Imagine The Rolling Stones jamming with The Doors while Tom Waits takes the mic; this is the sound of five-piece alternative rock band The Thinking Men. Described “Gritty and seductive bluesy rock”, their live performance reverberates with infectious, foot-stomping anthems that will have you hooked.
The story of The Thinking Men began in 2010 with two friends who shared a passion for music, poetry and reading philosophy. Having played in various bands before, Johnny Raspin and Ronnie Smith turned their attentions to writing and creating new music. They wrote songs on beaten up acoustic guitars, and the unique sound of The Thinking Men started to develop. Sarah Barsoumian joined the band back in those early days, bringing her mastery of keys, and what followed was an evolutionary few months of writing songs and creating sounds that are rooted in their collective experiences, tastes and influences. The sound that developed from these writing sessions is best described as a fusion of Blues, Folk, Country and Alternative/Indie Rock.
At this point The Thinking Men started playing small gigs at venues in their local city Norwich, Norfolk, where they were well received and their popularity and momentum began to build. After another period of writing, gigging and testing new material, an entirely unique sound began to emerge. It’s something that harks back to 50’s Rock, Blues, Country and Folk but with a contemporary, modern feel – The Thinking Men knew they had stumbled onto something special. An eclectic new sound with a nod and a wink to yesteryear, their music is built upon the hooks and melodies which make songs special and memorable.
Fast forward nearly two years, and Johnny and Sarah were still beating out rhythms on an old bass drum and a stomp plank. The time was right for The Thinking Men to add an extra element to their sound, and Matt Rowe joined the band on drums in August 2012. Having played his whole life and been in several bands previously, Matt was also a close friend, and the perfect choice to complement the music The Thinking Men were creating.
A few months on and the most recent addition to The Thinking Men was Duncan Samwell. Having played with Matt in Deltaville, a Norwich band from the mid 2000’s, Duncan adds an extra depth and an extra dimension to The Thinking Men with rich, fretless bass lines to get your feet tapping.
The band’s biggest influences are artists such as Tom Waits, Johnny Cash, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and The Doors to name a few...Get in touch and they’ll be more than happy to talk music with you for the rest of your days...
Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, The Doors, The Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash, Lou Reed, The Beatles
Mirror Test by The Thinking Men. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PkS3ofchh9Y&feature=c4-feed-u