Boys in a Band are an indie rock band from the

Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ) (alt. the Faroes) are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and an autonomous territory of the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. Located between Iceland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, the islands have a populat ...

. Formed in 2006 in Gøta, the group comprises vocalist/guitarist Pætur Zachariasson, guitarist Heini, bassist Símun Sakaris, drummer The Rógvi, and Heri Schwartz on hammond organ. The band members claim to play ''Cowboy Rock''. They are the winners of Global Battle of the Bands (2007) (GBOB).

History

2006

Boys in a Band formed in September 2006. The same year, they took part in the international music competition GBOB, earning second spot. Through 2006, they managed to become one of the most popular live acts in the Faroes, and despite never having released a record, this secured them a nomination in the annual ''Planet Awards'', a local Faroese award show, which is sponsored by the daily paper Sosialurin. The band managed to win their nomination, which was in the category "best newcomer 2006".

2007

The following year, the band continued taking part in competitions. Firstly in a local songwriting contest which was part of the bi-annual Nordic showcase AME ( Atlantic Music Event). Here, their song "Secrets to Conceal" came in third place. Later that year, the boys entered the GBOB competition one more time. This time proved more lucky and the band went on to take first place in the world finals, ahead of over 3,000 other bands from 25 different countries. The prize was $100,000 (US), and a world tour. In 2007, they performed live at the

Roskilde Festival The Roskilde Festival is a Danish music festival held annually south of Roskilde. It is one of the largest music festivals in Europe and the largest in the Nordic countries. It was created in 1971 by two high school students and a promoter. In 1 ...

(DK), Spot (DK), G! Festival (FO), and Iceland Airwaves (IS).

2008

In January 2008, Boys in a Band went to London to record their first album with Ken Thomas, who is best known for his work with the Icelandic group

Sigur Rós Sigur Rós () is an Icelandic post-rock band that formed in 1994 in Reykjavík. It comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Jónsi, Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson, bassist Georg Hólm, and keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson. Known for their ethereal soun ...

and

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...

's singer Dave Gahan. 2008 proved to be the most fruitful and busy year yet for the band. They played festivals like Eurosonic (NL), by:Larm (NO), Canadian Music Week (CA),

SXSW South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...

(US), The Great Escape (UK), and SPOT (DK). In July, they broke the world record for most shows in 24 hours, playing no less than 24 gigs in the Faroe Islands. The boys played at Iceland Airwaves in

Reykjavík Reykjavík is the Capital city, capital and largest city in Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland on the southern shore of Faxaflói, the Faxaflói Bay. With a latitude of 64°08′ N, the city is List of northernmost items, the worl ...

again in October 2008.Iceland Airwaves music festival, Reykjavík: 2008 Dates/Artists

Music

Boys in a Band describe their music as "

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

on amphetamine", due to the energetic nature of their old-school songs, which, among others, are inspired by Dylan, as are their lyrics. According to the boys, their music is a mixture of new rock and roll with traditional American folk/blues roots, adding, "This, together with the band's strict dress code, is the recipe for cowboy rock, a genre yet only mastered by Boys in a Band." Boys in a Band are still unsigned and their first album, Black Diamond Train, was released in the Faroe Islands on 19 July 2008.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boys In A Band Musical quintets Faroese musical groups Faroese rock music groups Faroese alternative rock groups Faroese indie rock groups Musical groups established in 2006