Book of shame

The Sound: A Collision of Post-Punk & Avant-Garde Textures

The duo’s musical DNA is a gung-ho tribute to the alternative legends they grew up with. Their sound pairs dirty disco bass and smashed live drums with slicing mandolin, jagged guitar melodies, and urgent, street-preacher vocals. It is a striking clash of ideas: acoustic instruments forced against electronic-ambient-rock soundscapes.

"We enjoy the clash of ideas; old sounds forced against new; acoustic-electronic-ambient-rock." — Gary Bridgewood

To bottle this beautiful monster, BOOK OF SHAME assembled a powerhouse lineup of collaborators:

• Fergus Gerrand (Sting, Spice Girls) provides the heavy-hitting, live drum foundation.

• Jo Foster (Anima) & Claire Nicholson deliver smoky, ethereal, and soulful vocal dynamics.

• Rico Conning (the legendary producer behind Wire, Depeche Mode, and William Orbit) helms the mixing desk, expertly polishing the electronic and rock textures into a cohesive, immersive experience.

Visual Anarchy: The 'Compatibility' Debut Single

The band's debut single, 'Compatibility', is a raw reflection of our modern times—capturing both the isolation and the urgent desire for connection. The track is underpinned by a psycho-mesmerising animated music video, produced and directed by the band’s own Peter Boyd-Maclean.

Watch the Official Music Video for 'Compatibility'

The Lineage: From Scratch-Video Pioneers to Underground Troubadours

The creative pedigree behind BOOK OF SHAME runs deep through the history of British alternative culture and music video history.

• Peter Boyd-Maclean (Guitar, Vocals): A visionary filmmaker and artist, Peter was a founding member of the acclaimed Duvet Brothers, the radical art collective responsible for pioneering the "scratch video" phenomenon in the 1980s. His groundbreaking visual style went on to reshape the landscape of music television and promos, including directing the iconic visuals for New Order’s Blue Monday.

• Gary Bridgewood (Guitars, Bass, Strings, Synths): A versatile multi-instrumentalist woven deeply into the UK musical underground, Gary’s diverse credits include co-writing the soundtrack for the cult feature film Strawberry Fields (backed by Paul Weller). He has also recorded and toured with the dark-cabaret outfit The Real Tuesday Weld, Michelle Stodart of The Magic Numbers, and the acclaimed Balkan/Kezmer band Beskydy.

Driven by an absolute refusal to follow industry formulas, BOOK OF SHAME bypasses standard 3-minute pop rules to create cinematic, immersive musical journeys. This is art-rock with stakes.