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“This is the beautiful album…” So says STC with a smile, but he means it. “The first record and this one share a single vision; simply a commitment to what is heartfelt. Maybe I should have made this album 20 years ago but looking back that wouldn’t have been possible. These songs were finished when they were ready. In that sense they are crafted, and despite the time it’s taken to produce them, the amount of material that we threw out is testament to the gems we kept in”. After a pause, and a check to see whether he’s being too serious, he launches off again, “This is probably the second time in my life I’ve been really proud of something we’ve produced. And it’s not just about the music, it’s the whole ethos of the way it was produced. Like the first album, this is essentially a group of friends empathising on life and music. It’s a collaboration…that’s how I like to work. Singers and melody makers often end up in the role of leader and I enjoy that, but this is as much about mates making music together as anything I have ever done. Is this a Red Box album? Well, what is that? If a Red Box album is tuneful, lyrical and committed, then it is. How could it not be? There are hundreds, maybe thousands of people out there who made the re-release of Circle and The Square happen…that support has been brilliant. Maybe you should ask them if this is a Red Box album or not…I like it and am very proud of it. We all are”.
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STC built a studio at his home in London with a view to exploring new material. A series of impromptu evenings with his best friends produced a number of recordings which convinced Toulson-Clarke to embark on ‘the tricky third album’. Months passed like minutes with various members of the band dropping by, until last Christmas, when one of those friends convinced Simon to stop writing and recording and mix what he had. The new songs are different again, but in being heartfelt, lyrical and very melodic, they reflect the earlier work. Simon and the band have written and produced a mature and considered record with space and dynamics. The album is called ‘Plenty’.

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Simon Toulson-Clarke
Lead vocal and acoustic/electric guitar. Producer. Cleaner.
Derek Adams
Del is Simon’s next-door neighbour and had to come round and prove he could really play the drums like his wife said. A brilliant natural musician, he never left and has contributed multi-instrumentally throughout. A former member of The Dream Academy.
Paul Bond
Discovered in a guitar shop, Paul is beyond gifted on anything with six or four strings. A talented engineer and producer in his own right, he has been invaluable in getting Red Box onto a stage.
Ty Unwin
Ty wrote to Simon to say how pleased he was to see that we were making a new record, and that early Red Box albums had inspired him to become a professional musician – a highly successful composer of documentary soundtracks, technical whizz-kid and keyboard player extraordinaire. Intrigued, Simon gave him a call.
They chatted. Si: 'Where are you?'; Ty: 'Oxford'; Si: 'Do you want to meet?'; Ty: 'Sure, when?'; Si: 'Now?'; Ty: 'I'll be there in two hours'. We haven't let him go home since.
Lloyd Green
Lloyd plays bass and is our newest member. Music runs in the blood: his Dad played guitar with some of the greats.
Steve Carr
An old friend with a shining gift for brotherly harmonies, Steve is seriously multi-instrumental and has also co-written several lyrics with Simon TC.
Emily Maguire
Spent two years on Simon’s sofa contributing important cello and viola arrangements (and convincing Simon to finish the record). She also gave us full access to her lovely voice. Then we told her to go away and make her own records. So she did. Emily remains a very important contributor.
Matt Butler
Matt is a producer and engineer of impeccable pedigree. A graduate of the famous Air Studios in London, he has worked with some of the most successful artists in some of the world's best studios. A true gentleman with a penchant for Dickensian english, we have managed to keep him behind the mixing desk with a constant stream of cheap confectionary. His calm patience has been pivotal in completing the record and mixing it. He is also supremely good looking. And drives a Ferarri. And is a sailor.
Alastair Gavin
Alastair arranged the strings and conducted the orchestra and quartet at British Grove. He also contributed Hammond organ and no little encouragement along the way.
Simon Cole
The original drummer in this line-up who, when Derek turned up, said: “I’d better learn the piano”. So he did.
Ben Smart
Benjamina is a gifted multi instrumentalist who has also mastered the Himalayan nose flute to very high degree. He has helped exstensively during our preparations for live work. Plus he's a really good guy.
Jonathan Isley
Jonathan Isley of the Vulgar Boatmen came over from Denver now and then and contributed some drumkit and guitar.
Alexander Balenescu
Alexander led The Balanescu Quartet and the larger string orchestra.
Mick Hutchins
Mick gave us additional electric guitar here and there.
 
Thank you all for making and waiting...