Manchester, England's answer to Joy Division meets Fugazi is the Longcut. Lee Gale (guitar), Stuart Ogilvie (drums/vocals), and Jon Fearon (bass) formed the post-punk-inspired trio in 2002. For the next two years, the Longcut honed their eclectic style by playing live in and around their native Manchester. In early 2004, Deltasonic signed the group, and the Transition EP was issued before the year's end. In June 2005, the Longcut released a second EP entitled A Quiet Life. Dates across the U.K. with Nine Black Alps followed into early 2006, while an appearance at the annual South by Southwest conference in Austin, TX, exposed the group to American audiences. Plans for a studio full-length were slated for the fall of that year. ~ MacKenzie Wilson