Part of a continuum of quirky British folk-rockers that stretches back to Bert Jansch through pre-glam Marc Bolan and David Bowie, Nick Drake, Prefab Sprout, Kirsty MacColl, and Badly Drawn Boy, singer/songwriter Liam Frost fuses traditional folk and country influences with pop songwriting smarts and a post-punk sensibility not far removed from international contemporaries like Bright Eyes and Arcade Fire. Born and raised in Manchester, England, Frost began performing in local punk bands and doing occasional acoustic singer/songwriter gigs at the age of 15. In 2003, at the age of 20, Frost formed Liam Frost & the Slowdown Family, backing his own guitar and vocals with Peter Marshall on mandolin and violin, Andrew Raven on guitar, Sadie Baker on keyboards, John Baines on bass, and Ben Perry on drums. In the winter of 2006, the group's debut EP, She Painted Pictures, was released on the British indie label Lavolta Records. Another EP, The Mourners of St. Paul's, followed in June of that year. The fall saw the release of Liam Frost & the Slowdown Family's debut album, Show Me How the Spectres Dance, produced by Danton Supple (Coldplay, Morrissey, etc.). ~ Stewart Mason