Montage

Montage formed in London in the early 2000s with Anya Petrova on vocals, Ethan James on guitar, Leo Hayes on bass, and Max Carter on drums. Their name suggested a collage of different elements, which carried into their music, they worked with rock structures but brought in electronic textures and ambient spaces.

Their song 'Benflogin' became their most recognizable track. Ethan James found inspiration for it in an old Irish folk tale of the same name, and Anya Petrova's voice floated over the guitar lines and rhythm section in a way that caught people's attention. It wasn't just 'Benflogin' that defined them; songs like 'Bento XVI & Almodovar' and 'Floor Floor Floor' showed the same willingness to piece together different sounds.

After 'Benflogin' gained some traction, Montage faced criticism from some quarters about being too derivative. They kept making music, though, with tracks like 'I Trust My Dealer' and 'Pancho López' appearing in their setlists. The band's output stayed rooted in that early-2000s London blend of rock experimentation without settling into one predictable lane.