UK based Classic Rock / Proggers The Room are very sad to announce the departure of the bands keyboard player Steve Checkley, who has decided to leave the band to concentrate on the increasing demands of family life.
Steve joined the band in 2011 and appeared on both Open Fire and Beyond the Gates of Bedlam albums contributing some great melodies and ideas for songs. That contribution continues on the bands new album to be released in the autumn of 2018.
"We are enormously sad that Steve has decided to leave the band but we understand and fully support his reasons. Steve has been with us for seven or so years and we are going to miss his humour, mad ideas and of course his help developing our unique sound" - Martin Wilson, Vocals
Woking based Mark Dixon will be replacing Checkley on keys just in time for album number three. Dixon, whose musical journey started when he played in covers bands in South African hotels in the 80s, returned to the UK in 1993 before taking a diploma in music in 2005.
"We love the experimental side of Marks musical nature, he has a great ear for melody and intuitively understands the sounds that we want to achieve on the new songs" - Steve Anderson, Guitars
In a further addition to the bands line up, The Room have added UK-based French guitarist Eric Bouillette. The multi-instrumentalist from Nice has played with prog rockers Nine Skies and RDSK along with tribute acts to Genesis, Bowie and Opeth.
"This is an amazing time for us! Yes it is sad when you lose a great friend like Steve Checkley but the power and dynamics that we have added to the band is awesome. Eric is a very different style of guitarist from Steve Anderson but they complement each other perfectly" - Andy Rowe, Bass
The band starts recording their new album at Outhouse Studios in Reading with producer John Mitchell at the end of April and the new line up makes its full live debut at Home Farm Festival in Yeovil on 9th June 2018.
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