Toploader Formed in 1997 from the chemistry between a bunch of Eastbourne drinking mates, Toploader have swiftly risen from the ranks of the unknown to become firm contenders for the title of Best New British Band. How it happened is something pundits are still puzzling over. The small, pensioner favoured seaside town of Eastbourne is hardly a hotbed of rocknroll.
Musical peers are thin on the ground and the local pier is none too inspiring either.
What may have been overlooked is that the absence of scene guidelines or local influence is almost certainly what allowed them to grow into such a lethally populist band. The thing about Eastbourne is youve got the sea and the downs and countryside so the chilled factor is quite high, says singer-keyboardist Joseph Washbourn. So a lot of the lyrics are kind of coming from that perspective, either escapism or looking out to somewhere else. Of all the UK guitar bands signed in the past two years theyre virtually alone in regularly scoring Top 20 singles. To pull that off in an era of wall to wall trite pop you have to being something special.