SonVer

SonVer started life late in 2003, when Jo Quail (cello, programming) and Ben McLees (guitar, programming, samples) - both of London electro-rock group Earth Loop Recall - wrote & recorded the 8-minute ambient instrumental 'Until The Stones Melt' at their home in South London. Clearly not an ELR-compatible piece of music, the duo created SonVer as a vehicle to allow for further experimentation. A 4-track promo CD-R (which included 'Until The Stones Melt') was recorded and given out to friends and promoters in early 2004.

The first SonVer live performances took place during the summer of 2004. Often part-improvised, these first performances often took place in venues such as theatre foyers, bars and art galleries, reflecting the alt-classical style of SonVer's music.

In 2005, SonVer shows became more regular and started to incorporate live visuals (courtesy of filmmaker Simon Bryant) to complement the soundtrack feel of the music. SonVer's self-titled debut album was also released in 2005 and received positive reviews. The album included darker, industrial-influenced tracks such as 'Last Thursday', 'Procession' and 'Khat Show Host' which enabled SonVer to cross over into more conventional gig venues such as The Foundry, 93ft East and The Spitz in London, where SonVer performed a number of shows.

Other notable shows around this time included Ashton Court Festival in Bristol, Shambala Festival, Fimbulvetr in Edinburgh and Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig - 2006 being the first of SonVer's two appearances at the festival.

In Spring 2007, the "Vigil EP" was released, the title track having been a highlight of live sets for some time. Around the same time, SonVer expanded to a 4-piece with former Hush The Many Alistair Richardson and Ruban Byrne ing on drums & guitar respectively. The first show with the new line-up took place at the Luminaire in Kilburn, the second some 6 months later at the Union Chapel in Islington, where several brand new tracks were debuted.

2008 started with a one-off show in Lisbon, a triple-header with Naevus and Rose McDowall. A limited edition 6-track CD featuring all three groups was released to coincide with the date.

Shortly afterwards, SonVer released the collaborative '3 Songs' EP with Belgian alt-jazz act Elephant Leaf, whose singer Lucie Dehli ed SonVer onstage at a second show at The Union Chapel in May. Continuing the collaboration theme, SonVer performed in the film tents at Green Man & Latitude Festivals during the summer alongside Lautrec (Ed Simpson); with SonVer's music providing a live re-score to an edited version of the classic film '2001: A Space Odyssey'.

SonVer's second album 'Luz del Abyss' was finally released at the end of 2008, launched with a third show at The Union Chapel. With a more accessible post-rock sound than its predecessor, the album's centrepoint was the euphoric 'Ebusus', for which the group's only official promotional video was made.

In April 2009, SonVer played two sold-out nights at Jackson's Lane Theatre in Hampstead as part of 'Resonate', a production featuring dance & acrobatic performances.

2009 also saw the group return to AV territory with their conceptual 'Alchemy of Man' set, which incorporated seven films by seven different filmmakers from across Europe. Each film was a visual representation of one of the seven stages of alchemical transformation - and a reconfigured setlist (including two new, unreleased tracks) was devised as a live soundtrack to the films. This AV show debuted at Brighton Fringe Festival in May, before being taken to The Cube in Bristol and Latitude Festival in July.

In between these shows, SonVer returned to Leipzig for WGT, performing on a bill which included Cranes and I Like Trains at the stunning Volkspalast Kuppelhalle venue.

The Latitude Festival show proved to be the end of an era however, as it was announced shortly afterwards that Richardson and Byrne were no longer of SonVer.

Jo performed a couple of solo shows in the following weeks as SonVer in London and Brighton, before a new 3-piece line-up (Jo Quail, Ben McLees and percussionist Will Connor) formed to play three 'Alchemy of Man' shows in London, Zottegem (Belgium) and at Bath Film Festival.

These shows featured a radically different setlist to the previous dates; Quail & McLees returning to the more experimental/ambient sound of the debut album, enhanced by Connor's inventive and unconventional percussion & fx. These three sets only included three previously released SonVer tracks ('Until The Stones Melt', 'Procession' and 'Vigil') and otherwise consisted entirely of brand new compositions (several of which later appeared on Quail's debut solo album).

Ben McLees left SonVer at the start of 2010 to concentrate on his own This Is Radio Silence project. Quail & Connor continued as a duo for a short time and performed a handful of shows prior to disbanding, including an improvised set with Can legend Damo Suzuki at The Luminaire in Kilburn.

Shortly afterwards, Jo Quail started (and continues) to work solo under her own name, touring extensively worldwide and releasing several critically acclaimed albums & EPs.