Dried out by salt air and fine wines, By Toutatis are a four-piece from the wonderful town of Saltburn-by-the-Sea. The band met through historical serendipity when singer Daniel Cochran discovered that his great-great-great-great-grandfather (notorious smuggler John Cochran) had been hanged in Saltburn town square by immigrant nooseman Jacques Muriel: a distant relation of drummer Ben. Once family grievances had been put to one side the two decided to make music, recruiting the debonair but jaded former playboys Robbie Major and Ben Hopkinson on violin and piano respectively. They've been variously described as sounding like Jacques Brel, The National and a medieval chamber band and will tend to sing loudly and obliviously in most social situations. A collection of fops and grizzled racketeers, the band use the "Three Bs" to create their distinctive sound: baritone, broken things and buzzing noises. By Toutatis are possibly Saltburn's first Baroque 'n' roll quartet.
