Dragon slayers set for third album

Sep 5 2008 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

THE music industry is always changing at an ever faster pace.

With increasing competition from the internet downloads, iTunes, MySpace and the like, record companies are in a frantic bid to catch up, and are not always staying on top of the heap.

For some bands, changing technology gives them a chance to take charge and make their way without the help of a major label.

One band who have come up with a new way of getting their music heard is Cambridge three-piece Hamfatter.

Although they had been putting in the hard slog in the traditional way, building up a fan base and releasing independent albums, and some airplay on Radio One, they decided to step things up a gear by applying to go on TV show Dragons’ Den.

Not only did they get the exposure of performing their music on national TV, but panel member Peter Jones was so impressed he decided to invest in them to the tune of £75,000 in return for 30% of their profits.

Now, rather than having to sign a record deal, they have the funds to do it all themselves.

The trio, vocalist and guitarist Eoin O'Mahony, bassist James "Jimbo" Ingham (who met while studying music at Cambridge University) and drummer Mark Ellis, are now enjoying their unconventional overnight success.

“All hell broke loose after we were on Dragons’ Den,” Eoin giggles.

“It’s settled down a bit now. We’ve been working on the new album and doing a lot of promotion since then, as well as just gearing up for the tour.

“What is good is since being on the show we’re playing nicer venues and we’ve had a lot of support from people. A lot more people have heard of us and people are more excited about what we do and are saying nice things about the album.”

Hamfatter applied for the show as the band thought it would be a way of getting on television.

“It was just something to try out, really, to get to the next stage. That’s what it’s like when you’re in a band, you do ordinary things like gigs and recording albums, and every so often you try something different to see where it gets you.

“It’s extremely difficult to get anywhere, you have to keep pushing really, keep doing gigs and that’s how you get a really solid fan base.”

They played their song Sziget to the dragons and were quizzed on their ideas for nearly three hours. After a long deliberation the panel asked to hear another song before the majority agreed to support them.

Four of the five dragons made them offers, and they chose to take up Peter Jones.

“Although we knew they were going to like our music, we sort of assumed they wouldn’t invest,” Eoin said.

“Everything we do with the band is a bit of fun really. We knew we were going to get to play a song on national TV completely live, which is something quite rare these days.”

The show aired in July, and in the months since, they re-released their third album, What Part of Hamfatter Do You Not Understand?, using the money from the show to establish their own company, Hamfatter Ltd, to put out their music.

“We could do it this way because we already had a studio and producer we liked, a distributor to get things out, and really didn’t need that kind of help. It was the best way of maintaining complete control.

“We knew after the show we’d be really busy, so in the couple of months between recording it and it being show we started writing new material.

“We are really, really happy with how it’s all sounding.

“Because we’ve got a bit more money to spend we can use really good arrangements, even bought in strings.

“So we’ve got more room to experiment in some things and for the first time, we’ve got time and money to record B-sides.

“Obviously, this is a massive opportunity for us.

“We've never had a chance before to spend so long in the studio. As a band we just keep getting better and better – in studio and live. And we know we can take on any of the big bands that are out there and win.

“We just want to give up our day jobs, play gigs and have a laugh.”

Hamfatter return to Liverpool for a show at the Carling Academy on Sunday, September 14 as part of the ongoing On Song festival and the first date of their first UK tour since their Dragons’ Den fame.

Last year they played the International Pop Overthrow Festival on Mathew Street, playing the Cavern and other pubs along the street.

HAMFATTER play Carling Academy Liverpool on September 14.