A Lonely Crowd

A Lonely Crowd is an experimental/progressive rock band hailing from Melbourne, Australia. Steadfastly original and left of center, this four-piece band panders neither to fickle public tastes nor current trends, and are all the better for it. They create a sound that is quirky, engaging and absolutely their own. With brothers Luke and Scott Ancell on guitars and drums respectively as well as David Morkunas doubling on bass and keys, their music alternately soothes and shreds, takes you in all manner of directions and constantly keeps you guessing. At the same time, it remains staunchly cohesive and just plain grooving. Soaring above it all are the gutsy, dynamic vocals of Xen Havales (who also doubles on flute), her voice an off-the-wall combination of Kate Bush and Chrissie Amphlett. The band recently signed with the prestigious independent record label ‘Birds Robe Records’ (home of sleepmakeswaves, 65daysofstatic, The Red Paintings, Tangled Thoughts of Leaving, The Nerve etc), and have shared the stage with such luminaries as Dead Letter Circus, Cog, Closure in Moscow, sleepmakeswaves, Mammal, The Red Paintings and Twelve Foot Ninja. The band have also stunned crowds at Australian festivals such as Progfest with their intense and entertaining live show, and attained much national and international airplay. In December, 2013 the band dropped their music video for ‘Blur’ – a fantastically surreal piece by director Clayton Smith. The music video was aired on ABC’s RAGE and has captivated fans with its dreamlike themes, special effects and enigmatic characters. Early 2014 saw the release of their second album Transients, the follow up to 2011’s internationally successful debut record User Hostile. Transients sees the band spreading their wings in every possible way; their musicianship, composition, production and the sheer imaginative and emotional depth of their sound. The album itself is truly reflective of its title – a musical tour de force that juxtaposes genre and dynamic whilst still presenting a unified sonic vision. It is an enigma and a powerhouse all at once. ‘A Lonely Crowd’. It’s a contradiction in terms, but contradiction is what this band is all about. Strange, but strangely appealing, this band is forging an identity all its own. A LONELY CROWD is: Luke Ancell: Guitars Scott Ancell: Drums/Percussion David Morkunas: Bass/Keys Xen Havales: Vocals/Flute