Psalms

Psalms is a name used by several different acts. One is an American post-punk band formed after Doug Fry and Jim Swafford leave Moral Majority. Doug and Bill then start a new group with Swafford, with Alan Long recruited on drums. The band later pauses in 1983 when Bill quits because of musical differences with Doug, then reforms months later after the two reconcile. Swafford does not return and is replaced by Richard Flower, who had been part of the original Moral Majority before Swafford. This line-up records the No Great Cathedral E.P., which brings the band its first real media attention, though Doug is dissatisfied with its direction. Internal disagreements and Doug’s unhappiness with the band’s musical course lead to a final split in late 1984.

The early Psalms catalogue is larger than the surviving track lists suggest: the band has 22 songs in its early period, 20 of them written solely by Doug.

Another act with the same name is a roots reggae group better known as The Gayladds, also known as Maurice Roberts and Thaxter & Thaxter, which appears on the Impact! compilation with the track “Rolling Stone”. A separate Psalms project is a Christian rock band from Bath, with members Tom Goblin on lead vocals and guitar, Jethrow on bass, Tom Samson on keyboards and Les “12 inch” Preston on drums. That group draws on rock, dance, funk and industrial music, shifts towards electro and techno, has played live in Gloucester, Birmingham and Bristol, and supports acts including Incubus Sukkubus and Vlad in Tears. A fourth Psalms is a Norwich four-piece that includes three former members of Fever Fever.