Movedrill came together in the summer of 2002, taking its’ name from a chess skills book. As part of the illustrious Goldswong Terrace set – a short steep street in Nottingham that became a magnet for music makers and art creators (circa 94-97) – the thread of collaborations is wide and far reaching. Prominent residents of GT during this time included Chris Todd and James Baron (founders of Crazy P) and heavy psychedelic rockers Earth. The Californian Love Dream who poached Smith for some Hammond to beef out their sound.

Born out of the angst of a dying love affair, the first wave of material was penned by Smith and fleshed out with the help of Matthew Klose (drums) and Richard James (bass) and enlisting the guitar wizardry of former GT resident Richard Poynton. They were supported by the production and managerial experience of Ric Peet (Candy Flip & International Peoples Gang), Mike Gillespie (Underworld) and Dean Stratten with artwork by more former GT residents Alicia Clarke, Simon Howell and Fanni Bostrom the only non GT resident.

2003 brought about Phase 1 ‘Kidbrooke recording sessions’ and Phase 2 ‘Attic recording sessions’ in 2004. They went on to relentlessly gig around London whilst writing and recording everything they did in the rehearsal room, which in 2005 became Phase 3 ‘Bush recording sessions’.

These multi-tracked rehearsals soon clocked up to nine hours of material and were shelved until there was time to do overdubs. Subsequently forgotten about following the band’s devolvement into adult pastimes of carpentry, cheffing and fatherhood, the multi-tracks were rediscovered on a shelf of forgotten things 6 years later whilst Smith was looking for a new project to get stuck into after the release of his second Smith & Mudd album, ‘Le Suivant’. And so in 2010 began Phase 4 ‘the Yard recording sessions’.