The Feeling

Self-styled "soft rock archaeologists" the Feeling scored one of the most unexpected UK hits of 2006 with their second single, "Sewn". Formed by Dan Gillespie Sells (b. London, England; vocals/guitar), Kevin Jeremiah (guitar), Ciaran Jeremiah (keyboards), Richard Jones (bass) and Paul Stewart (drums), the members originally worked as session musicians. Stewart and the Jeremiah brothers had all attended the same Sussex school, while the former met Gillespie Sells and Jones at a Croydon music college. The quintet, originally known as Super Fly, honed their contemporary take on 70s MOR by working as a covers band in the après-ski bars around Val D'Isère. Changing their name to the Feeling, they landed a recording contract with Island Records in 2005 and released their debut single "Fill My Little World" at the end of the year. The single was only available as a limited 7-inch but gained the band strong notices with the UK music press. Thanks to extensive radio play on Radio 1 by DJ Chris Moyles, "Sewn" then shot into the national Top 10 in March 2006, its smart, retro-pop style providing a welcome breath of fresh air in a chart dominated by urban and guitar rock sounds. A re-released version of "Fill My Little World" was another successful radio hit. The band's charming long-playing debut Twelve Stops And Home followed in June. The album proved to be one of the year's sleeper hits, hanging around the UK charts for most of the year and eventually reaching double platinum status.