An Austin, Texas-based Englishman with an eclectic retro-pop palette, Nic Armstrong and his band the Thieves pair Beatlesque melodies with bluesy American trad rock and vintage Kinks, Who, and Rolling Stones-inspired guitar riffage. Born in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Armstrong spent his formative years immersed in music and art, eventually moving to Nottingham to further his studies. After submitting a demo recording to a nationwide talent competition organized by the magazine Dazed & Confused, Armstrong landed a recording contract with One Little Indian, which would go on to issue his debut long-player, The Greatest White Liar, in 2004. That same year the band joined Paul Weller on his European tour, and in 2005 they made their overseas debut at SXSW, followed by appearances on Austin City Limits and The Late Show with Craig Ferguson and at Coachella. In 2006 Armstrong released If We Can't Escape My Pretty under the name IV Thieves via New West. Armstrong eventually relocated to the bustling music mecca of Austin, Texas, where he set up shop and began recording both solo and with the Thieves, with whom he issued the EP Pocketless Shirt in 2013, with plans for a second EP in early 2015. ~ James Christopher Monger