Junkyard Choir

Junkyard Choir

Junkyard Choir is a British rock band from Brighton. The group’s sound sits across blues, grunge, rock and southern rock, with a dirty blues edge.

Background and line-up

The band is made up of Paul Conner, Kevin Hiscox, Mark Woods, Tom Herbert and Del Williamson. Brighton is central to the group’s identity, and their writing and imagery draw heavily on south coast life, coastal towns and the late-night pub and club circuit. Their material also reflects a long period of gigging in pubs, clubs, parks and other small venues.

Music and influences

Junkyard Choir describes its music as a mix of blues, punk, country and soul, with references to artists such as Neil Young, Bob Dylan, The Band, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Nirvana and Queens of the Stone Age among its influences. The band’s lyrics and presentation emphasise grit, escape, excess, and working through trouble, with a strong emphasis on atmosphere and place.

Recording and release

The group records in a small room behind a kebab shop, reached through a secret red door. It releases music on Kingdom of Dirt. Its debut album is Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, and a later release is described as being made with a fuller line-up and a broader arrangement including Hammond organ, cowbell, harmonica and dirty bass.

Style and themes

The band’s writing presents Brighton, South London and the wider south coast as part of the same landscape of nightlife, travel and hard living. Its songs and imagery combine roots rock with a rough-edged, soulful tone, and it presents itself as a band shaped by sweat, travel and long years on the road.