In case you're wondering, Case Hardin is the female lead in a novel called God Is A Bullet by American Noir writer Boston Teran.
Here we speak to her namesake - a Newbury 'Americana' band who are playing high-profile gigs in London.

The spotlight is on Pete Gow, singer/ songwriter of the band.

So Pete, when and how did Case Hardin get together?
Andy and I were in a band that folded over a difference of opinion over some songs I took to them.
Andy and I liked them and the others….. well, you get the picture.
Del was introduced to me and we recorded an EP as a three piece.
It made a tortuous experience out of one that is traditionally good fun so Del switched to guitar and we got Paul in to cover bass duties and more recently Cadge on keyboards.
Musically they are quite an eclectic bunch. No two of us have an identical taste in music which, on paper, looks like a recipe for disaster but in truth stops us sounding derivative.
Cadge likes 'Aphex Twin', Paul loves 'The Ramones' and I listen to Bob Dylan… who the hell are we going to be derivative of?

Quite. So what are the bands influences and why?
Tanqueray gin is probably the biggest single influence on Case Hardin.
The next is what is going on around us. The things that inform my songs.. the dynamics of relationships, being in love, being sad, music, drinking, they are aspects of many peoples lives. If I have a skill that enables me to articulate those feelings utilising my own experiences and condense them into a song which people then hear and go, yeah, I've felt that.. then our work here is done.
Novelists such as Raymond Carver or Flannery O'Conner are as important to my work as any musician.
Lyrically I listen to all the greats, Dylan, Tom Waits, Nick Cave.
Sonically I like Case Hardin to use Steve Earle, Son Volt or even early Springsteen as their bench marks.
However, for the reasons outlined in the last answer, once it gets to the band everyone has their own take on the songs and it works well.
I carry what I think the sound and arrangements of a song should be into the practise room.
But once it gets to rehearsals I lose some ownership over it, which is a good thing.
In answer to the why part of the question, I simply do not know.
I am a writer and we are all music fans. We are influenced by any other writer or musician that can hit us where it hurts.

Okay, so do you have any new material out at the moment?
Firstly we have two CD's for sale on our website. As for new material. We have the songs, we have the engineer, we have the studio, we just do not yet have the time.
Our winter break was shelved by a couple of big gigs so the recording has fallen off the end for now.

So I hear you're playing some high profile gigs at the moment, do tell us more!
Last Monday we performed a headline slot at The Borderline in Soho as part of the 'Way Beyond Nashville 2003' Festival.
Over 70 of our fans made the trip into London, braving the congestion charge on a school night to hear us play.
It was a defining moment for us and their support has secured us a higher profile gig at the venue in the New Year.
On 11th December, we open for Loose Records 'Horse Stories' who are touring the UK to promote their new CD ' One Hundred Waves'.
The best part of the deal is….. it's right here in Reading.
John Luther at 'South Street' is starting to really shake things up and get some top Americana bands to the area using local support.
Also on the bill is Nathan Ball.

And what are your observations on the local music scene?
I have lived and played in and around Reading since the early nineties and, using the words of another,….. 'You have never had it so good'.
The local scene is the best it has ever been. We are eternally grateful to local promoters like Luisa Seacroft, Rob Selway and Haydn Wood for giving us an opportunity to get music heard that does not sit all that comfortably with the sound of most local bands.
The problem for us comes in expanding our fan base within Berkshire.
As we often have to play in support of metal acts (and various sub genres that someone in their thirties could never dream of keeping up with), we do not get the passing interest of the public and we are equally unlikely to convert the headline acts fans from 'PRS' and 'Marshall stacks' to mandolins and vintage telecasters! And that is when we are allowed to play!! More than one promoter has refused to bill us as they can not find suitable bands for us to perform with. I wish to make it clear that I apportion no blame here. It is just an observation that most of the local bands you interview are unlikely to encounter. There is a market out there, we just feel sad that we have to up sticks to London to find it.
We are a local band and would like to remain loyal in that way.

And finally, where would you like to see the band in ten years time?
Good songs never go out of fashion. They have been around for centuries and no one seems bored of them yet. Whether our style of music remains (if indeed it ever became) fashionable will dictate our level of success. I have never consciously written a song to appeal to a specific market and Case Hardin have never compromised any aspects of our sound to broaden our appeal. The day we even consider this to remain relevant is the day we stop. Simple as that.