Blackpool first for Welsh rockers Buffalo Summer

Well that would be a band hailing from a small village just outside of Neath in South Wales. And they play big, bluesy, southern-tinged rock with riffs and melodies that refuse to leave your body or brain.

Brothers Andrew Hunt (vocals) and Gareth Hunt (drums) are joined by Jonny Williams on guitar and drummer Darren King and it seems they have been enjoying something of an Indian summer themselves, having been in the business for 10 years now, evoking the days when classic rock legends such as Led Zeppelin, Free and Whitesnake plied their trade.

Andrew says: "The band is 10-years-old this year, so we've been going a while.

"We're bringing out our third album which is called Desolation Blue and we're actually playing in Blackpool for the first time.

"For the last 10 years we've played pretty much all over the UK, all over Europe, but it is our first time in that part of the world.

"On this tour we wanted to play some of the towns that we haven't played before and we heard about the reputation of the Waterloo Bar so we just thought 'yeah definitely want to get up there and play.' And we heard good things about it from other bands that have played there. So yeah, we booked in to play and that's coming up."

Desolation Blues is an album that was long in the making, but the lads believe it is well worth the wait, having been produced by Barrett Martin - an American composer, percussionist, writer, and Latin Grammy award-winning producer.

"It was recorded in a studio called Rockfield Studios, which is in south east Wales. And we recorded the album totally live, including vocals. That's kind of like an old school approach. There's not many bands that do it that way these days," explains Andrew.

"It was produced by a guy called Barrett Martin who flew over from Seattle to record us. He's been in various bands since the late 80s - Screaming Trees was a grunge band that he was in for a while but he played drums for REM and he's played on some albums by Queens of the Stone Age as well. So he's quite a well-respected musician himself.

"That was three years ago, so it took a while to get the album mixed and sort a few things out. But it's finally coming out now on March 27."

The quartet are joined on the album by Peter Buck (REM) with a 12-string guitar on The Bitter End, plus mandolin on Last to Know, which also features Emma Bryden on cello. Kelby Ray Caldwell (The Cadillac Three) joined them on lap steel for Hit the Ground Running. And Barrett Martin himself stepped out of the production chair to play some percussion, vibraphone and Fender Rhodes and Hammond organ across the board.

Fans and newcomers alike will get a preview of this work at the gig in Blackpool. Andrew adds: "We're going to be playing a lot of new songs off the new album which we've never played live before. So you get a chance to hear some exclusive new songs even before the album comes out. And we're just looking forward to bringing a high energy electric rock and roll show to the people of Blackpool. We're really looking forward to it."

Buffalo Summer play at Blackpool's Waterloo Bar on Wednesday, March 11. Doors open at 7pm. Tickets are £11 and can be booked online via the band's website - http://buffalosummer.net/