Whitworth school band record single in studio

Oliver Norris on guitar and Ryan Pye on drums in the recording studio

Just hours before recording their first single, a high school band decided on a complete change of song.

Whitworth Community High School Year 11 students Oliver Norris and Ryan Pye found themselves composing new music and lyrics the night before their band was due to visit Studio Studio in Whitworth for the recording session.

They were offered the recording session after competing in Rochdale Rocks - Battle of the Bands in November when they also won a chance to play before a Rochdale Hornets match next year.

Since winning the competition they have changed the name of the band from Gastric Band to Audax, which is Latin for bold.

Oliver, who is also head boy at Whitworth High School, said: “We just decided that we didn’t really like the song we were going to record, and we wrote a completely new one called ‘Carefree’ and only had that night to practise it.

“It sounded pretty nice, but we wanted to change the tempo a bit and also add some rhythm.”

Ryan said: “We felt we needed to add a bit of pizzazz to it.”

Their band also has a keyboard player Isabel Dexter and a drummer Sam Milton, but unfortunately neither could attend the recording.

Ryan said: “We recorded the backing track and I had to play my rhythm guitar section twice, so it would come across in stereo when it is all put together.

“I also played Sam’s drums part and Oliver recorded the bass guitar. We will be back in early January to add the vocals and Isabel will be playing the keyboard.”

The group are planning to cut CDs of the recording which will be available to buy when they play at Whitworth Vale and Healey Band Club and at the Flying Horse Hotel in Rochdale.