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The Scratch are a four piece art rock band from St.Albans. Being firm believers in the punk DIY ethic The Scratch decided to release their first single as 7” vinyl only, on their own Ponyland Records imprint - ‘I Relax to Spiral Scratch’ a nod to the Buzzcocks was released in 2003 and gained some good reviews and was stocked by Rough Trade in London. 2004 saw the first album – DIY , (burned at home and sold at gigs).

"DIY -The Scratch, as the title of the record suggests The Scratch got tired of waiting for the music industry to give them a chance and like many artists we talk about on W&H have decided to make their own way. The fact that they’ve achieved such a diverse yet coherent set of songs and that it sounds so damn professional is to be applauded. "
[www.whisperinandhollerin.co.uk]

Following a couple of years of solid gigging in, second album Night Bus or Milk Train was released in 2006 through iTunes and Ponyland Records.

"Night Bus Or Milk Train by The Scratch is genuinely the mutt’s nuts!! - all delivered in a pop-punk package akin to The Buzzcocks mutated with T.Rex and a pinch of Kinksesque flourish."
Peter J Brown aka toxic pete (Rhythm & Booze rating 10) [www.toxicpete.co.uk]

Things moved up a gear in 2007 with the patronage of XFM DJ Clint Boon who via a listener votes on his Manchester show offered the band the chance of opening the Versus Cancer show at the sold out 22,000 capacity M.E.N. arena. Opening for the likes of Noel Gallagher, Paul Weller The Charlatans, Ian Brown and Echo & The Bunnymen, this led to a live session on Clint Boon’s Exposure show and three further appearances on his Drive Thru and evening session programmes.

"Guitar Gold dominated their sound and their set is full of great tunes"
John Robb - Live review at Manchester’s Night and Day music venue.

2008 saw the release of two further singles and numerous Internet and Student radio playlistings, backed by live acoustic sessions. The supporting videos were shown on heavy rotation on cable TV Channels, a short promo tour saw support to The Holloways and appearances on BBC 3 Counties plus festival appearances in August in the company of Alabama 3, Buzzcocks and Goldblade. A second regional XFM response session with Colin Frances (at the sadly now defunct XFM Wales) in Cardiff was also of note. The year finished on a huge high with a spot at the prestigious In the City music festival in Manchester.

"‘You want the world‘ is a superb narcissistic cutie"
losingtoday.com

2009 has seen the release of third album ‘Whatever happened to Friday night’ … featuring 3 singles that have all been top ten ‘hits’ in the Tourdates unsigned chart. with ‘You want the world’ reaching number 1 in June/July .

Add to this, plays on Tom Robinson’s BBC 6 radio show , a live session at BBC 3 Counties radio , numerous regional radio appearances and two local supports to Goldblade and Clint Boon as part of a bi-monthly residency at our local venue The Horn in St.Albans (the current buzz town of the uk!)

"Teen Idol by The Scratch Rocks"
Marco Pironni, The Wolfmen

"Something wicked this way comes. I am fairly certain that had The Scratch been around at punk rock prime time, they would have given the likes of The Buzzcocks and The Who a jolly good run for their money. It has been some time since this more classic style of punk rock has graced the airwaves, and I think that really, it’s about time. Make way for The Scratch. ‘THIS ALBUM IS A SHINING BEACON OF PUNK ROCK FINESSE’"
[Tiff Woosley TSM Radio]

"Wonderfully edgy pop/rock with wholesome retro intonations. Rammed full of typically British popability but with genuine global appeal."
[www.toxicpete.co.uk]

"The Scratch pump out low-fi numbers that have vocals snottily delivered vocals and melodies that aren’t a million miles away from the naïve diary lyrics of the Buzzcocks"
[Artrocker Magazine]

Against the grain/Cool in an uncool way - Ponyland Records Released 26th January 2009. "In short, devilishly cool stuff from the practitioners of perfect pop."
[Losingtoday.com]

"Night bus or Milk Train is a blistering set of songs that fuses retro and new wave punk and leaves me with a smile on my face after one listen."
[www.subba-cultcha.com]

"The Scratch could be just another indie band, but once you get past the first three or four tunes on Night Bus Or Milk Train, you realise that something a little bit special is going on here. Tightly crafted guitar pop music interwoven with the odd synth or sample - not overused in the slightest. ‘Stranger’ even takes a different course and sounds very Eighties, like Midge Ure with new toys on Christmas. The guitar work is excellent, there are some damn fine riffs on this record and they seem genuinly keen to do something just a little bit different. In every verse you can hear shades of influences ranging from The Libertines to The Human League."
[Is This Music]

"In fact it's the kind of album that might well be fondly remembered in a few years time if the band goes on to fulfil their potential, that currently makes 'Night Bus or Milk Train' that bit better than most of their contemporaries."
[www.getreadytorock.com]

"You Want the World - There’s something refreshingly uninhibited about The Scratch. Their tracks are quite minimal but all in completely different ways. ‘You Want the World’ is old school and punky, a little like the Undertones (‘Teenage Kicks’ is even referenced in second track, ‘Independent Unrepentent’). Then they throw in a proggy track like ‘Teen Idol (for 300 million)’ – bafflingly obscure and brilliant leftfield."
[tastyfanzine.org.uk]

Girl's World

Against the Grain