Charlie

Got my first real 6 string... When i was about 16 actually. A white Squire Strat that had once been blue (or so i liked to think as that would imply some vintage for the £200 my mum paid) so i decided to go for that sanded down patchy blue/white orca look. Luckily gigs were less frequent back then as i'd likely have been arrested by friends of the earth before the first number was done.

My first gig was fronting a covers band called "Pint" (I never realised at the time just how apt a name that was for a covers band!), butchering the stock classics of  Eric Clapton, Hendrix, Lenny Kravitz etc as well as some previously little-heard Faith No More songs in keys far too high for my natural voice. There was something alluring about an audience of wincing middle-aged mums and dads that planted my sights firmly on a rock 'n roll future.

Despite my menacing reputation as a U.S. 90's grunge rock Kobain-ite (from NW London), my later teens and early twenties saw me begin to travel with my then hippy girlfriend and with that develop an appreciation for bands of softer persuasions from the 50's and 60's - to find my heart firmly set in the 70's. Placing an emphasis on lyrical and structural songwriting. Many a night in my Thai hammock was spent keeping up my (stoned and defensless) travel companions with jewels such as Wasted Time (Eagles), Way over Yonder (Carole King) and, when it got really late, Crowded House and a bit of Billy Joel (for my sins).

After a promising but unfocused first band experience with Flair (2001-2003), i decided to ponder the benefits of solo singer/songwriting. This ended when in 2004 a combination of boredom and dwindling motivation lead me to sign up to an internet-dating site for abandonned musicians, where I met Alex. Gradually we learned to accept each other's spinsterish ways and decided that forming Trail was our last best hope for glory and immortality.

Alex

Despite a relatively comfortable upbringing in a leafy south London suburb, Alex found his musical connection with the mississipi delta blues. He went through the usual rights of passage of playing over endless blues jam tracks, then joining a classic rock covers band before hooking up with Charlie Afif.

When not wailing on his beloved Fender Strat, Alex enjoys the fine Arts and good food (as well as speaking about himself in the 3rd person). On nights off from the band he can often be found on the couch with his girlfriend watching a classic Steven Seagal film with a chinese takeaway.







Simon

I had my first guitar lesson when I was 8. And my second at 14. I was never particularly interested in being told what and when to practice, so I decided to focus on collecting football and wrestling stickers instead.

When I got a bit older and realised I could teach myself and play the devil's music (mainly Beatles to start with but it sounds rebellious and cool) I picked up the guitar again. After a few years and a few aborted attempts at covers bands I woke up living in a student house with Eireann and Alex and also playing bass. When we werent busy watching south park or sabotaging the student president election, we spent our days jamming.

After uni I heard that Alex and Eireann had started playing in a band called The Trialmusic or something like that, and went to see them. I was amazed that someone had managed to curb Alex's unhealthy blues addiction and harness his skills in a positive way, so lured by the promise of as many raisin and biscuit yorkies i could eat, I signed up.



Eireann

My dad first handed me a junior guitar at 4 years old. Which looking back seems strange, given that I could barely master the conundrum of tieing shoelaces! My dad always had high hopes of me becoming the next Rory Gallagher, but it wasn't until his namesake Noel Gallagher came on the scene that I really took any interest. So at 15 I started my first band "Santonica", we had high hopes, huge egos and no songs!

Day one of University life and I rocked up to my new halls of residence to find a new flat mate going by the name Alex Mattey. Alex had an unhealthy desire for cheesy Rock and I... well I just thought i'd go along with it. We planned world domination right there and then and what better way to start the ball rolling than with a rendition of The Ghostbusters theme tune!

It wasn't long before i bumped/staggered into a friend of a friend named Simon Glynn. Soon after we met it became clear that he had probably been stalking me for quite a while... that could be the only way I could explain the similarities. Both of Irish desent, both raised on a strict meat and 'tato diet, both acoustic buskers and both huge Beatles fans. So much so that many an evening was spent covering all the classics ranging from "Rocky Racoon" to a personal favourite "A Taste of Honey".

After University, having to face the harsh realities of London working life, Alex called me up with the chance of teaming up with him and Charlie to join their band Trail and from that day musical focus was back

Woody

My interest in music would have started when watching my Dad playing guitar and singing at numerous pub gigs around Plymouth, but I didn't begin to play drums until the age of 10 after an aborted attempt at learning guitar in school (twinkle twinkle little star was never the most inspiring tune to play).

I didn't start taking music seriously until I joined my first 'proper' band in school at the age of 13/14 called Zoonosis, which coincided with my discovery of Red Hot Chili Peppers.  Hours and hours were spent practicing at lunch times on some seriously ragged equipment before we were able to play Chili Peppers songs without totally murdering them.

Having cut my live teeth with my Dad's pub band at the age of 13 I stuck practicing as much as I could over the next few years (and by practicing I mean playing along to RHCP, Muse, Incubus and Foo Fighters songs), and at the end of 6th Form was amazed (and relieved) to find out that there colleges offering degrees in playing drums, so in 2004 I left the sunny climes of Devon and moved myself to the spiritual home of the Chelsea tractor that is Guildford. 

Having received a few harsh lessons at music college I was now prepared to make a go of it with my former band 'Outfit' and we spent the best part of 18 months rocking around the London club circuit.  Sadly band politics saw the band fall apart but happily a short time after this and my relocation to London, I was asked by a friend to cover a gig he was supposed to be playing with a band called 'Trail'.  The gig went pretty well by all accounts and having since joined the band have taken great joy in abusing my band-mates' ear drums and playing some amazing venues (those of you who have seen Ealing Broadway on a hot afternoon know what I'm talking about).