Mystery Jets

Raised in Eel Pie Island on the River Thames - a bohemian, hippy haven home to all manner of debauched revelry by the likes of the Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds and Pink Floyd in the 1960s - Mystery Jets breathe the island's spirit into their off-kilter indie pop, filling it with melodies and hooks. Unable to play sport because of the disabling condition Spina Bifida, Blaine Harrison turned to music in his teens and started jamming with his father Henry and schoolmate William Rees. As the band evolved they built a cult following, attracting an ever-growing fan base to illegal parties and guerrilla gigs held on the island. Lumped in with bands like Larrikin Love and Noah and the Whale as part of the Thamesbeat scene, debut album Making Dens (2006) produced the small hit The Boy Who Ran Away and confirmed them as firm indie favourites. Follow-up Twenty One (2008) featured Laura Marling on the single Young Love before the band took a different turn on Serotonin (2010) embracing disco synths and 1980s pop.