Operahouse

Singer and guitarist Johnny Lloyd was brought up on an aural diet of The Velvet Underground, The Beatles and Led Zepplin. He started playing guitar at eight years old, then quit and took up the saxophone for a few years before deciding he actually preferred guitar. Originally from Newcastle, Johnny came to London via Rugby where he played football at school with Jimmy Cratch.

Bassist Jimmy Cratch started playing guitar with Johnny when they were about 15. He moved to London to study photography at Camberwell Arts College. When Johnny was looking for the right people to join the band he asked Jimmy to try out. But as Johnny and Alex Kaines were both playing guitar he really needed someone on bass. That's when Jimmy stopped playing guitar.

Guitarist Alex Kaines was introduced to Johnny by a mutual friend in a café in south London over egg and chips. "Johnny was making some god awful music with some friends at home and he needed a new member", recalls Alex. The two of them started writing songs together and the basis for Operahouse was formed.

Still only 18, Ben Niblett has been playing drums for five years. A friend of the band pointed him in the direction of Johnny and Alex. "We knew immediately he was the right choice because he can really play and he listens, which in our knowledge of drummers is quite rare," said Alex.

And so the line-up for Operahouse was finalised and the job of crafting some great songs began.

"Johnny and myself write the songs in their raw format before Jimmy and Ben put their parts into it," said Alex. "It then generally just mutates until it is what it is."

"I don't feel we have any limitations musically, everyone is good at what they play."

operahouse