Little Matador

Little Matador is a side project of <a href="spotify:artist:3rIZMv9rysU7JkLzEaC5Jp">Snow Patrol</a> guitarist Nathan Connolly. Formed in 2012 during a <a href="spotify:artist:3rIZMv9rysU7JkLzEaC5Jp">Snow Patrol</a> hiatus, Connolly acted on a longtime desire to front his own project, a heavier, dirtier, more hard rock-oriented act. From his hometown of Belfast, he recruited drummer Paul "Binzer" Brennan and bassist Gavin Fox, whose collective resumes include stints with <a href="spotify:artist:6lyku6lhbB3tLc3Dghs5CM">the Frames</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:1xdB9gS1NrKEYgZUEfoqIw">Idlewild</a>, among others. The band also includes American guitarist Troy Stewart from the band <a href="spotify:artist:69Q7zvYHGcTWZpZlLbY2oU">Tired Pony</a> and longtime friend and former pre-<a href="spotify:artist:3rIZMv9rysU7JkLzEaC5Jp">Snow Patrol</a> bandmate Dave Magee, who also plays guitar for Irish band <a href="spotify:artist:2WUJKGANhjxODagiTLm0oU">LaFaro</a>. With a backlog of songs written and a hand-picked band of veteran players, Connolly and friends entered London's Metropolis Studios with producer Sam Bell in 2013 and recorded the 11 high-energy, fuzzed-out rock tunes that would comprise their self-titled debut. Prior to the record's April 2014 release, Little Matador hit the road playing various small club dates as well as larger festival dates with bands like <a href="spotify:artist:0X380XXQSNBYuleKzav5UO">Nine Inch Nails</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:4pejUc4iciQfgdX6OKulQn">Queens of the Stone Age</a>. ~ Timothy Monger, Rovi