Formed in 2006 Former Utopia have played over 100 gigs and toured throughout the UK, Italy and Europe and shared stages with Shonen Knife, Bitch Magnet, Bottomless Pit, Shannon Wright, Julie Doiron, The Thalia Zedek Band, Geoff Farina & Chris Brokaw, Thee More Shallows, Swell, PW Long, Uzeda, Bellini and David Grubbs.

Former Utopia released their Debut EP 'Collapsar' on Damnably in 2013 and gleaned radio play from BBC6 Music's Gideon Coe & Tom Ravenscroft plus John Kennedy at XFM. They played Incubate festival and gained glowing reviews in Damusic and 3Voor12.

RECENT PRESS

Gaffa “…The band’s timing was absolutely superb, and the chemistry between Rama and George was a pleasure being a spectator. The heavy drums and the piercing guitar cultivated melodic love. Definitely a band to well could bear to hear again,..”.

The Line Of Best Fit “a gentleman blessed with an imposing baritone halfway between Bill Callahan and Absentee”

John Kennedy XFM Radio “FANTASTIC!”

Pocket Jury “The overall highlight is the fantastic ‘Blue Fugue’, which sounds like a collision between Frigid Stars era Codeine and Zuma era Crazy Horse. Building from a lush, unhurried foundation, Gargan executes a blistering Neil Young-esque guitar solo which carries the narrative of the song long after the vocals have stopped. Collapsor is certainly a striking collection of songs and you can’t help but feel that if it takes another four years for a sequel, it will be very much worth the wait.”

Slowthrills “…subtle melodies delivered in an understated baritone vocal coupled with edgy, occasionally heavy guitars. The way the songs creep up on you and develop is reminiscent of that great, often overlooked band Silkworm.”

Sodapop “…the visibility they deserve is coming.”

Americana UK 8/10 “mini masterpiece of lo-fi rumblings…”

8/10 Whisperingandhollerin!

"Former Utopia inject new life into the faded denims of grungey slackerdom, with the crunching guitars and twisted pop dynamism of the Pixies and the plaintive tones and monster solos of Dinosaur Jr. And it’s totally welcome."