Huh...surprising sometimes, the events which can be at the basis of the formation of a band. Prior to the formation of the band that goes under his name, London-born Kris Pohlmann had been a bedroom Blues guitarist for more than 12 years, when in early 2003 his then longtime girlfriend left him. Not long after, he had to undergo surgery due to a football injuries, and started to compose some songs in order to take his mind off of his bad luck, using Blues as a healer. It was during that time that he wrote the songs “Heavy Pain”. Having wanted to form a band for some time, he tested the water by sending “Heavy Pain” in on the Californian Blues Idol competition, the prize of which would see the 10 top winners on a CD for the American market. The song made it to the final 20 before being dropped, but then the competition was pretty tough!
But Kris had made up his mind, and started the search for the musicians he needed for the band he had in mind. Things actually took a slow start, and it took over a year for Kris to find his fellow musicians through ads and word of mouth. The first to join was Daniel Häker, a professional drummer from Wuppertal (near Düsseldorf, the band's home base), and only a few months later US born Warren Richardson joined in on the bass. Actually, the band also included a rhythm guitarist during the first rehearsal in May 2005, but Kris eventually opted for the Power Trio formula. The band's first decision was to record some songs onto a demo CD, as a promotional tool to get gigs, so Kris spent the best of the rest of the year writing the songs which were eventually recorded in a Ratingen studio over one December weekend. The results sounded so good to the trio, that a decision was made to make it the band's first official release, which happened a year later. Meanwhile, the band soliciting for gigs, the first of which was played an open stage Blues session in Leverkusen. A problem arose when, having played their set of 6 rehearsed songs, the audience demanded encores...a problem solved by the band by simply playing their rehearsed set all over again! In September, Elmar Stolley was approached by Kris with the question of whether he would occasionally replace drummer Daniel Häker...an offer he accepted.
Okay...time for a closer look at the career of the band's current bassist and drummer. You see, Warren is the senior in the band. Born in 1961, he made his stage premiere at the age of 8, when he was given the opportunity to sing in the band in which his father played the bass. He then learned to play the bass himself, and at the age of 12 started his first band Dangerous Intersection. In '85 he joined Serious Business, where he not only sang and played the bass, but occasionally also had to switch to guitar, drums, and keyboards. In '87 then, he also joined Jazz/ Fusion/ Funk/ Rock/ Reggae act TR3 as bassist and singer (with whom he recorded two albums and toured extensively)...to make a long story (which you can read in full detail at the band's website) short(er), Warren next joined Burning Cove in 1992, moved to New Jersey to join Just Us in 1993, and joined STOMP the stage show in 1996, which also brought him touring in Europe (he remains a part-time touring member to date) and further away in the world. Somewhere in the '90 he moved to Düsseldorf, where he made a name for himself as musician and composer. In 2001 he recorded music for a dance performance called 4 Enemies, and in 2004 he joined Alternative Rock act Sunmerge. That same year, he also appeared on German telly, playing bass with Shazney Lewis (All Saints) and later with Marianne Rosenberg.
Drummer Elmar now, is a Düsseldorf born (1967) born dude whom started out in music taking lessons on the organ at the age of 10, and started to learn drumming in 1980. Only two weeks later, he also started to learn the guitar, realizing quickly that his heart was really with the drums. Fast forward 10 years finds Elmar taking private drum tuition from Andreas Gillman in Koln, and after two years he enrolled at Düsseldorf's Drummers Institute. Four years later, he decided to get a full time degree at the institute. Since 1995, he has worked as a freelance musician and drummer in a diverse range of bands, as well as being a drum teacher. Bands he was in include sassy g., Heavy Gummi (which performed all over the world and brought him the experience of a professional touring band), in KlangArt, and 2007 has also drummed for audiophile, Black Heat, Element Fusion, boogaloo, Iron Kid, The Clou Experience, and Latin Sneakers. In early 2008, Elmer joined Kris Pohlmann Band on a permanent basis (again, the story in more detail can be found on the band's website).
Okay, back to the release of the EP, which was met with rave reviews. In fact, in December 2006 the band was invited to a gala award ceremony in Duisburg, where the nominated band won a prize in the category “Best Rhythm & Blues Band 2006” at the German Rock & Pop Awards. Obviously, the award opened a lot of doors (of venues to play at, get it?) and saw the band play supports to the likes of Eric Gales and Nine Below Zero and gigging all over Germany. The band gigged extensively throughout 2007 and 2008, and in between Kris composed new material, which was released on the band's debut full-length New Resolution in the spring of 2009. Apparently, the new material, while still steeped in the characteristic Blues Rock the band started out with, was now also slightly more commercial, and a couple of songs on the album found their way on radios stations throughout the world. December 2009 came with yet another prize at the German Rock & Pop Awards, this time in the category “Best Blues Rock Band”. Throughout 2010 the band toured Germany all over again, and won the WDR2 Newcomer Award from the German national radio station. During 2011, the band not only did its first non-German shows (in Holland), but also recorded new material for a January 2012 release.
Now, with One For Sorrow, a sophomore album has been released which, in essence, is actually yours truly's first acquaintance with the Power Trio! And I must say, I am not disappointed. From straight-forward Blues Rock stompers (most of the album), to organ (actual Hammond and Rhodes!) infused ones (organ played courtesy of guest musician Rene Schwiers on the tracks “One Day Baby”, “Bad For Me” and “Heavy On My Soul”), to Warren taking over the microphone for the song “Nowhere To Run, Nowhere To Hide” (which he wrote himself), to Kris doin' a duet on the song “Bad For Me” with Jennifer Hall, or the band doin an instrumental (the Gary More-inspired “One For Sorrow”) and finishing the album in complete ballad mode with the near 11-minute “Heavy On My Soul”...there's variety enough on the album for the listener to wanna go back to it time and time again, within one day! Of course, that's a luxury I am not often allowed (as there's always more albums waiting to get a review, you know...!?), but you just feel free to do so at your own leasure. You can listen to samples of a selection of songs off both of the band's full-length albums in the “Music” section at the band's own webspace (www.) krispohlmannband.com. Perhaps the material posted on the band's MySpace of facebook are full-length versions, though!? Find out for yourselves, and have fun doin' so!