Brindaband has grown out of the recording relationship between the songwriter John Webster and the musician David Eastoe, begun in the summer of 1975. Beginning with an Akai 4000DS hooked up to a cassette machine to enable stereo overdubbing, progressing to a portastudio, then on to an analogue 8-track and a digital system, it’s a partnership that’s just carried on, as new songs come to John, and Dave continues building up studio capacity.

  John Webster

Born in Co. Durham, United Kingdom in 1953, the Oxford-based songwriter and publisher John Webster  has been working in the field of music and independent publishing since 1973. In 1974-5 he travelled overland to India, and in the 1980s he contributed to the anti-apartheid struggle by editing two editions of Desmond Tutu's addresses. In 1975, in Norfolk, he began a songwriting and recording partnership with musician Dave Eastoe; in 1976 they supported John Martyn, Kevin Coyne and Bridget St John at a concert in Nottingham for which they were christened Brindaband.

Increasingly interested in putting Romantic lyrics into a contemporary song format, he founded the independent label Pathfinder Audio in 1987, with Brindaband now joined by vocalist and flautist Ruth Murray, flamenco guitarist Steve Homes, and percussionist Bodhi. 

He organized a series of concerts with Brindaband during the anniversary of the poet Shelley's birth in 1992 and published the CDs 'The Shelley Story' and 'Lord Byron and the Greek War' in 2001-2. Described by The Times as 'attractive and engaging' and by the Independent on Sunday as 'intelligent and profound' the CDs included new and augmented song settings of Romantic lyrics and included narration performed by Benjamin Zephaniah.

In 2006 he released a CD of his own songs 'Songs for our Time' which opens with the prescient and energizing 'World at the Crossroads', and in 2007 he is releasing his entire collection of 'Shelley songs' online under the title 'Percy Bysshe Shelley: Rock Star'. He has also developed a solo stage show titled 'The First Fab Four: a song cycle' which incorporates music by Brindaband and 'recreates in song the Beatles of the 19th century: Keats, Byron, Leigh Hunt and Shelley'.

  David Eastoe

Dave Eastoe is a musician, composer, and studio engineer and manager. Teaming up with John in the 1970s to form the core of Brindaband, he currently works on ambient music and music therapy, in enabling people's musical projects to take place and in live work. A versatile and intuitive musician, he provides the sound basis of John’s songs, and has a very nice garden gnome outside his front door. Contact Dave at: eastoe@yahoo.com

   Ruth Murray

Ruth Murray is a singer, flautist and freelance graphic designer and illustrator. She has worked with John and Dave since the 1980s and also illustrates Pathfinder Audio publications. She lives in Norwich. You can see more of her work on www.ruthmurray.net

   Steve Homes

Steve Homes teaches and plays the flamenco guitar in Norwich and London. He has studied in Spain and also collaborates with musicians working in different styles of music His latest CD is called Secret Garden. Contact Steve at: julietsteve@cwctv.net

Bodhi

Bodhi is a percussionist and drum maker. He studied African drum making in West Africa, and is now based in a workshop near the Suffolk coast. Go to: www.african-drumbeat.co.uk.

  Benjamin Zephaniah

Benjamin Zephaniah is one of Britain's leading poets in the oral tradition. Born in 1958, he turned his life round after a childhood which included expulsion from school and a spell in Borstal. His long-term interest in and commitment to Shelley’s work led to his collaboration with Brindaband. A vegan and a campaigner for many causes, he is a prolific writer - poet, novelist and playwright – while his widespread travelling gives him a global perspective and insight into many different situations. His most recent collection of poems is Too Black, Too Strong. Go to: www.benjaminzephaniah.com where his essay 'I love Shelley' can be found at `Words'.