Cranebuilders currently reside in Liverpool and formed in 2000. Keen to distance themselves from the bourgeoning Liverpool music scene they set about establishing themselves in their own right and feverishly set about writing songs and playing any venue that would have them.
Eventually an offer to release a 7″ single from London based Earworm records who by chance, stumbled across an early demo, resulted in the groups’ first release. Unfortunately the label folded before it was released, but the proposed release found its way onto the Earworm swansong: Charabang a trip to the lights compilation.
It wasn’t long before they released their first EP Bitch in summer 2002 on their own Ten People Tell record label and immediately caught the attention of broadcasting legend John Peel whom invited them to London to record their first session for the BBC.
The release of their following EPs You’re Song (SkinnyDog Records) and Just Idleness (Ten People Tell) led to the American only limited edition, release 8 Songs (Devil In The Woods) and a second Peel Session along with a personal invite to perform as the BBC Radio 1 representatives at the Eurosonic Festival in Holland which was later broadcast on his show.
Their debut album Sometimes you hear through someone else was recorded in Spring 2004 and was produced by Rob Ferrier (Clinic, Space) and features backing vocals from Elbow’s Guy Garvey who signed the band to his label Skinny Dog Records after spotting the band’s potential early on in their career.
Since recording the album, front man and chief songwriter; Tom Roberts has found the time to co-write songs with Johnny Marr and the release of their last single So What Could I do/Trouble Is (‘like Lou Reed and Chrissie Hyde banging the world to rights over a cup of tea’ NME) warranted their successful appearance at this years SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas.
‘Sometimes you hear through someone else’ was released in the UK on March 14th 2005 to critical acclaim. The band have been performing their own special brand of bittersweet pop the length and breadth of the Isle to promote this release performing sessions for radio stations such as BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 6, XFM, BBC Radio 2 and a variety of local stations. The band made their terrestrial TV debut in the UK on Channel 4’s influential 4Music show earlier this year and the video for ‘So What Could I do’ was repeatedly shown on VH1 and MTV2.