Russian Girlfriend came into being in 2001, brainchild of the band?s eccentric frontman, Matt Hanley. The driving force behind many of the songs, Matt's penchant for the somewhat extraordinary has been a key factor in the band's musical journey. Taking inspiration from such diverse topics as murder by telephone wire to closet Hindu drag artists, the band have challenged themselves to relate the danger
and desperation of the subject matter through their music.

While the influences take in Muse, Suede, Jeff Buckley, Radiohead etc, the style is all their own 'Russian Girlfriend have truly created something fresh and distinctive ''truly original' and in defiance of today's stereotypes'.

The sound blends dark romance and passion with a high energy and evokes images of 'another time, another place', somewhere distant and foreign yet strangely welcoming. The classical, flowing style of Jools' guitar weaves effortlessly in and out of Matt's harsher, more gutteral guitar sound, while bassist Rob and drummer Dave fly around the rhythm section pinning the elements together. The vocal style is as unique as it is enthralling-? piercing, passionate and at the same time haunting. Never is a note off key. The resulting songs are hard to forget

In a recent book on the history of music from the City of Coventry (Godiva Rocks!), which features such names as The Specials, Selecter, King and many more, author Pete Chambers describes Matt Hanley as "The best voice Coventry has ever produced". Of course, Matt's been impossible to live with ever since!

They were given also a tremendous boost when their song 'Butterfly Order" was selected from thousands to receive intensive airplay on digital station Storm Radio, as part of their 'Rock Revolution' promotion of unsigned bands.. The station's Ben Glover said of Russian Girlfriend, 'They could be huge. In fact, I hope they will be!', while Craig Pilling commented, 'They will rock your face right off'.

When Helen Finch of AIIRadio recieved the track, she commented to listeners "If Russian Girlfriend are listening, get more material to me because one track certainly isn't enough of you guys!"