Formed in late 1997 by multi-instrumentalists Adam Cresswell and Michael Smoughton, the lineup for the Reading quintet Saloon was completed in early 1998. Through advertisements, the pair found Alison Cotton, lead singer Amanda Gomez, and guitar player Matt Ashton, and the group was gigging within a month. Drawing on a range of influences of electronic and more guitar-based acts, Saloon developed a futuristic pop sound that incorporated Cotton's viola playing, Cresswell's interest in Moog synthesizers, and Ashton's feedback-tinged guitar style, along with samples and more exot...