After reading the description of The 99s that was written on unsigned.com and various other websites, I have found out a little about them and their target audience.
The band are from Saddleworth, north-east of Manchester in the foothills of the Pennines in the borderlands of Lancashire and Yorkshire. A place which will forever scarred with the memories of the Moors Murders. Despite this, the melodic indie-rock trio, The 99s, are very proud of their roots and instead of grouping themselves as another Manchester band, they proclaim their Saddleworth origins.
The three band members developed their musical identity through time together at school, and grew into a band when bassist James Loughlin and drummer Adam Quigley recruited Johnny West as singer and guitarist after admiring his performances in local folk clubs. The lads decided that fate had dictated their band line-up was complete, when all three seats in Adam's van were filled.
The band have since established themselves as a great live band and song-writing group after intense local gigging and appearing on Clint Boon's renowned XFM show and In The City festival. In 2009 the lads then took their gigs to London and had three successive gigs sold out at highly praised venues in the music industry such as, The Water Rats and Club 229.
As time has gone on the three have established their own musical style which has grown in confidence and as drawn together many influences which now sits between pop, folk and rock. The bands musical style can be heard to draw inspiration from the folk and brass bands of their hometowns as it does from Northern bands such as The Beatles. Their sunny, Byrds-like melodies take you far from any notions of grim Northern mills and moorland.
"“We want to put where we come from back on the map for the right reason,” says West. “The music we write reflects our area. We write songs on top of hills.” "
