Reef

Reef are an English rock band from Somerset, United Kingdom, active from 1993 to 2013. The group forms after the members, all with west country connections and especially links to the Glastonbury area of Somerset, move independently to London. Gary Stringer and Jack Bessant look for other musicians, Kenwyn House meets Dominic Greensmith in London, and the four begin rehearsing together in a house in west London.

Career

After recording a couple of tracks, Reef spend much of 1994 touring and building a following. They sign to S2, a Sony imprint, and issue the song “Naked”, which appears in a television advert for the Sony Minidisc. Rather than using that exposure for an immediate quick release, they follow it with the singles “Good Feeling”, “Naked” and “Weird”; all three reach the UK top 20.

In 1995 they release their debut album, Replenish, which becomes gold. The record is presented as a direct, stripped-back statement by four musicians playing together with minimal studio treatment. Their second album, Glow, is more varied in sound and uses a wider range of instruments. It produces the singles “Place Your Hands”, “Come Back Brighter”, “Consideration” and “Yer Old”, and reaches number 1 in the UK album chart in its release week.

Reef’s third album, Rides, follows in 1999. On some tracks the band swap instruments, with Gary and Dominic playing guitar and Jack singing on one song. Their fourth album, Getaway, appears in 2000 on Sony and is described as their most commercial release, with “Set The Record Straight” highlighted as a key track. In total, Reef have eight UK top 20 singles, and “Place Your Hands” remains one of their best-known songs.

They headline the Reading Festival in 1999. In 2004 the band take a long break from constant touring. During that period Gary appears as a guest DJ at Bristol Academy, Kenwyn House forms McArthur, and Dominic Greensmith tours with Kubb. Gary Stringer, Jack Bessant, Kenwyn House and Dominic Greensmith later reunite for six live shows in April 2010.

Members

The band’s members are Gary Stringer, Jack Bessant, Kenwyn House and Dominic Greensmith, with Jesse Wood also listed among the group’s personnel.

Style

Reef are a hard rock band.