The Woodentops

Formed in 1983 in Northampton before relocating to South London, The Woodentops were built around singer-guitarist Rolo McGinty and initially developed a taut, lively sound that sat between indie rock, new wave and acoustic-tinged pop, driven by nervous guitars, brisk rhythms and tightly crafted melodies. Very active on the London club scene in the mid-1980s, The Woodentops released early singles such as “Move Me” and “Well Well Well” – the latter produced by Andy Partridge of XTC – and enjoyed the support of John Peel. The debut album, Giant, appeared in 1986 and crystallized that first period, still marked by varied instrumentation and a very upfront energy. From there the band steered its music toward more electric, danceable forms, evident on the live Hypno Beat Live (1987) and then on Wooden Foot Cops on the Highway (1988), where the indie-rock approach opened up to electronic textures and dance culture. The group split in 1992, reformed in 2006 and resumed regular live activity, before releasing Granular Tales in 2014, extending that blend of urgent guitars, dense pulse and oblique pop that runs through their career.