Movedrill are Matt Klose, Richard James Garfoot & Benjamin James Smith. They came together in the summer of 2002, borrowing a name from a chapter in a chess skills book about planning and practicing killer moves.

They were part of the illustrious Goldswong Terrace (GT) set – a short steep street in Nottingham that became a magnet for music makers and art creators (circa 94-97) – the thread of collaborations is wide and far reaching with prominent residents such as Chris Todd and James Baron (founders of Crazy P) and heavy psychedelic rockers Earth The Californian Love Dream who poached Smith to beef out their sound with Hammond organ. 

Born out of the angst of a dying love affair, the first wave of material was penned in 2003 by Smith (guitar) and fleshed out with the help of Matthew Klose (drums) and Richard James (bass). They were supported by the production and managerial experience of Ric Peet (Candy Flip & International Peoples Gang), Mike Gillespie (Underworld) and Dean Stratten with artwork by Fanni Bostrom and former GT residents Alicia Clarke and Simon Howell.

After a year of touring around legendary London venues such as; Betsy Trotwood, Bull & Gate, Troubadour, Nottinghill Arts Club, Dublin Castle etc. They set about recording the punchy set that had been their manifesto and in 2004 ‘Chapter Attic’ was recorded, produced and mixed by Ric Peet.

In 2005 they took up residency in Bush Rehearsal Studios to smash out some new songs. These sessions soon clocked up to 9+ hours of material and would become ‘Chapter Bush’. With the addition of former Goldswong Terrace resident guitar wizard Richard Poynton. The now 4 piece band compiled a selection of these rehearsals into an album released on Nunorthern Soul in 2013, Benjamin James Smith present ‘The Movedrill Projects’.

In 2006 fate had other ideas for Movedrill and the band’s devolvement into adult pastimes of carpentry, cheffing and fatherhood, put ‘Chapter Bush’ onto a shelf of forgotten things. But 17 years later they are sharing all that musical noise. ‘Chapter Attic’ is out now on bandcamp and all DSPS, whilst all the ‘Chapter Bush’ songs are being developed in to a 2 part LP.

"Breathtaking garage blues.
Movedrill have honed their sound to perfection. The frontmen are masters of bright lead vocals - worn with the precocious care of Rod Stewart's Faces - and measured backing harmonies - hitting the bull head-on. Lead singer is also purveyor of the guitar with the warm but oddly warped chords, the staccato elements of funkcious chime and abrupt rock-riff, and the now obligatory dalliance of drumstick on strings. Bass is an instrument of high skipping tunes, urgent reverb-fuzz and break-out funks. Drums are a sprinting train, clackety- clack over the points, a damped snare punch. Lyrics are inevitably caught between raunch and romance: "It's so hot in here, I think about it all the time"; and "Yeah, yeah, you and me, we could last forever". There are more inventive lines too: "Standing in line for your time"; and "You wanna take her out… but she is… the last one to know". Movedrill are not especially original or off-the-wall, but they possess the irresistible hammer of the soul once owned by The Jam and subsequently passed to the Woodentops. Movedrill play direct, fast and unembellished blues. It's not big. It's not clever. It's just… exactly right. Heated-up, beated-up sweet old soul music. You got to get the feeling."
Wed 13 October 2004@ Bull and Gate. Author: WT