The Rumble Strips Biography

While the 'two guitars, bass and drums' lineup still dominates rock & roll, British quartet The Rumble Strips take a different approach to their music with a fresh sound built around the acoustic guitar and dramatic vocal style of Charlie Waller, the soulful horn work of Henry Clark and Tom Gorbutt, and the sharp, concise drumming of Matthew Wheeler.

Named after the narrow-slotted paths on the sides of motorways that produce noise and vibrations when weary drivers roll over them, The Rumble Strips were formed by Waller, who grew up in the small town of Tavistock and wanted to follow the lead of his uncle, a musician who played in a rock band. While Waller developed an interest in songwriting as a teenager, things didn't move much further until he moved to London and got a degree at art college. Dividing his time between painting and decorating, Waller found his desire to make music returning, and when he crossed paths with an old friend from Tavistock, Tom Gorbutt, the two decided to form a band.

Waller and Gorbutt recruited fellow Tavistock exiles Clark and Wheeler, and The Rumble Strips were born. The group's organic and soulful approach didn't find an immediate audience, and for a while Waller was doing double duty with another band, Vincent Vincent & The Villains. The pressure of gigging with two different groups (neither of whom knew Waller was playing with the other) became too much to bear and Waller briefly dropped out of music.

The Rumble Strips' fortunes rose anew when a London independent label, Transgressive Records, offered to sign the group. Debuting with the single 'Motorcycle', the band began touring the U.K. with the likes of Dirty Pretty Things, The Young Knives, and The Zutons. They were recruited by the Island-distributed Fallout label in 2006. An EP, 'Cardboard Coloured Dreams', was released in late 2006, and was followed by sessions in L.A. to complete their debut album with producer Tony Hoffer. 'Girls And Weather', the band's debut album was released in 2007 to great acclaim.