Dry The River

Dry The River

Dry the River are a folk rock band from Stratford, London, formed in 2009 and active until 2015. They are also known to have been called Godwits earlier in their history. The group’s line-up includes William Harvey, and the band’s original configuration also includes Peter Liddle on vocals and guitar, Matthew Taylor on guitar, keys and vocals, Scott Miller on bass, percussion and vocals, and Jon Warren on drums and percussion. Will Harvey plays violin, viola, keys and mandolin, and leaves the band in early 2014.

The band describes its sound as “folky gospel music played by a post-punk band”. After two EPs, The Chambers and the Valves and Bible Belt, they sign to Transgressive Records in 2010. Their first single for the label, “No Rest”, is released in March 2011. They record their debut album, Shallow Bed, in Connecticut with producer Peter Katis, whose credits include The National, Jónsi and Interpol. The album appears in 2012, and an acoustic version is later issued as a download-only release.

The group’s second album, Alarms in the Heart, is released in 2014. Their wider work also includes a charity T-shirt made with the Yellow Bird Project to support Asylum Aid, and “Mammoth”, a limited-edition beer created with Signature Brew. The band announces its split in November 2015 and releases the final EP Hooves of Doubt at the same time.

After the split, Peter Liddle releases a solo album, Casual Labour, in 2018. The album features a number of musicians connected with Dry the River, including Scott Miller and Will Harvey, along with Patrick Pearson, Matthew Reynolds and producer Pete Miles.