Introducing EBB - and an Erin Bennett chronology
It's not just 1970s bands that I try to get my head around who did what and when - in this case Erin Bennett is very much a live and going concern, along with her band EBB. But there's history here to be documented in one of my 'famous' chronologies - existing mini-bios of Erin are brief and omit a full context. So I'll try and rectify that here.
Who is Erin Bennett and who are EBB (née the Erin Bennett Band - gettit!)? She's a singer/songwriter, and, first Syren, then EBB, produce heartfelt pop through pop-rock and into full on progressive rock. All with genuine emotion, terrific lyrics, and thoughtful arrangement. And special mention to her backing band, especially the original drummer Jo Henley (RIP) and replacement (since 2014) Anna Fraser, with Erin's songs being given genuinely intelligent driving rhythms by two virtuosos.
So to the chronology, right up to date, since EBB (as a band) are still relatively new to the scene and are expanding their gig schedule right through 2024.
NB: this is compiled from multiple sometimes-contradictory bios - it's as accurate as I can make it!
2005: Brits 'Bad Dog' Finn McGregor, Kitty, Suna and Nikki (from EBB, see their site for bios) were touring the USA in the band MT-TV (a spin off from the infamous Rockbitch and also including 'Fuse', Amanda Smith-Skinner (fretless bass) and Jo Heeley (drums)). They play in Alabama and meet Erin, who joins their crew as a guitar tech and sound person while in the States. Most of MT-TV return to their community in Scotland and shelve music for a while.
2006: Still in the USA, Erin (guitars) forms band Syren (wiki link) with Amanda and Jo and they tour extensively in the Eastern USA over the next 18 months. Of note is that Erin and Jo were in a relationship from the start (and the love in that is evident in the songs on several of the albums mentioned here).
2007: Syren record two super singles 'Dehumanized' and 'Seasons', and then an album, also called 'Dehumanized' (no longer available in any form, except by (very) rare CD import, as shown on this page).
(Mini-review) There's lots to like on 'Dehumanized', good and interesting songs, great vocals, and superb drumming. Though note that Amanda's fretless 'lead' bass is something you'll either love or hate - it's certainly very unusual. The songs are limited slightly by the acoustic guitar/bass/drums trio format, with no keyboards or synths. Of all the Erin/EBB material, this is perhaps the least engaging, but it's still worth seeking out, since the bar set by everything else that follows is so high.
2008: Syren are offered extensive tour dates in Europe and decide to pack up from the USA and move to England. (The CD shown above was bought at a gig in Shropshire around Christmas time.)
2009: Syren gig regularly, supporting, in particular, Hawkwind, with Erin becoming close friends with Dave and Kris Brock of the band.
2010: Erin and Syren relocate again to The Netherlands, to suit their popularity in that part of Europe.
Late 2010: Syren start work on their second studio album, 'Something Has To Separate', at Nemesis Studios in Den Helder, with a more electric sound.
Early 2011: Syren relocates again, to Scotland, setting up 'Sapphic Studios', for final vocals and mixing of the album.
Late 2011: All release plans are shelved when Jo (drums) is diagnosed with a rare type of Breast Cancer.
11 January 2012: Joanne Heeley dies. Erin and Amanda are distraught and both give up music (permanently in the latter's case).
April 2012: Erin releases a solo track, 'Never Give Up The Fight', which features cello by Rebecca Wright. All of the proceeds from downloads were donated to breast cancer care, and the song won Erin 'Songwriter of the Year' at the Scottish New Music Awards (even though she's - cough - a Texan!)
June 2012: Dave and Kris (of Hawkwind) call Erin up and ask if she'd be interested in opening for the band at The Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh. Erin then calls up old friend Finn (hereafter just referred to as Bad Dog, his nickname), who rebuilds a band from MT-TV members and gets a local drummer to help out. The one off show is a huge success and, with the permanent recruitment of Anna Fraser (studying for her BA in popular music in Edinburgh), most of what now constitutes the Erin Bennett Band is formed.
30 March 2013: The Erin Bennett Band support Hawkwind (again).
2014: Writing and recording and rehearsing in Scotland.
2015: The album 'Reflowered' is released, with a booklet 'Girl ReFlowered', comprising many songs that address Erin's love for Jo, her heartbreak over Jo's illness and death, and 'eventually finding new love'. The single 'Never Give Up The Fight' is also included, appropriately.
