Maximo Park

indie / pop / punk /

Maxïmo Park are an English Indie Rock band, signed to Warp Records, who formed in 2003. Drawing comparisons to Pulp and Franz Ferdinand, Maxïmo Park were, along with cohorts The Futureheads, North-East England's response to the post-punk revival of the 2000s.

The five-piece Maxïmo Park formed in Newcastle, Tyne and Wear in April 2003, their name adapted from Maximo Gomez Park, a Havana meeting place for Cuban revolutionaries. Initally, the four founding members were an avant-garde band without a singer who didn't play shows and rehearsed just for their own pleasure, frequently switching instruments. On the verge of splitting up, they instead decided to look for somebody to provide more of a focus – on stage and lyrically. Singer Paul Smith was discovered by the girlfriend of drummer Tom English in a pub while he was singing along to a Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition'. Having found someone with something of a stage presence, they started to write their first songs together, all despite the fact that the frontman never imagined himself as a frontman of a band. He'd never sung on stage beforehand, so it was a touch of luck that he turned out to be as well suited to the role that he has grown into over the past few years.

Around March 2004, a friend funded 300 copies of a 7’’ red vinyl single with two of their tracks (Graffiti/Going Missing) that they’d recorded in their house on it. After some time of doing gigs around their home town, Steve Beckett of the dance-electronic label Warp Records got hold of one of these records and decided to sign Maxïmo Park. In 2005 they have swiftly risen to indie fame and their debut album, A Certain Trigger, hailed by some critics as one of the best releases of the year, has led to an increasing devoted fanbase in the United Kingdom, re-enforced by a series of increasingly large tours and a support slot to the Kaiser Chiefs on the NME Rock & Roll Riot Tour. In July 2005 their debut album was nominated for the Mercury Prize. The band played Brixton Academy as part of Xfm's 2005 Winter Wonderland show, which sold out in ten minutes, and were headliners for the NME Awards Tour in early 2006. They also contributed a song to the War Child compilation Help: A Day in the Life.

Members
Paul Smith (vocals)
Duncan Lloyd (guitar)
Archis Tiku (bass guitar)
Lukas Wooller (keyboards)
Tom English (drums).

Paul Smith
Smith (born on March 13, 1979) is from Billingham in North-East England and worked as an art teacher before he was asked to join the band. He is noted for his peculiar hairstyle and on-stage behaviour, particularly his dancing and handchops whilst singing. Such behaviour has seen him likened to Morrissey or Jarvis Cocker.

He sings from his 'red book' when onstage, the inside of which few have seen; it contains his song lyrics, poems he's written and various diary entries. This red book went missing in May 2005, and messages were posted in the press and on the band's website asking eagle-eyed fans to look out for his bag on the waterfront in Newcastle. Fortunately for the singer, his book was returned, and he continues to use it.

Drummer Tom English is also in the band Field Music, but his contributions are becoming scarce as Maxïmo Park continue their expansion.

Bassist Archis Tiku worked as a doctor before the band formed.