The Mumbles | tl

The Mumbles is a keyboard-driven rock n' roll band formed in November 2005 by Robert Cowlin and James Ward.

They had been listening to lots of Gothic rock at the time and wanted to craft their own style of music using elements of the bands they were inspired by.

The Mumbles didn't have access to a lot of equipment so they had to make do with what little they had (a keyboard). They originally decided that James would sing and Robert would play the keyboard because he had taken lessons a few years earlier. They also used the keyboard for drums which became the third "member" of the band, the aptly named, Robot.

In December 2005 the band wrote and recorded several songs but it soon became apparent that James and Robert were better suited at doing each others job so they switched places to form the line-up that we know today. Robert took over vocal responsibilities and James (who was fast becoming quite a talented pianist) switched to playing the keyboard whilst the Robot remained on drums.

In early 2006 The Mumbles wrote a batch of songs and rehearsed them in their school's music room. In April the band released their début EP, Another Shade/Slice Of Black which contains four original tracks and two covers on their independent label, Mumbling Release. As a result of dodgy recording equipment and lack of experience the EP is a cacophony of ear shattering rock n' roll. However, after the acquisition of better equipment they re-recorded and released two of the EP's tracks as singles.

In the summer of 2006 The Mumbles released their first full album entitled To Hell In Black which they followed up with three singles and on Oct. 28th made their live début at a local party.

The band then fell silent for almost a year with the exception of two live dates.

On October 23rd 2007 The Mumbles made their radio début on Hayes FM. The presenters of the station's 'Infernal Racket' show asked the band to cover a song as part of their 'Version Excursion' feature. As the show championed modern indie music it was decided that they'd cover an indie track in their own unique style. The song chosen was 'Martell' by The Cribs. The band completely turned the song on it's head and transformed it from an indie anthem to an atmospheric ballad. The song was later remastered and released on The Wire EP.

In November 2007 the band released a single to mark two years since their formation. The Machine can be downloaded here and was the band's first release in more than a year - now that's quality control in action!


During the Christmas period Robert recorded some vocals for an electro-goth collaborative project called Dark Horizon. Their EP, Gold, Blood And Glory - featuring his vocals - was released on May 9th 2008 by Black Heat Records. To download it click here.

On January 12th 2008 The Mumbles signed to the independent label Black Heat Records and released the long awaited EP The Wire on February 29th. During May the band spent four weeks at the top of the Cathedral13 radio chart with their Sisters Of Mercy cover, Crash And Burn. Later in September they made their official live début by headlining the monthly Musical Circus at the White Bear Pub, Rickmansworth (see the entire gig here), and in December the pair were interviewed by Mick Mercer and appeared in issues 45 and 46 of The Mick.

In May 2009 The Mumbles once again returned to the music scene and released a one-track single entitled "Night Train"; a rocking precursor to their upcoming album. With fresh sounds, an expanded line-up, and the confidence to release the single through the most popular online stores, the band once again proved that they were not dead... but dreaming.

After careful consideration the band decided to depart from Black Heat Records in July 2009. The record label served The Mumbles well, however with their new album on the horizon and the search for a commercial deal as one of their aims, they dropped all association with the label to avoid confusion (with the exception of webpages regarding previous BHR releases ["The Wire" EP, "The Machine" single]).

All records will be released through Mumbling Release until further notice.

On November 30th 2009 The Mumbles released "The Dust Left Behind" on CD and Download to a host of exciting reviews ("album of the year" - Mick Mercer). Stylistically it was a progression from 2008's "The Wire" and followed the rules set out by "Night Train". This was their first record to receive a full CD release.

Order directly from Mumbling Release today for the best deal!


"If they're this good now they could grow into something immense... Clearly crazy, but brilliant" - Mick Mercer. .