(Mini-review) The style is more electric than 'Dehumanized'. Largely (but not completely) gone is Erin's acoustic and in is an electric guitar, along with piano and synths, courtesy of Nikki Francis. Gone is fretless bass (for now, thankfully?) and Bad Dog provides a solid rhythm section with Anna Fraser. 'In a genre of one' has been applied to the band and it's very true - the music doesn't sit in any particular decade. Although I enjoy every track, the highlights for me are the 70's swing-tastic and joy-filled 'Ready to Play', the keyboard-drenched 'What You Do to Me', the single (obviously), and the poignant closer 'Dying In My Love'.
late 2015: The Erin Bennett Band tours the UK 'extensively' to promote the album.
2016-2017 (as far as I can tell): Erin and band live happily in their Edinburgh community, writing songs and refining their live act.
10 February 2018: The album 'Post Sexy Post Truth' is released. This is hard to find on CD now, but Erin still has some copies, plus it's in digital form on Amazon UK. The album is toured in the UK and, following the tour, the decision is made to rename the Erin Bennett Band to its initials, EBB and thereafter record and perform as a group. Of note is that it's pronounced as a word rather than initials, with the word 'ebb's definition subsumed (somewhat tortuously!)
(Mini-review) Opening with ambient noodling, the intention to be heavier and more progressive is laid out. 'Hecate' has riffs and massed vocals, while 'Tension' shows off Erin's ever more mature lead vocals, spitting fire with her lyrics. 'Elevate' builds in classic rock style into yet another rocker, spoiled perhaps by some strangled lead guitar sounds. 'Innanna' starts with organ and synths and an insistent vocal refrain, with moody verses building to a slightly simplistic chorus "You want everything, you know everything" and lots of "Yeah"s, but don't worry, because the other/best parts of this track will return in 2024 (see below). 'Home' riffs away again, but calms down again for some tasty verses and (dare I say it) the return of a fretless bass(!) 'Cold & Still' is the best track on the album, with a similar formula but with a massive chorus and a delightful use of the f-word that becomes an earworm. 'Persephone' builds to a bass and drum tour-de-force, with trademark layered vocals, and then a synth solo straight out of classic 'Yes' or ELP. We finally get the title track from 'Something Has To Separate' material, here given a fuller band treatment, and the album closes tenderly with the inspirational 'Stormy Waters', despite Erin heard at the end of the take saying "That was kind of a mess"(!)
1 August 2019: The album 'Death & The Maiden' is released. Presented as if 'live', complete with audience applause at the start, it's EBB putting down on record the core of their new live set. There's a 'maiden' back story and a fictional character (Krystal Svava) who lives the songs, all laid out in the album's A5 booklet. It's still for sale on EBB's web site.
(Mini-review) With rhythms ever more sophisticated and staccato songs with breaks, the trend to 'prog' continues, but the trademark lead and harmony vocals remain. 'Dark Lady' sets the scene for the aforementioned concept with an early-Marillion-esque feel. 'Throw It All Away' builds to heavy rock and a titular vocal climax, while 'Illusions' sees a tandem guitar and bass riff developed, with synth drones and syncopated drums, before dropping to quieter verses and then building momentum again. Almost an instrumental, 'So Great a Lover' builds with Kitty on spoken word and then everyone else gradually joins in the staccato riff until the single title lyric is chanted and gradually intensified - short but sweet. 'Suicide' starts with an insanely busy bass riff and then martial drums back the core of the song. Finally, 'Cold & Still' gets another outing, this time largely 'unplugged', with just bass and keyboards (and kick drum) and letting the vocals carry this strong song. No complaints from me about this being on two albums running - the treatments are so different and it's a good song.
(Of note is that EBB albums each come in an A5 booklet, with dozens of photos, lyrics, and back-story. So there's very much a reason to get the physical album rather than just a digital download.)
2020-2021: Worldwide Covid lockdowns preclude gigging, so EBB continue work in their community (in a refurbished hotel) on rehearsal and development of new material. A Hawkwind cover is published on YouTube and is popular (and remixed here by yours truly).
