We could say that the name "Counterglow" captures the dark, inspiring beauty of the music, but really it just seemed like a good word...

We play in London and Bristol, UK. Best gigs recently - Porter Cellar Bar, Bath, January 2005

The internet allows unsigned bands a real opportunity to expose their music to the world.

The internet hasn't taken the place of the record shop just yet, so we'd certainly be interested...

Counterglow formed as an acoustic duo in Nottingham in 2002, while Matt Smith and Jon Penny were at University there. Jon’s songs initially took some inspiration from ‘60s folk guitarists like John Renbourn and Davy Graham, but quickly took on a more contemporary, indie/alternative feel as he developed his dynamic guitar style.

In the summer of 2004, Matt and Jon recorded a second CD, Shout In Vain. This was a full album comprising 12 songs that spanned not just the lifetime of the band, but in fact Jon's entire songwriting career. It was the product of a conscious decision to develop the sound to make bass and drums/percussion an integral part of most of the songs, while still maintaining the backbone of acoustic guitar and vocal harmony.. Although most of the album was recorded at home, Jon recorded drum parts for several of the tracks in a Bristol studio.

Another major change at this time was the move of both Matt and Jon away from Nottingham, to London and Bristol respectively. Although living further apart now, focus on Counterglow's development moved up a gear.

Influences come from the '60s folk revival (eg John Renbourn, Bert Jansch), '90s rock bands like Soundgarden, and more contemporary music, such as Radiohead, Dave Matthews.