of Fury released their first full-length album, Thirst, recorded at Toybox Studios in Bristol.
© Mark Deming /TiVo