Interview: Fantastic reaction as band sign off

IN days gone by, an artist relied on a patron, a benefactor of some kind, to provide the funding for their works.

When Leeds-band Grammatics were looking for patronage to fund their farewell EP, they turned to a different source – their fans.

Tonight, the band play their last gig at the hallowed Leeds venue, the Brudenell Social Club, and will soon release their final recording, the KRUPT EP. Rather than being paid for by a record company or manager, the EP has been funded entirely by the generosity of their fans.

The recordings will be the last testament to one of the most enduring and interesting bands Yorkshire has produced in recent years.

While Arctic Monkeys and Kaiser Chiefs have attracted the most attention, Grammatics produced music of genuinely innovative wit and charm which seduced so many music fans around the country.

Their sultry mixture of falsetto vocals, harmonic cello and driving guitar riffs were imbued with a bewitching magic and unpredictable drama. The group's songs had that genius Leonard Cohen-esque quality of appearing familiar to the listener yet mysterious and aloof.

However, the drama in the band's music was matched by the drama they encountered in their day-to-day dealings and, seemingly from the offset, the band encountered a series of major setbacks.

Despite rave reviews for their eponymous debut LP, a series of well-received festival appearances and a tour with Bloc Party, the band found themselves in considerable debt.

A decade ago, their record would have sold very comfortably and brought in enough revenue to allow the band to exist. Sadly for them, the advent of internet downloading meant that only a fraction of those who heard and loved a Grammatics' record, actually bought it.

Lead singer, guitarist and songwriter-in-chief Owen Brinley said that the decision to split was not taken easily.

"The band was in financial trouble," he says frankly. "There has never been enough money coming in from gigs, sales, merchandise etc. We did not have enough time for full-time jobs and if we did get even get part-time work, this would mean we would have to do the band half-heartedly – and this is not the kind of thing you can do half-heartedly.

"When the album did come out, it enjoyed modest sales. However, if we had sold as many copies as we would have done 10 years ago, we would have been fine.

"It is heart-breaking in a way; we knew straight away when it came out that it was not going to financially recoup what we had spent to record it. Sales were respectable but nothing like what we thought it was going to be when the initial buzz started."

As well as the financial problems, the group were pulling in different directions. Rory O'Hara, the group's bassist, has been in the band since he was 16, while drummer James Field has relocated to London.

When Grammatics started writing for their second album they found that the material was not flowing as easily as it had done in the past and, at some points, was proving really difficult to forge.

Owen said: "Our life in Grammatics has always seen us having to face a series of hurdles which we have gradually managed to overcome, and we have always been positive no matter what has been

thrown at us, whether

it has been terrible problems with managers or people leaving."

Despite the problems, the band are having to face a far from ignominious end. To clear their debts and give their most recently composed material the light of day, they decided to use the internet to their advantage.

Using the Pledge website, they invited fans to make bids in order to fund their work. Pledge allows artists to invite people to donate money to help them fund a project. If the total required is not reached, no-one is charged.

As well as asking for money to fund recordings Grammatics also offered fans the chance to buy hand-written lyrics, unwanted instruments and even hire the band to come and play at their house for a private gig.

The results were astonishing.

Within days of the announcement, the group had enough money to fund the EP and to scrub a sizeable portion of their debt.

KRUPT, recorded in just five days at Yorkshire-producer James Kenosha's Bridlington studio, is to appear next month.

Owen describes the new material as heavier and more avantgarde than the debut LP, perhaps reflective of the catharsis the band have been forced to endure in recent months.

He said: "The whole thing has just been really a positive and exciting experience. It has actually made us feel quite loved; certainly, we all feel a lot of humility about how well it has gone.

"It is a really poignant end."

Tonight's final gig at the Brudenell promises to be an emotional evening for all concerned, with friends, family and fans from all over the country set to cram into the venue to witness the band's last waltz.

However, one imagines the collective talents of Grammatics will still be heard. Rory is moving to study music in London, while cellist Lindsay Wilson is, in Owen's words "in every band in Leeds, seemingly".

Meanwhile, James is expected to move more into jazz-drumming.

And Owen? "I will still be doing music," he said. "I am not sure I can do anything else.

"I want to get back into DJing a lot and will probably play the odd acoustic gig. I am sure a more fully-fledged project will materialise down the line."

After the magic and majesty of Grammatics, we all await it eagerly.