The Lofts Band is a Berkshire-based rock and pop songwriting project built around brothers Matt Loft and Craig Loft, whose musical partnership has survived changing fashions, changing line-ups, questionable venues, and the occasional shortage of drummers.
Inspired by the great songwriters, musicians, and bands of the 1960s and 1970s, The Lofts Band combines classic pop melodies, rock energy, and a lifelong love of making music. Their influences range from The Beatles, The Who, The Kinks, Led Zeppelin, Queen, David Bowie, Prince, Squeeze, The Velvet Underground and The Eurythmics, right through to the legendary Funk Brothers. In truth, they’re inspired by anyone who creates something worth listening to, watching, reading, or admiring.
Who are The Lofts Band?
At its heart, The Lofts Band is the creative partnership of Matt and Craig—brothers who have spent decades writing, performing, recording, and occasionally arguing about music. Along the way they’ve been joined by a colourful cast of musicians, characters, supporters, and fellow travellers who have all played a part in the story.
The Usual Suspects
Matt Loft – Vocals and Bass guitar
Craig Loft – Vocals, Guitar & Piano
Ray Sunshine – Drums and Background Noise
Rod Lightning – Lead Guitar and Triangle
How It All Started
The story begins in 1987 when brothers Matt and Craig, together with a group of school friends, decided it would be a brilliant idea to start a band.
There was just one small problem.
Nobody could actually play their instruments.
Undeterred, the group assigned themselves musical roles anyway and set about learning on the job. The original plan was simple: get good enough to play live and perform the songs they loved.
One member abandoned his guitar duties fairly quickly, although he remained a loyal supporter. Craig also switched from his originally assigned role as drummer—a position made slightly difficult by not owning a drum kit—to rhythm guitar.
The remaining trio carried on rehearsing but quickly discovered that finding a drummer was considerably harder than finding people willing to stand around holding guitars. Salvation arrived in the form of another school friend who happened to be learning drums and, more importantly, actually owned a drum kit.
With their rhythm section finally secured, the band began playing school events, local pubs, and anywhere else willing to take a chance on a group of enthusiastic young musicians.
By 1989, that first incarnation came to an end, but the musical journey was only just beginning.
The Wilderness Years
The following years saw Matt and Craig continue playing in various bands and line-ups, gaining valuable experience and collecting stories that are probably better now than they were at the time.
There were gigs in pubs, clubs, parties, weddings, and venues that could only loosely be described as suitable for live music. Along the way they played strip clubs in Chalvey, avoided trouble in Maidenhead, endured freezing outdoor performances, and enjoyed the occasional glamorous moment, including an appearance at the famous Hammersmith Palais—which felt a long way from some of the other stages they’d found themselves standing on.
Like many grassroots musicians, they became experts at loading equipment into unsuitable vehicles, setting up in impossible spaces, and performing regardless of whether five people or five hundred had turned up.
Jacobs Ladder and Beyond
By 1993, after navigating a revolving door of drummers and various line-up changes, the band settled into a more stable four-piece format and adopted the name Jacobs Ladder.
The group played extensively across the local live circuit, building a reputation and saving enough money to record a demo at Wired Studios in Reading. While those recordings never progressed beyond the demo stage, the experience fuelled an even greater ambition to create and record original music.
More line-up changes followed throughout the 1990s. The band evolved from four-piece to power trio and back again, continuing to perform regularly until eventually winding down in 1999.
From Live Band to Original Music
Throughout all these years of rehearsing, gigging, and hauling equipment from venue to venue, one thing remained constant: Matt and Craig were writing songs.
Recording and releasing their own music had always been the long-term goal.
In 2009, they finally committed to that vision and formed The Lofts Band.
Working across two countries—Matt in Madrid, Spain, and Craig in Berkshire, England—they spent several years writing, recording, producing, revising, rewriting, re-recording, and occasionally wondering why they hadn’t taken up something simpler.
The result was a growing catalogue of original songs released independently to streaming platforms around the world.
The Music
Madridenhead (2017)
The band’s debut album introduced ten original songs and marked the beginning of The Lofts Band‘s recorded catalogue. The title reflected the band’s unique recording circumstances, spanning Madrid and Maidenhead.
Madridenhead Revisited (2021)
Never entirely satisfied with leaving things alone, the band revisited their debut recordings and completely remixed and reworked the material. Released on 1 February 2021, Madridenhead Revisited presented the songs with improved production and a fresh perspective.
Loft² (Loft Squared) (2024)
Released on 4 July 2024, Loft² delivered ten brand-new original songs and represented the next stage in the band’s songwriting journey.
What’s Next?
Matt and Craig continue to write, record, and produce new music from their respective corners of Europe, supported by the ever-reliable contributions of Ray Sunshine and Rod Lightning.
New songs are currently in development, and future releases are already on the horizon.
The Lofts Band‘s story has never been about chasing trends or overnight success. It’s about a lifelong love of music, friendship, songwriting, and the simple belief that creating something original is always worth the effort.
Take it easy, have fun, try to be good, and enjoy the music. And if you happen to pick up a T-shirt while you’re here, we’ll consider that a bonus.
If you want to get in touch CONTACT US or message us on social media.