THE TREAT are one of the best bands to emerge in recent years on the music scene in the UK. Drawing from a broad range of styles, THE TREAT play their own unique, colourful  brand of progressive music. Their genre hopping, independent spirit is steadily capturing the imagination of many new listeners, providing the band with an opportunity to appeal to a pan generational audience. THE TREAT’s sound is by turns passionate, exhilarating, fun, dark, melodic and joyous.

The Treat’s Guitarist, Vocalist & Songwriter, Mike Hyder, formed the group in March 2001, initially fashioning the group as a power trio, influenced by Cream. The band worked on a set of original songs, broadly of a ‘classic rock’ style, to which they brought their own unique twists. THE TREAT spent 2002 gigging extensively all around the UK playing many well know venues, such as The Zodiac in Oxford, Moles Club in Bath & Half Moon, Borderline & Underworld in London. The band spent 2003 recording and releasing their debut album ‘IN TECHNICOLOR’. The album gained rave reviews from various webzines in the UK and overseas, and extensive radio airplay on the world wide web. The single ‘Agent 555’ from the album, spent 10 weeks at number 1 on the ‘Magazine’ programme’s listener’s chart on the London based Skywave Radio. Line -up changes followed, with versatile Bassist, Dom Lash, entering the fold, to add weight to the already ambitious ideas Mike Hyder was cooking up for the group. 2004 was spent rehearsing up a new batch of songs Mike had been writing for the band, this time of a broader musical palette, which included influences from the world of prog rock and psychedelia, while retaining their core, classic rock sound. In addition, THE TREAT continued to promote ‘IN TECHNICOLOR’ throughout this period.

2005 was a pivotal year for THE TREAT. An abortive attempt was made to begin recording their second album in the Spring. By the time work properly began on the album in the Summer, Mike had an extensive backlog of songs, enough for two albums, so the group decided to record their second and third albums, more or less over the same period. When Multi-Instrumentalist, Dave Hart joined the group in the Autumn, Mike’s artistic ambitions for the band went into orbit. Now fashioning the group as a modern ‘Traffic’, with acoustic and electric sides, Mike Hyder’s song writing blossomed, taking in influences from the world of folk, blues, ethnic/world music, jazz, funk, & country, in addition to their already established forays into prog, psyche & classic hard rock.

2006, 2007 & 2008 were spent extensively writing, arranging, rehearsing & recording many new songs, some of which ended up on their breakthrough, second album, ‘PHONOGRAPHY’. The band heavily promoted the album in 2008, their labour paying off with a glorious review in Classic Rock magazine. Other national UK music magazines followed, singing praises for the album and the band. The TREAT also signed a digital download distribution deal with an American company via their label Rockular Recordings, making their music available on itunes, Napster, Amazon mp3 & Rhapsody. In the Autumn of 2008, they signed a CD distribution deal with UK distributors, Code 7/PHD, making their music available on Amazon, Play & various high street shops, such as HMV & WHSmith.

THE TREAT started 2009 off with a bang, by winning Top 3 best album of the year for ‘PHONOGRAPHY’, from BCFM radio's Rock Show (Bristol, UK) and being  championed further in the pages of Classic Rock Magazine, who tipped THE TREAT as being one of the best up and coming bands to watch out for in 2009!. The group were also played on Radio 1. In addition, they have also been heavily championed in the pages of a brand new publication, called  ‘PROG’. THE TREAT’s music was included on the cover mount CD’s of the first two issues of the mag. In the Summer, THE TREAT unveiled their third album. A highly ambitious and extravagant double, their magnum opus, ‘AUDIO VERITE/DECEPTIVE BLENDS’.

Upon it’s release, the new album received overwhelming critical praise. It has also been the fastest selling TREAT album so far, raising further, their public profile nationally (and internationally in selected territories). The album has been given significant exposure on selected radio shows in the UK, notably, ARFM’s ‘Soundscapes’ programme, BCFM’s ‘Rock Show’ & on the longest running rock & metal show in Belgium, ‘Underground’. Hits to THE TREAT’s website at www.thetreat.co.uk have gone through the roof , and 100’s of friends have been leaving messages of support on THE TREAT’s myspace site at www.myspace.com/thetreatuk

Since their inception, THE TREAT have evolved & progressed artistically & musically and although their core classic rock sound remains, it’s now liberally sprinkled with touches of prog, psychedelia, folk, ethnic, jazz & blues influences, all topped off with a top notch songwriting prowess and a nod towards pop sensibilities and tight, concise production. Though their major influences are from the golden decades of the 60s and 70s, THE TREAT manage to bring their own unique, up to date twist to these established styles, helping to keep this type of music vital & relevant for new generations of music fans & older music lovers alike.

(Multi-Intrumentalist/Percussionist: Timpani/Djembe/Dumbek/Flute/Clarinet/Bass Clarinet/Melodica/Piano)