The Quill

The Quill formed in Southampton in the late 1960s, originally called The Avengers before settling on their permanent name in 1971. Their self-titled debut came out in 1970, and they built a sound that mixed progressive rock with harder edges.

After a hiatus during the 1980s, the band returned in the early 2000s with a somewhat updated approach. Their 2006 album 'In Between' found a new audience, and in 2010 they put out 'Thousand Years,' a ballad that became their most widely heard track. Other songs like 'Not A Single Soul' and '(Wade Across) The Mighty River' show their range from moody rock to more expansive arrangements.

The lineup has shifted over time, but keyboardist Nick South and bassist Dave Neal have been constants since the early days. They've kept recording steadily, with albums like 'Earthrise' in 2008 and 'The Fifth' in 2016. Their catalog doesn't fit neatly into one era or style, which might explain why they've maintained a modest but persistent following without ever breaking into the mainstream.