The band's disparate and eclectic musical tastes and influences - from experimental noise to Russian folk music – have resulted in a highly original approach and sound. The band is based in and around Manchester, and have played with such bands as Bardo Pond, Do Make Say Think, Stars of the Lid and HEALTH.

In 2000 the first CD - Mile 7 – was released, a disparate collection of songs, improvisations and soundscapes unified by a subtle melancholia, influenced by a millennial road trip across the open deserts of Nevada and Arizona.

In contrast, the bulk of the second record, Careers, was conceived, finalised, or improvised in a single week of recording in the wilds of deepest Sussex in September 2002. Careers continued and expanded Stray Light's intuitive and distinctive approach to music - balanced between improvisation and composition, noise and melody.

The third release in 2009, Waves Broken is a diverse collection of songs that branches out instrumentally with the addition of flute, viola, balalaika, and some slightly unorthodox piano - the loud bits are louder, the quiet bits quieter, and the weird bits are, well, weirder.

The latest Stray Light record, Bearing Feathers, is best described as the band's most accomplished and strangest record to date, densely packed with musical ideas. Taking inspiration from nature and a slightly different direction, a more playful side to the band's music is revealed. Another theme to emerge is that of chance patterns, produced by the interlocking of competing parts and ideas, as well as lyrics emerging from dreams and coincidences.

If you are interested in purchasing our music please visit our website http://www.stray-light.co.uk/StrayLightIndex.htm

Stray Light are...

David Bennett - Guitar

Dan Chadderton - Drums

Kat Moor - Guitar, Vocals

Ellen Poliakoff - Bass, Violin, Piano, Vocals

"Stray Light are all about slowburning intertwined guitar melodies, bolstered by sweet violin drone and skittering drums ... cute and sinister" - Brainwashed

"A delectable female-led ensemble, whose guitar driven melancholy flirts around the borders of experimental English pop" – Fisheye

"Stray Light play a long game with each song slowly uncoiling...“Bearing Feathers” engages rather than re-arranges the cerebral cortex." - Folly of Youth