Fariña were formed in September 1995 by Mark Brend, Matt Gale and Cliff Glanfield. Based in London, United Kingdom, Matt and Mark have wandered on the fringes of British independent music since the 80s, having previously played in Mabel Joy and the Palace of Light - both of whom released albums on cult label Bam Caruso. Cliff played in a late line-up of Mabel Joy. Fariña's first few releases, including the band's debut album Allotments, were recorded as a three piece. The current four-piece line-up was established when Tim Conway joined in 2001. All members are multi-instrumentalists, singers and songwriters. Fariña record at their own Hummingbird Studio, a mass of obsolete and modern equipment currently located in East Dulwich, South East London. Here they fashion their multi-layered elegies and epics using guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, brass, samples, sound effects, melodica, autoharp and a midi rig driven by a 286 computer running sequencing software that dates from the 80s. The quartet of Mark Brend, Cliff Glanfield, Matt Gale and Tim Conway, all are multi-instrumentalists, and they all contribute to the songwriting process. The lushly ambitious compositions and instrumentation, rival and better those with endless budgets. Augmenting the standard guitar, bass, piano and drums, are accordion, melodica, organ, lap steel, trumpet, autoharp, subtle electronics, and found sounds. Their mutual muse is the singer-songwriter sounds of the late 60's and early 70's, (Brend has recently written a book on the subject called American Troubadours) their self-confessed influences include David Ackles, Ennio Morricone, Peter Perrett (of The Only Ones), and Talk Talk. You can hear traces of those influences, and much more, but there's no overt imitation going on, just kindred spirits making a wonderful kind of pop music. This is the kind of music Tim Hardin and Epic Soundtracks might be making in Heaven right now. Read more on Last.fm.