A biog of Paul Armfield and the Four Good Reasons. Click on any image to see a larger version.

PAUL ARMFIELD
Raised on a diet of Elvis, Black Sabbath and Elton John, I joined my first band at the age of twelve, shortly after moving from Birmingham to the Isle of Wight. True to the spirit of punk we had a name before we'd even learned to play. I chose bass because of Paul Simonon and Jean Jacques Burnel. Between then and now I've done the full circuit of the Isle of Wight music scene, playing jazz, latin, soul, blues, gypsy, bluegrass, pop, country, folk, cajun...I only started singing and writing in earnest when I started working with Adam Kirk. I'd played in bands with Adam when he was just starting on guitar, by the time we came to collaborate he was touring the world as Joan Baez' accompanyist, whenever he had time off we'd sit down together and write and record our songs- the first of these collaborations was an early version of 'Trigonometry'. Outside of a couple of gigs supporting the likes of Kate Rusby and Stacey Earle we had no ambitions for this project other than to get together when we could just to make music. It was these early demos that caught the attention of new label 'A Townful of Fonzies'- the rest is recent history.

J.C.GRIMSHAW
I first saw John Claude playing his Django licks in an early eighties thrash band. Soon after I spent a short spell in his, now legendary band, The Chuff Train Stompers, a bizarre concept which involved Memphis Jug Band tunes and occasional nudity. Even at the age of 15 JC was a self taught genius of guitar, banjo, mandolin, harmonica and Ukelele. With his sister Angelina, who has a voice like Guinness and Port, JC has become highly respected on the international folk and blues scene, as well as becoming the oremost exponent and authority of Hula Guitar playing. A superb singer/songwriter in his own right, he has played nearly every night for the past 15 years, when his sister decided she needed a break from this hard working duo I stepped in, and every Monday night for two or three years JC and I worked the pubs, learning from each other. So much of JC's unique musical vision can be heard on Songs Without Words.

BARKLEY McKAY
Barkley and I knew each other at school, but as a punk I was always distrustful of his boogie-woogie licks. He joined J.C's band The Chuff Train Stompers shortly after I left (it's an incestuous scene), and then moved to Leeds to study music, all the while maintaining close links with the Island music scene. It was during this time that he met fellow Islander Dick Taylor a founder member of the Rolling Stones who later gained cult status as one of the Pretty Things. Dick offered Barkley a position in the current Pretty Things line up as rhythm guitarist. It was in this role that he met founder member of the Leeds band the Mekons -Jon Langford, and has continued to provide keyboards for his various Chicago based projects ever since, including seminal alt.country outfits such as the Waco Brothers. A terrifically sensitive keyboard player and an astounding guitarist, Barkley has an almost psychic ability to turn my vaguest ideas into musical reality.

JAKE RODRIGUES
Jake pretty much grew up with J.C. Both the sons of eccentric artists, both driven by a love of all music pre 1930s, both determined to master as many instruments as possible. Jake's present solo act sees him playing guitar, banjo, ukelele, piano, accordian, autoharp, harmonica and mandolin, he also plays a very respectable stand up bass. Given the 'down-home' nature of his musicianship it came as some surprise when a few years ago Jake announced the unlikely news that he had got himself and J.C. a job as Midge Ure's touring band. They spent the next two years driving the former ultravox frontman slowly out of his mind with their hilarious banter. Another unlikely scenario- A couple of years ago Jake found himself teaching the dying George Harrison Hawaaian tunes on the ukelele. Jake has a natural sense of the dramatic which makes the accordian his ideal instrument, it's always a distraction seeing him wring every ounce of emotion out of my favourite instrument. A truly original, if somewhat eccentric talent.

TREVOR SMITH
Around sixteen years ago I found myself playing bass in an awful holiday camp band, the only thing that kept me sane was the drummer Trevor. Only sixteen at the time he was already pretty incredible, but after three years studying classical percussion he was unsurpassed, and has remained so in my opinion. Trevor's CV is testament to his versatility, from his role in the critically acclaimed Miracle Mile he went on to play with Nick Hayward, a stint with the Rockingbirds, and a tour with fellow Islander Mark King. The most sensitive, intelligent, musical and accomplished drummer I've had the pleasure to work with.