This is an archive of the band profile for Ajanta.

Edward Harrington - Guitar, vocals
Alex Greaves - Bass, vocals, percussion
Robert Harrington - Drums, vocals, percussion

When Edward, his brother Robert and their friend Alex decided to form a band in 2001, the then-young-teens could only have dreamed of the status and respect they would achieve within half a decade. Renamed from the original 'Shearwater', Ajanta now find themselves ready to release their debut single on GrooveStealer later this year.

For a band only just old enough to be legally allowed inside many of Leeds' major venues, Ajanta certainly have an impressive history thus far. Within a year of their establishment, the trio shared a stage with legendary blues-rockers The Groundhogs; in 2005, they played support to Captain Beefheart's Magic Band in front of a packed-out Leeds Irish Centre. In October this year, Ajanta will perform at ReCharge festival, on a bill that includes renowned experimental duo That Fucking Tank and Sisters of Mercy guitarist Christ Catalyst's other band The Scaramanga Six - all this before embarking on a UK tour to promote their debut single.

Ajanta's blend of pounding drums and heavy riffs with soaring melodies and complex song structures has seen them compared to artists such as System of a Down and Frank Zappa, but the band's sound stems beyond this. Edward's guitar work switches regularly between thrashing modern metal and psychedelic, eastern vibes. Robert looks like a crazed animal flailing about his drum kit, but has no problem breaking out of his technique and taking out a pair of soft sticks to bring the volume down during the band's spacier moments. Alex holds an impressive groove, but is skilled enough to break into intricate chords to support Edwards riffs, or even to put his bass down and hammer away at some custom percussion. All this combines to create a sound distinctly Ajanta.

One thing's for sure: whatever the vibe Ajanta are hitting, they are sure to be creating some superb, technical, advanced and impressive music. Watch out for their upcoming live dates, and the 'Destroy The Voice' single, released on Monday 9 October..