It was back in 2013 that Steve Ferbrache got together with two friends to play some blues music.

Five years have passed since that first gig, and it’s safe to say things are going extremely well for the members of The Achievers, who have added two new members to their original line-up.

The band is made up of Steve Ferbrache (Guitar & vocals), Aron Attwood (Drums & vocals), Rufus Fry (Harmonica), Jack Thomas (Bass) and Robert Holmes (Guitar).

The gigs are coming thick and fast, with a tour to Ireland next month one of the highlights of an incredibly busy 2018 schedule. Before their performances in the emerald isle the band will be playing at the Wotton Blues Festival on Sunday 23rd September, something lead singer Steve Ferbrache says will be one of their most anticipated gigs of 2018.

He said: “We played the Wotton Blues Festival last year. It was our first time playing there, so we didn’t know quite what to expect. We all had a great time, it was a lot of fun to have played in front of what was a lively crowd. It’s always a thrill to be asked to play at festivals like Wotton because you know the audiences love blues music.

“It was a really good afternoon, the weather was decent, so we were able to play outdoors. We’re playing at the same venue as last year, we’re looking forward to returning.”

Next Tuesday the band will be on their travels, playing at one of the premier jazz clubs in the country. Steve added: “We were recently asked to play at The Tuesday Night Music Club which is one of the most well regarded and prestigious blues clubs in the country. To be invited to play there is an honour. I suppose it shows how far we’ve come when we’re asked to play venues like that.”

It was earlier this year that the band released their debut album, which was been lauded by industry media and fans alike. Steve continued: “We’re thrilled with how things are going. The story behind our debut album is a slightly unconventional story.

“We had planned a European tour which took place in March of this year. Before we went we thought it would be a good idea to record some of our tracks so that we could sell some records after our gigs. We made the best album we could with the time we had, we weren’t in the position to spend loads of money on it but that didn’t mean we were going to compromise on quality.

“We recorded the album in Stroud. We sent some copies off to a few people who work in the music industry and they loved it. That gave us the inspiration to release it to the independent blues broadcasters who put it out to all the magazines and other media. The reviews we received blew us away really. Reading nice things about music you’ve produced, there aren’t many better feelings.

“To say we were surprised would suggest a lack of self-confidence which definitely isn’t the case, but we weren’t quite expecting the reaction that we got from it, to say the least.”

It’s been a massively successful few years for the band, a period of time that Steve looks back on with a great deal of fondness. He continued: “We first started playing together back in 2013. There was only three of us in the band then, we’d play gigs at The Ale House in Stroud. We quickly built up a bit of a following, and the owner of the pub would often book us to play. Soon after we decided to go on tour and we’ve been busy ever since!

“The Ale House feels like our home ground. It’s where we started things off and we all love going back. The landlord there was very supportive of us. We started playing there when the Ale House opened so we grew as it grew. It’s always packed and there’s an incredible atmosphere. We’ve had so many memorable gigs there, almost too many to remember!

“We played at the Gloucester Rhythm and Blues Festival earlier this summer, that was another fantastic experience.

“There is a very firm plan that we’ve put in place to help us move forwards. We’re not particularly idealistic, we try and keep our goals achievable. We want to play at more blues festivals, organise a couple more overseas tours and hopefully in a year or so be in the position to release a second album.

“We’re just a group of musicians who want to get the best out of our talents. We want to carry on having fun and performing together.”