ROCK dance trio The Feud are The Westmorland Gazette’s Band of the Month for March.

The band, who met at Queen Elizabeth School, in Kirkby Lonsdale, are one of the hardest working bands in music right now, spending their time crafting songs, practising and playing live anywhere from Dickie Doodles in Kendal to the Czech Republic, and recently supporting top Australian band Sick Puppies on a 10-day UK tour.

Guitarist and lead vocalist Jamie Walker, 23, and drummer Luke Paget, 24, had been in a blues band since their teens, but when the bassist left they began heading in a different direction, writing new material which didn’t fit with the blues scene.

Enter Stephen Mildwater, who takes up the story: “They contacted me and asked me if I knew any bass players. I played guitar, but I said, ‘well, I’ll give the bass a go’. We had a rehearsal and it just clicked immediately. It was just perfect.

“We all love music that has groove and soul and real meaning. We are really big into dance stuff and love Soulwax, Does It Offend You, Yeah? and Basement Jaxx, plus bands like Rage Against The Machine.

“We gel so well in life and I think that helps the music as well. It’s like an instinctive thing between us. Sometimes if I look at Luke or Jamie when we’re playing music, I will instinctively know what they’re going to do next.”

Filming them for a video feature, which is now available to view on The Gazette’s website, their energy and locked-in sound was awesome, making you want to simultaneously dance and mosh and sing, while jumping around and playing air guitar. Not an easy task when you’re holding a video camera and wearing a suit.

Their love of dance music sees them use samples, played by Luke through a Macbook to devastating effect — particularly on the frenetic I Want You To Get Mad. The Feud have the talent, they have the look, they have the tunes, and as they add to their already strong fanbase and gain more exposure, it’s surely inevitable their star will rise.

Stephen added: “We just think that if you want something enough, and you work hard and go for it, it will happen for you.”