The Ramona Flowers

The Ramona Flowers

The Ramona Flowers are an electronic, indie rock and rock group from Bristol. The band forms after Dave Betts, Wayne Jones and Sam James meet at university, then add vocalist Steve Bird and drummer Ed Gallimore to complete the line-up. The group name comes from the character Ramona Flowers in Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, and the choice is deliberate rather than incidental.

Line-up

The band comprises Dave Betts, Steve Bird, Ed Gallimore, Sam James and Wayne Jones. In the original set-up, Dave plays keyboards, Wayne plays bass and Sam plays guitar, with Steve on vocals and Ed on drums.

Sound and reception

The Ramona Flowers develop a style described as electronic pop with a strong textural quality, combining rawness with a willingness to experiment across several styles. Their music is associated with a sense of build and momentum, and they are noted for creating layered, atmospheric songs. NME describes their sound as “a wholly different beast”, while The Guardian says “hugeness may be imminent”.

Career context

The band attracts attention from blogs and radio stations and gains further notice when Bastille invites them to support on a 17-date UK headline tour. Bombay Bicycle Club later asks them to join a European tour. Alt-J, Hot Chip, Everything Everything and Ladytron also remix their early demos, which helps bring the band wider recognition.