The Bees

Creating a Buzz

The complexities of the music industry seem a far cry from the humble beginnings of the band in a carefully constructed shed in vocalist Paul’s parents’ back garden. The story began with Paul Butler and Aaron Fletcher, and with a small scale debut album ‘Sunshine Hit Me’ in 2002 which took both the UK and the boys themselves by complete surprise. “The album totally shocked us,” Fletch explains over his late afternoon pint, “it had a bit more claim than we imagined. We didn’t expect anything. We got the Mercury nomination, that was a big motivational boost.” The sudden popularity of the band’s multi-cultural sound prompted a plethora of men in suits, all desperate to sign them up to a major label.