Eddie Roberts, guitarist and producer, was running a Leeds club called “The Cooker” in the late 1990s. In 1999, The Cooker moved to a new location with a second floor. This gave them the space and opportunity to bring a live band to compliment the DJ sets. Eddie and Simon Allen had previously played together as The Mastersounds in 1997, but with a different bassist. There was no organ. Because of friendships and the intimacy of the Leeds music scene’s music scene, Pete Shand, Bob Birch, and Hammond were added to The New Mastersounds. Although it was raw and more a boogaloo sound than the first, it was very powerful. Blow it Hard Records released two limited-edition 7′ singles in 2000 after their first rehearsal. Fast forward 15 years, and Blow it Hard Records has released 24 more 7-inch singles, 9 studio albums and 2 live albums. They also have 3 compilation albums. These albums were released in the UK, USA, and Japan. They continue to tour extensively. Joe Tatton is another Leeds legend who joined the band in 2007 to replace Bob Birch on piano and organ. They have worked or played with a wide range of musicians, both as a group and individually, such as Lou Donaldson (Blue Note), Corinne Bailey Rahe (EMI), Quantic(Tru Thoughts), Carleen (Young Disciples / Brand New Heavies), Keb darge
