Tim Hughes talks to an Oxford artist with plenty of the ‘Reich’ stuff – Olly Wills of The Epstein.

WITH their soul-soothing melodies and sun-drenched harmonies The Epstein are among Oxford’s best-loved bands.

Their shows never fail to attract a devoted following of local fans – whether in a pub backroom, summer festival, or the hallowed surroundings of the city’s Holywell Music Room.

But it might come as a surprise to learn they are also big news further afield, as far away, in fact… as Germany.

The country-tinged roots-rockers made no less than seven Germanic trips last year – with a few forays to neighbouring Holland. It seems they, like us, can’t get enough of their technically accomplished brand of uplifting rural-rock, and heart-wrenching melancholia.

On the eve of the release of their new EP Held You Once, I asked frontman Olly Wills why their music had such enduring appeal in the clubs of Berlin, Hamburg and Amsterdam, as back home on the Cowley Road.

“People love that rootsy-rock sound,” he says, unwinding at home in Binsey, after driving back from a series of shows in Wales and the Midlands.

“It’s a real theme in Germany and Holland, especially. And we’ve just slipped into it, which has been great.”

On Saturday Olly, and bandmates Jon Berry, Rowland Prytherch, Paul Denley and Seb Reynolds play a hometown show at the Jericho Tavern. The show will see the guys launching the new EP – which also features Another Band Has Gone and Ring On Her Finger, and celebrating the birthday of hugely-popular local gig organiser Autumn Neagle, of Coo Promotions.

The record, mixed in Los Angeles by Hugo Nicolson, who previously engineered Radiohead’s In Rainbows, is the first of a number of EPs with more to follow, in the lead-up to the release of a new album, says Olly.

It follows the successful release of debut Last of the Charanguistas – a quite storm of an album, which proved a huge hit with fans and critics alike – even gaining a highly sought-after Editor’s Choice in Rolling Stone magazine, which wasn’t bad for a band then better known in the Thames Valley than the Rhineland.

“We were very pleasantly surprised at how far it managed to get us in terms of tours across Europe,” says Olly. “And critically it couldn’t have been better. Most people seemed to really like it.”

While still recognisably The Epstein, the new songs go beyond the Americana sound for which they are still known. “What we are trying to do now is to take our style forward in a completely different direction, while still holding onto what we enjoy doing,” he explains.

“The first album was quite ‘country’ with Americana leanings. But this is less obvious.”

On the same night as the show, the boys will be aired on Bob Harris show on Radio 2. The chance to record a coveted session for the Steventon-based presenter was seized on by the lads. “We have been really excited about it,” says Olly.

“Doing national radio is always good but doing Bob’s show is very special and a great step forward. He’s a real legend and it’s a genuine privilege to follow in the footsteps of some great characters.”

* The Epstein play the Jericho Tavern, in Walton Street, on Saturday.

Support comes from Reid Morrison and Tomer Danan’s London soul-rock five-piece Treetop Flyers and local up-and-coming act Band of Hope. Doors open at 8pm. Tickets are £6 in advance from wegottickets.com and more on the door. The first 10 people through the door get a copy of the EP for free!