Gomez

Gomez are an English indie rock band from Southport, comprising Ian Ball (vocals, guitar), Paul “Blackie” Blackburn (bass), Tom Gray (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Ben Ottewell (vocals, guitars) and Olly Peacock (drums, synths, computers).

The band is distinguished in having three singers and four songwriters, employing traditional and electronic instruments.

Such a triple treat hasn’t been in vogue since the late ’60s, when singer-songwriter pile-ons ruled, in bands ranging from Buffalo Springfield to Jefferson Airplane to Fleetwood Mac to, of course, the Beatles.

Their sound is versatile and evades typical music genres falling into blues, indie, alternative, rock, folk, psychedelic and experimental.

Gomez began their career on Hut records (Virgin) signing in 1997.

Just before their third album release In Our Gun Hut records was forced to downsize and on the following record, Split the Difference, Hut records was disbanded by Virgin/EMI Records.

Certainly they’re one of modern rock’s best, regularly batting out music that draws from the familiar roots of blues, folk and rock without ever succumbing to their cliches.

Gomez crafts warm, rustic pop songs that recall classic ’60s rock groups like Traffic and the Faces without mimicking any directly.

Ottewell’s voice fronted the band’s early cover version of the Beatles “Getting Better,” which turned up in a Philips ad. The spot got the band early attention in America.

Gomez earned more kudos back home when the band’s debut, 1998’s “Bring It On,” won the U.K.’s prestigious Mercury Prize, beating out the more favored Massive Attack.

The band were so dismayed by the music industry and shocked by huge setbacks they kept experiencing, that they decided to go it alone and asked Virgin Records to let them go in 2004.

The following year American label ATO signed the group, releasing their first live album Out West and their most successful record stateside How We Operate and A New Tide.

In January 2006, the band performed on Jam Cruise before returning to the studio to put the final touches on How We Operate.

After playing the SxSW music festival in Austin, Tom, Ian and Ben debuted material from the upcoming release in several U.S. cities.

The band’s 2006 spring tour included stops in Asheville NC, Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Denver, San Francisco, and Portland, OR.

They also performed at several large outdoor festivals, including stops at the Beale Street and Bonnaroo Festivals in Tennessee, the Jazzfest in New Orleans and Sasquatch Festival in George, WA.

In 2007, Gomez recorded a cover of The Band’s hit Up On Cripple Creek for the tribute album Endless Highway: The Music of The Band.

Also their song ‘How We Operate’ was played in the final scene of ‘The Hitcher’ starring Sean Bean and Sophia Bush.

Gomez continued to tour, including a co-headlining 2007 U.S. tour with label-mate Ben Kweller. The band toured Australia and New Zealand before heading back to the States for a second headlining leg of their U.S. tour.

In April 2009, the band’s song “Little Pieces” was used in the 19th episode of Grey’s Anatomy season 5.

It played at the start of the episode and involved a montage of Alex watching Izzie sleep in hospital, as well as Callie dancing with Arizona around Callie’s apartment.