Pool Of Sound - Hooton Tennis Club

Callum McFadden and James Madden had been friends prior to going to Upton by Chester High School where they met up with Ryan Murphy and Harry Chalmers. All coming from Chester and Little Sutton, it was towards the end of 2013 that the four of them, while studying at various colleges, speedily recorded some songs to upload with no intention of ever being an actual 'band'. Their band name was inspired by a sign for the tennis club in Little Sutton, Cheshire and, now named 'Hooton Tennis Club', had a line-up with Ryan on vocals and guitar, James also on vocals and guitar, Callum on bass guitar and Harry on drums.
In 2014 Dave Monks from Radio Merseyside featured them on his show, 'BBC Music Introducing in Merseyside,' after which their rudimentary recordings caught the ear of Edge Hill University lecturer and 'The Farm' bassist, Carl Hunter. He was then in the process of launching a uni-based record imprint, The Label Recordings. The band released, 'Kathleen Sat On The Arm Of Her Favourite Chair', as a limited debut single via Carl's new label in early 2014.

They next caught the ears of Heavenly Recordings, with label founder Jeff Barrett signing the quartet in September 2014 and their debut proper single, 'Jasper/Standing Knees', released in early 2015, was described by 6Music’s Lauren Laverne as her song of the year (so far). Following a UK tour with label-mate 'H. Hawkline', the band entered Parr Street studios in Liverpool with Bill Ryder-Jones, former guitarist in 'The Coral', to record their debut album, 'Highest Point In Cliff Town', which saw them tour extensively across the UK and Europe and perform at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas.

 

The Spring of 2016 saw the band record their second album, 'Big Box Of Chocolates', at the legendary former 'Orange Juice' man Edwyn Collins' Helmsdale studio overlooking Moray Firth. The album was released on the 21st of October 2016 and the first single released from the album was 'Katy Anne Bellis'. In 2017 People Power #OurNHS announced details of a whopping concert set to take place at the O2 Academy that June. With Micheal Head leading the line-up to help raise awareness of the plight of the NHS, he was joined on the night by the former 'GIT Award' nominees 'Hooton Tennis Club'. The line-up was completed by Edgar Jones , Steve Pilgrim and Kathryn Williams.

Then it all went quiet, with the band on an indefinite hiatus, until 2020 when they served up a surprise Double-A side. With Bandcamp waiving their fees, they sneaked out two brand new songs, 'Monsoonal Runoff' and 'People Want People Who Want People', a couple of joyous guitar pop sketches.

see also:- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2020/05/pool-of-sound-night-cafe.html