Dry the River

Based out of East London, Dry the River -- who have drawn comparisons to Mumford & Sons, Fleet Foxes, and Noah and the Whale -- was formed as a solo vehicle for Norwegian born singer/songwriter Peter Liddle, who described the band's sound as "folky gospel music played by a post-punk band." Liddle, who draws much of his lyrical inspiration from medicine and anthropology, the two subjects that were the focus of his time at University, landed a record deal with Transgressive in 2009. Well-reviewed performances at Glastonbury and South by Southwest garnered additional industry attention, and by the end of 2011, his group had cut its debut EP. The band's first full-length studio outing, Shallow Bed, arrived the following year. ~ James Christopher Monger