Prog readers voted Brightonbased Azure 2021’s Best Unsigned Band in our annual readers’ poll. Originally created as a university project, Azure have now taken the plunge into the great unknown. Founders Christopher Sampson and Galen Stapley tell us how fantasy and art help them imagine their epic musical stories.

Words: Alison Reijman

We see good things on the horizon for Azure!

Image: Felix La Mer

Amutual love of Dream Theater brought together Azure’s Christopher Sampson and Galen Stapley early on during their music degree course at the University Of Sussex. Eight years later, they’re astonished to find Azure voted Prog’s Best Unsigned Band. “I still can’t believe it!” exclaims guitarist Stapley. “We put up a post on Facebook to see if we could do anything. Everyone was so sweet and voted for us! I knew we had a few fans out there but not enough to help us win the poll.”

This accolade rounded off an action-packed 2021, which saw the release of their second album, Of Brine And Angel’s Beaks, a story involving a fantastical sailor-rescuing bird, and Mistress, the glass-shattering high-voltage single. Three gigs also introduced audiences to Azure’s dynamic live show, highlighting the octave-defying gymnastics of Sampson’s voice and Stapley’s intricate, cultured guitar work, augmented by three new bandmembers in what they hope will be a permanent line-up.