Bearing Down On 2007

As this year draws to a close, the thoughts of music fans are beginning to turn to those acts destined to make the biggest splash next year as punters seek to get ahead of the curve so that they can tell their friends: 'Oh yeah, I was into them way back when.' One of the candidates that is being hotly tipped by many to have a breakthrough year already have one album under their belt but because of their distinctly low age and rumors of how good their new material is, few are creating such a clamor as the Paddingtons, whose raw yet melodic take on punk, coupled with their slick, photogenic look has many people tipping them to be the next version of The Strokes.

Formed in the northern English city of Hull, the band was initially created as a covers act amongst a group of friends who feared a life on the dole but were not too crazy about the alternative of doing a nine-to-five for the next 40 or so years of their existence. Initially inspired by the aforementioned The Strokes, the band soon came to grips with their instruments and began working on their own material as their musical horizons broadened. Their intention soon became clear as they attempted to combine the raw energy of bands like Iggy and the Stooges with the melodic, pop dynamics of acts such as The Cure, and it wasn't long until they began to attract a devoted following in their local area. Realizing that they had stumbled across something special, the five lads devoted themselves to their craft, continuously working on new songs and fine-tuning their original material until they felt confident enough to leave the confines of Hull and take their increasingly energetic act on the road. Amongst the first places that they visited was the nearby city of Scarborough, hardly the place that you would expect to make your name on a UK music scene dominated by the big cities. And yet, as is often the case in the world of music, your break more often than not comes from the most unexpected source and whilst in the city, the band bumped into the aptly named, Scarborough Steve (somewhat of an underground celebrity on the UK music scene) at one of their live shows. He was so impressed with their act that he gave them Pete Doherty's phone number along with his own personal recommendation. What followed next depends on who you believe but legend has it that Paddingtons bassist, Lloyd Hobbs, called up Doherty and asked him if he remembered meeting the band and promising them a support slot. Given the fact that he is a known crack and heroin user, it was hardly surprising that Doherty could not remember the incident but - being the nice guy that virtually everyone says he is - the troubled singer said that he was a man of his word and offered the band an opening slot at an upcoming gig with his new band Babyshambles. In a moment of perfect symmetry, the Paddingtons explosive, adrenaline-fuelled live show so impressed Doherty that he offered them the remaining opening slots on the tour and has since gone on the record to say that they are his absolute favorite act making music today. Such an endorsement is PR that you cannot buy on the right hand side of the Atlantic.

By early summer of 2005 the Paddingtons were in the studio working with producer Mark Morris (best known for his ground-breaking work on Oasis' Definitely Maybe), whose stern guidance was instrumental in polishing the band into a formidable blend of punk energy with infectious pop melodies - again not unlike The Strokes. Their album, First Comes First, appeared on shelves to near universal praise in October, though even the band would probably now admit that it was merely a starting point. Although there are flashes of brilliance within, there are also moments that even they now confess were indicative of their immaturity - hardly surprising given the fact that they had barely left their teens. Since its release the band's career has been on a steady ascent. There have been tours with US acts, The Bravery, Har Mar Superstar and fighting/partying UK punk band Towers of London, as well as a stint at all of the major summer festivals this year, where the band were gradually moved to bigger and bigger stages as their profile and following grew.

This week they entered the studio to begin work on their follow up according to news coming out of their camp, and those around the band are claiming that the record will represent a great leap forward. Already the Paddingtons have been road testing new tracks such as You & I, Sticky Fingers and Stand Down, at their live shows, with most independent observers saying that the new material contains more layers yet still retains all the energy and vibrancy of the earlier tunes.

With US bands like The Killers recently claiming that they are going to do all they can do break UK acts in America during 2008; expect the Paddingtons to be one of the bands heading that list.