The Dragon Rapide

The Dragon Rapide - named after de Havilland's DH89 Dragon Rapide short-haul aircraft - was founded in Leeds (UK) in 1999 by ex-Kito members Matthew Woodward (drums), Stuart Smith (guitar), and Michael Blackwood (guitar). The band's first rehearsals - at Matt Woodward's house in the LS6 area of Leeds - were a marked departure from their previous band Kito (a hardcore and metal crossover) and showed influences ranging from post-rock and post-hardcore to indie rock, with their main early influences being Chicago band Tortoise and Washington DC band Hoover. Jonathan Nash joined on bass guitar - himself a resident of Leeds and former member of the band Weedon. Having played a number of shows around the UK between 2000 and 2001 the band went on to produce their first release, 'Meetings With Remarkable Machines', produced by ex-Bob Tilton bassist Mark Simms and recorded at Hall Place studios in Leeds. The mini-album, released on CD by Munster-based label 5nach3, showed the band's development as an intricate, experimental post-rock unit, and mixed song structures with interludes. Between 2002 and 2004 the band toured Europe extensively, playing shows in Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands before returning to the studio in 2004 to record 'II'. The album was recorded at Cottage Road studio in Leeds. with producer Matthew Peel. Continuing the songs / interludes theme set by their debut recording the band delivered a more joyful, playful, pop sensibility with their second release, and showed influences ranging from afrobeat, jazz, funk and indie rock. By late 2004 the band were moving into similar territory to Chicago acts such as 5ive Style, Euphone, and Heroic Doses. The band split in 2005, with Jonathan Nash going on to play in Cowtown (guitar / vocals), Brown Owl (bass guitar), Nope (drums), Hookworms (drums), and Game_Program (solo electronic project). Matthew Woodward went on to play with The Lapse (New York, US) and played in a number of Leeds bands including Cissy, Bosco, Klugman Town Band, and Casino Volante, before founding the current bands Azores and Galaxians. Both ex-Dragon Rapide members founded Stargaze Records in 2012.