In another dimension, at a door along the corridor no one thinks to open, Temple changed their name. Cos they came back to a time changed plenty, where bands called temple were many. A series of serendipitous symphonies pulled together these souls from different worlds. Now known as Too Many Temples, they came together to construct a new world of their own. Colourful stories. Noisy stories. Glorious and reflective stories. The truth isn’t important. Your presence is. Take your shoes off at the door, if you please.
Too Many Temples are:
Ranj Dhani - vocals, rhythm guitar
Sarb Malda - drums
Tom Huelin - lead guitar, backing vocals
Zaki Solosho - bass guitar
History
Originally formed in London in 2003 by uni mates Tom and Ranj, Sarb joined soon after through a mutual friend, with Zak completing the line-up having answered an NME Ad in early 2004. From that point the band blitzed the UK live scene, playing a string of gigs at some of the UK’s best live venues including London’s Shepherds Bush Empire, The Metro Club on Oxford Street, Water Rats, 10 Lives in Walsall, the Faversham in Leeds, not to mention Glastonbury Festival.
Radio airplay duly followed, the band’s Lemon Tree EP in 2006 played on BBC Radio 1, BBC Asian Network, and various student radio stations nationally. Labels, management companies and booking agents were lining up to get involved before, unbelievably, it all ended, at the end of 2006. Exhaustion, relationships, life - the band broke up, it happens.
What doesn’t normally happen, however, is the band got back together. A video of the band’s 2004 tour of Jersey emerged during COVID lockdowns, at a time when people had time to reminisce, to assess life and see what they had - and what they’d lost. The film was watched, clips shared on a newly formed WhatsApp group and, when it was allowed, a meeting was convened, in Hounslow, back where it all began.
Since then relationships have flourished once more; songs have been remembered, reworked, new songs have been written and rehearsed. In January 2022 Too Many Temples released Glow, a three-track EP made up of a brand new recording of their barnstorming cover of Tomorrow Never Knows, along with releases of original songs Come In Me and Ghost Story - available digitally for the first time.
With more songs to be recorded and released throughout 2022 and beyond, there’s unfinished business to attend to here.
“I walked into this venue, packed, walls dripping with sweat, and no room to breathe, then I’m met with this wall of sound from these guitars… incredible.”
Bobby Friction, BBC Asian Network
“This is a place of worship, not for such disrespectful and inappropriate behaviour. Look what they’ve done to my mic…!”
Promoter after a gig at St Pauls Church, Ealing