Rock band from Ashton-under-Lyne, Parkbridge, releases debut album with French swag

Combining elements of classic rock, folk rock and blues, ‘Rivets For The Eiffel Tower’ is the stunning debut album from Parkbridge.

Coming together through a shared love of classic rock, folk rock and blues, Parkbridge is a four-piece from Ashton-Under-Lyne. The band released their debut album, ‘Rivets For The Eiffel Tower’ on November 17, 2023.

Formed in 2022, all four band members had cut their teeth playing in local bands for many years. But after some informal jam sessions working on songs written by vocalist and guitarist Robert Carter, Parkbridge rapidly evolved into the fully-fledged band it is today. After a series of well-received live gigs, work soon began assembling the band’s debut album.

The key members of the band are Robert Carter (guitar, vocals), Sean Dyer (lead guitar), Ian Turford (bass) and Dave Johnson (drums). The name of the band, ‘Parkbridge’, comes from the area of Park Bridge on the outskirts of Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester, where the band was originally formed.

“The area of Park Bridge was founded during the Industrial Revolution, and for nearly two hundred years, the village was home to the famous Park Bridge Ironworks. This local foundry provided essential components for several of the world’s great engineering projects, giving the band its name and the inspiration for the title of its debut album, too.

“If you ever go to Paris, in the museum at the Eiffel Tower, there is an inscription that says ‘Rivets made by the Park Bridge Iron Foundry, Ashton-under-Lyne’ - and so ‘Rivets For The Eiffel Tower’ became the obvious name for our first album,” says frontman and vocalist/guitarist, Robert Carter.

The album is a collection of eight original tracks - a mix of acoustic, rock, folk-rock, and blues.

“I have long had an ambition to release an album of music containing songs I’ve written. Thanks to the guys in Parkbridge, that dream is about to become a reality. All three are great musicians, and it’s a privilege for me to work with them. There are a couple of songs of what you would call folk rock. There’s a couple that are classic rock in style. There are a couple that could be classed as indie rock, and there are a couple of blues songs.

“We’re probably a little different to most of the newish rock bands you hear. We try to be melodic. We try to tell a story in the lyrics. We try to offer something different. So if you’re into that classic rock sound style, listen and tell us what you think!” Robert adds, commenting on the album.

‘Rivets For the Eiffel Tower’ was produced by Buzz Hawkins at Hawkins Studios 215 in Mossley.