A Word With Wordsworth - It's Worth The Read
- up2096812
- Jan 11, 2024
- 3 min read
"Our main vision is to be different, to play different material than all of the other 'boring' cover bands in the area".
Since 1998, Wordsworth has headlined numerous events, including the Northampton Balloon Festival, the British Grand Prix, Superbikes, the NN festival, and has also made an appearance in Northampton's twin city, Marburg.
While they have done this in the past, Wordsworth is often seen performing in local pubs, where their fans can sing along and dance to the music they cover. The band loves to entertain their fans and feels a strong sense of connection to the local community. This is where they feel at home and are most inspired to create their musical magic.
Although the band has been called Wordsworth for many years, it didn't always go by this name and its creation goes back to 1996. Ashley Wood (drummer) and Chris Nash (lead vocalist) started off playing in a local cover band called 'Lost Time', playing classic rock songs at venues in the area.
Though enjoying this, the duo found that the band was "naturally coming to the end of its life" and a decision was made that it would be time to venture into creating a new band to continue their passion. And so, after a meeting with Chris' friends Mark Mundin (rhythm guitarist) and Des Jones (bass guitarist), 'Wetdog' was formed.
"We spent the next 18 months to 2 years playing small gigs on the local circuit".
In 1998, Ashley was introduced to a young man called Luke Di Stefano by his partner Lyndsey who worked in a pub that 'Wetdog' regularly played in and unbeknown to him, Luke had been a follower of 'Lost Time' since its creation.
"Luke explained that he was a keen guitarist, and had recorded some of his playing in his bedroom and after sitting in his van and listening to his tapes, the rest is history as they say. 'Wet dog' was no more and 'Wordsworth' was formed as a five-piece".
With the new addition of members, they were able to explore new areas and play songs by artists such as Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radio Head, Metallica, and The Pixies. From then, gigs were coming in thick and fast.
The addition of new members meant that the group had a larger talent pool to draw from, as well as more experience and creativity. This allowed the band to cover a variety of different genres that they were unable to do so before. This, in turn, helped them gain more fans and booking opportunities.
In 2003, Ashley left the band due to work commitments and was replaced by Matt Raes (drummer) in 2004 who had previously played for 'Peartree Bridge Family' and stayed with the band until 2010 until he had to stop due to ill health and was later replaced by Lee Newell (drummer) until 2023 before Ashley later rejoined the band after 20 years and remained 'good friends with the band'. During this period, Luke left the band in 2015 and was replaced by Dave Jeffery playing lead guitar.
In 2023, 'Wordsworth' celebrated their 25th anniversary at the Thomas A Beckett pub in Northampton. During this gig, several musicians, either past members, friends, and dep musicians got up to play guest spots with the band.
This celebration was an opportunity for the band to thank all those who had been a part of their history and to commemorate their 25th anniversary with a night of great music. It was also a way to celebrate the longevity of the band and the strength of their bond with each other.
At this time, a good friend of the band, Sarah Hepworth, got up and sang two songs with them. These are, You Oughta Know by Alanis Morissette and Weak by Skunk Anansie.
"This moment changed the concept of the band forever. After the gig and much deliberation, it was decided to offer Sarah a place as a dual lead singer with Chris on a permanent basis".
In the early days, the set of 'Wordsworth' was much more Indie, covering songs by artists such as Blur, Oasis, Radiohead, the Pixies, The La’s and the Seahorses. With the addition of Sarah joining the band, the style of the band became more rock-orientated, with the addition of featuring more bands, such as Muse and Queens Of The Stone Age.
"The set list is ever-changing and expanding, but maintains the same musical, but rocky influences".
'Wordsworth' continues to share their passion for music performing regularly and ensuring that every show is different and exciting for their audience by introducing new songs, while still maintaining the spirit and energy of their original music. They plan to do this for years to come and have positively stated that their vision is "to continue until it’s physically impossible to continue".
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