Biography

The Liverpool-based psychedelic band known as the Serpent Power -- not to be confused with the late-'60s band of the same name -- is a collaboration between Ian Skelly (the Coral) and Paul Molloy (the Zutons), whose previous groups were widely recognized in the U.K. around the turn of the century, notably for their catchy combination of pop and psychedelia. The pair met in 2014 at one of Skelly's after-parties in Liverpool, where they quickly discovered they had a musical affinity; based on that encounter they hurriedly booked themselves into Castle Grayskull Studios in Merseyside, and began working on their debut album. The name Serpent Power originally belonged to Skelly's backing band during a solo tour; they chose to adopt the name for this particular project. Their self-titled debut saw release in May 2015, on the Skelly family label Skeleton Key Records. The record featured two singles, "Lucifer's Dream Box" and "Last Ape in Space." After touring the U.K. in support of the debut, they returned to the studio in late 2015 to begin working on their second full-length album. Going even deeper into the psychedelic undergorund and utilizing more vintage keyboards, the duo returned with Electric Looneyland in late 2017. ~ Liam Martin, Rovi