MySpace a place for friends

BIO /

Leaves on Fire have recently expanded their lineup from a two piece to a four piece band. They now consist of Toufique Ali, a Bristol born, New Cross, London based Singer/ Songwriter and drummer Raymond Li (Bruster Li). New into the fray comes Neil Watters on Bass guitar and Girish Balachandran on Lead Guitar. They have formed a musical marriage of acoustic folk with a passion for heavier rock styles in order to become an unfashionable behemoth of pop and rock - to be performed at electric speeds. They have also been described as 'lo fi acoustic garage rock' by Will at the Electroacoustic Club in East London

When not performing in the band Toufique makes films, skates, records his music and plays solo around as many gig venues as he can in London. Ray manages a skate shop and teaches drums - they met through a mutual friend and bonded over the sale of some wrist guards. Girish is new to the lineup and is learning the ropes of being in a band; but what he doesn't know in terms of band etiquette he makes up for writing some excellent lead lines and bringing his own brand of immediate electric roar to the sound. Neil hails from Scotland and has also been a recent key addition to the group - his love of american lo-fi indie groups (a la Dinosaur, GBV, Pixies and the Mary Chain) mean that LOF are slowly going to be turning into a scuzzy Indie Rock/ Pop tune making outfit - all the while making sure they don't forget that dirty indie guitar music and cult status is much better in reality than being known any wider than that...

Heavily influenced by the work of Jeff Buckley, Ryan Adams, JMascis, Evan Dando, Norman Blake, Alex Chilton, Stephen Malkmus, Robert Pollard, Pavement, Sebadoh, Guided By Voices, Kings of Leon, Johnny Cash, Nina Simone, Ray Charles, the Zombies, Beirut, and more heavier outfits such as RHCP, Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, Glassjaw, Faith No More, Mogwai, Helmet, Shellac. We are currently listening to Sigur Ros, Mammut, Tim and Jeff Buckley, Cat Stevens, The Darjeeling Limited OST, Phoenix, Hjaltalin, The Maccabees, Bon Iver, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Whitest Boy Alive, Manic Street Preachers, Fleet Foxes, Erlend Oye and Yann Tiersen

FOOTAGE /

Version 1 / Toufique Ali and Bruster Li

Version 2 / with Pete Owens on Lead guitar