A B O U T
George Purnell was raised in Oxford, England. As a young musician he began to make a name for himself performing and recording with a large variety of artists throughout Oxfordshire. Oxford performance credits include trip-folk collective Catgod, garage pop group Self Help and reggae band Zaia to name a few. Currently residing in London after graduating from the Royal Northern College of Music in 2021, George has begun performing with multiple local artists such as psych-rock outfit Premium Leisure, alt-rock band PETSEMATARY and eclectic pop trio Preen.
Early influences include indie rock artists such as Foals, Bombay Bicycle Club and Arctic Monkeys; bands which created a solid musical foundation for George to build upon. Oxford bands such as Foals, Low Island and Glass Animals were a particular inspiration, growing up in the same area just a few years before and playing in many of the same local venues such as The Cellar, The Bullingdon and the Oxford O2. George’s musical taste quickly expanded to include diverse genres such as many forms of electronic music, hip-hop and jazz. Drummers such as Mark Guiliana and Jojo Mayer's exciting blends of jazz and drum and bass have been a strong influence.
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Live work as a drummer rapidly increased as his musical network spread. Rubbing shoulders with many musicians throughout his teenage years catapulted him to venues and festivals across the country. Festival appearances include multiple performances at TRUCK Festival, Common People Festival, Cornbury Music Festival and Cambridge Folk Festival, in which he played percussion alongside Oli Steadman (Stornoway) in his Zulu band Count Drachma. Other notable performances include a ‘TV Nights’ session at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, Notting Hill Arts Club’s New Music Showcase ‘Over & Over’ and a performance at the Ritual Union City Festival, playing alongside artists such as Gaz Coombes and Nadine Shah. Furthermore, performing with dance pop band Porij on Metronomy's 2022 UK tour.