ROCK-steady ska outfit Midnight Landing are The Westmorland Gazette’s band of the month for June.

The band perform Rock Right and Jah Release Me exclusively for our online video feature.

The rhythm section is provided by drummer Max Gore, of Kendal, and bassist Neil Blenkinship, of Caton, who are joined by guitarists Samir Kessous, of Lancaster, and Alistair Donaldson, of Kendal.

Vocalist Ben Higgins, of Staveley, who completes the line-up, spoke about the band’s ambitions.

“We really want to go somewhere with this. We only formed in September but we are doing quite well at the moment and are already quite well known in and around Cumbria.

"We are playing some festivals this year including Cockrock (in Cockermouth), Solfest (near Aspatria) and Ravenstonedale Festival, and are gigging a lot around Cumbria with our friends Hexed Hands, Blunt Truth, Bad Transmission and Latenight Fiasco.”

The five-piece are currently learning their trade at Kendal College and cannot speak highly enough of the “fantastic” tutelage they have received there thanks to the likes of lecturer Paul Satterthwaite.

Ben said: “You cannot get better than the course here. The facilities are excellent and we have learned a lot about how the music industry works.”

Alistair is heading to university in Leeds next year to study music production, but that won’t affect their determination to succeed.

He said: “I am still going to travel back to do gigs and rehearse.”

For more information on the band, visit facebook.com and search for “midnight landing”.