Syd Arthur are devotees of a sound - sons and heirs of those Canterbury psychedelic and progressive rockers whose improvisational approach made the avant-garde accessible. Winners of the Canterbury Best Local Band competition they eventually adopted the fitting name Syd Arthur -- the "Syd" bit because of Barrett and "Arthur" with its intimations of the Kinks' album Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire). They created their own recording space, Wicker Studios, in 2009, and released their first EP the following year. There are traces of folk and world music in their sound, as well as some of the intricacies of jazz and the rhythms of dance -- which the band themselves call "psychedelic funk rock". Their music is unique and quite unlike anything else.

Over the last five years the band have constantly played gigs and festivals, patiently evolving their sound with a clarity of intention and a spirit of exploration and building up a strong following over the similarly devoted. http://sydarthur.

co.