September 2022: EBB play at Hawkfest 22
1 November 2022: The album 'Mad & Killing Time' is released, 'exploring alienation and what it means to be marginalised. Also how it's OK to be really different. The album progresses from a chaotic awakening of consciousness through life's harder moments to, we hope, a redemptive finale'. It's still for sale on EBB's web site.
(Mini-review) Veering further into 'prog', thanks to plenty of lockdown time in their own studio, this is EBB's 'Dark Side of the Moon' (and with similar themes and arc). Verging on being a concept album, it's clearly a full band effort in terms of production and arrangements, and is sequenced perfectly.
Opening with the odd (in a prog way) 'Vorspiel/Greig's Diner' instrumental, we hit the album properly with 'The Animal Said I', six and a half minutes of prog perfection - 12 string guitar, pastoral keyboards, staccato instrumental sections, guitar solo, the works, built around a lyric about err.. life. "We live to leave our lives behind". Ahem, yes. 'Tension' layers riffs and keyboards on top of each other, with a complex shuffling beat, a Kitty poem, and then into angel choirs building into dramatic chord changes and... finally, three and a half minutes in, vocals and lyrics proper. 'Hecate' is another re-worked title from 'Post Sexy', though in fairness hardly anyone other than die-hard fans will have known this previous work, plus this is a dramatically different version, with much more light and shade.
'What Under What' starts beautifully, with finger-picked guitar, keyboards, and flute (from Nikki) backing the vocals. Halfway through the drums power in, and everything accelerates into a rendition of part of 'Under' from 'Post Sexy' (now the track title makes sense, eh?!), before the main melody returns for a brief reprise. 'Violet is Tits' is a moody instrumental, probably developed from a studio jam, that builds and builds around atmospheric drums and a keyboard riff. Nothing too surprising in where the chords go, but it's all toe-tapping and enjoyable.
'Krystal at the Red Light' starts in a complex (5/8?) time signature, bass, keyboards, and guitar spiralling around each other. Then... a lonely 70s guitar introduces Doors-style organ over a Floyd-esque beat and we're into the song proper, with returns to that intro rhythm every now and then to utterly confuse and delight the listener(!) and then... still within a five minute song(!) we get ambient bar sounds and a sax-led (that'll be Nikki again) variation on the original 'Take 5'! Segued through voices into 'Confess'. This is a lovely finger-picked, almost acoustic number until three minutes in when, you guessed it, EBB goes full-on prog again (note that I'm not complaining), with King Crimson-esque chord cycles and overlays, before returning to the original style, and then back to a Floyd-esque final barrage of simply huge chords and choir. Well, it wouldn't be prog without song 'sections', now, would it?!
And so to 'Mary Jane', yet another spirit-raising mostly-acoustic album closer, with encouragement to the titular character to hang in there, kick the habit, and generally 'hold on'. Erin's vocals absolutely soar here, right at the top of her range in places, and this song makes a good gig encore, sending everyone out with hope in their hearts.
2023: Gigging continues, over a dozen dates.
4 January 2024: The 18 minute EP 'The Management of Consequences' is released, "a companion piece to ‘Mad & Killing Time', in that it deals with and resolves many of the issues raised in that album." The EP 'is dedicated to SagitariusA, the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy which is referenced to throughout the work. The gist being: that the human condition and indeed, any condition, all find terminal irrelevance on a cosmic scale.' Well, there's a cheery thought!
(Mini-review) We're talking full-on progressive rock, too. The centrepiece and longest (three part) track, 'Silent Saviour', re-uses music and a vocal motif from 'Inanna' on 'Post Sexy, Post Truth, making more of it than originally so, it's more satisfying and more complete. 'Cost & Consequence' is even more prog and features some astonishingly twisted and emotive vocals from Kitty Biscuits, EBB's poet and performance artist (every prog group should have one!) Kitty also pops up with spoken highlights on the final track 'Nieu', with a tea party performance when this is done live.
The EP is very much an addendum to 'Mad & Killing Time'. If 'Mad' is EBB's 'Dark Side', then the EP is perhaps their 'Wish You Were Here'?!
2024: Another dozen gigs, including supporting Hawkwind again (possibly in Dave Brock's last year with the band), and including a mini-prog-festival in Bracknell, which I've (ahem) got tickets for...
The story continues, and I'll keep this page updated as time goes on...
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