Still cooking after all these years and with a name taken from Oliver Cromwell's 17th century British militia and an ethos rooted in anti-Thatcher politics, not to mention a birth date that precedes most of this generations barhoppers', it may not be surprising that some young uns aren't familiar with England's New Model Army. But this band, one of the first prizefighters in the 1980s post-punk arena, is often name-checked as an influence of many of the indie rock and punk groups currently in vogue.

NMA is the brainchild of Justin Sullivan, the political intellectual that has fronted the band throughout their 27-year career, and his lifelong partner, poet Joolz Denby. Sullivan's soldiers found their way into partial mainstream success in the U.K. in their early days, posting no fewer than 12 hits on the British charts and getting signed by biggie labels EMI and Epic.

Over the course of their career, NMA has seen many players come, and just as many go. The new recruits have often added a nuance that has broadened NMA's style, taking the band from metallic punk into the realms of acoustic folk and back again. Instead of having a diluting effect, this melding of tastes has only strengthened their sound. In fact, the diversity of their repertoire probably has a lot to do with their staying power. Instead of burning out or fading away, NMA has the sonic and songwriting ability to stay fresh and keep fans engaged on many levels. In fact, their lyrics today—loaded with humanitarian, anti-imperial and anarchist themes—are equally as urgent and on point as they were when they started.

http://www.newmodelarmy.org/

Wiki Biography

The band was named after the English revolutionary army of Oliver Cromwell. Led by guitarist / vocalist, Justin Sullivan (who performed briefly under the name 'Slade The Leveller' in the early 1980s), the group has an extremely loyal, global, multi-generational cult following called The Family. The band has also collaborated with electric violinist Ed Alleyne-Johnson, who worked with them on their Top 40 single "Vagabonds", and their albums Thunder & Consolation (1989) and Impurity (1990), as well as touring extensively with them for five years. New Model Army frequently tour with more than five band members.

The group also tours as 'Justin Sullivan and Friends', which means a more acoustic set without some players (which ones varies), and is linked to Red Sky Coven, in which Justin Sullivan also plays. In early 2003, Sullivan released Navigating By The Stars, a solo album recorded with other band members and featuring Michael Dean on drums, Dean White on guitar and keyboards, Danny Thompson on double bass, and Mark Feltham on harmonica.

On 5 September 2007, their North American tour in support of High was canceled when they were denied visas by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services