About Us
Grooveline are a 7 piece band from Devon
Adam Ryan-Carter
Adam has been involved in the music industry for too long to admit. He started as a drummer after being accepted a year early on the jazz course at the prestigious Leeds College of Music at the tender age of 17. As he is also an accomplished pianist his interests soon turned to songwriting. He has had four separate recording contracts with Chrysalis, A&M, Sony and London Records respectively, working as an artist, songwriter and record producer. He has been responsible for 4 top 20 hits and has written for other artists such as ‘ S Club 7.’ In 1999 he was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award for his top 7 hit ‘ I can’t help myself’ with ‘Lucid’. During the mid 90s he played keyboards on scores of remixes for artists such as Kylie Minogue and Diana Ross. As a drummer Adam has a wealth of experience from working the jazz circuit, to theatre, from working men’s clubs to Glastonbury. Last year he wrote a score for a documentary film about the American basketball player Denis Rodman. In recent years Adam has written numerous Television theme tunes and iconic pieces for TV advertising, namely, ‘Famous Grouse whiskey’ and ‘We buy any car.com’ (although some people wished he hadn’t) Last year he moved to Devon for a change of lifestyle but manages to squeeze his Grooveline commitments in between surfing.
Carey Ryan-Carter
Formerly a professional dancer, Carey still finds it virtually impossible to keep still when she hears music. She has been performing in professional theatre since the age of 14, singing, dancing and acting. She studied dance at the Northern Ballet School and later completed a teaching degree at Manchester Metropolitan University specialising in drama. She has choreographed shows in Manchester for Oldham Colisieum, The Royal Northern College of Music and Arden school of Theatre and was director of Manchester Youth Theatre for several years. Carey has worked for many years as a session singer recording backing vocals and her voice has featured in countless TV and radio adverts. She recorded a contemporary version of the ‘flower duet’ from Madame Butterfly for the 2012 Olympics that was synchronized to a firework display. However she is at her happiest when singing and dancing to any kind of funky music and Grooveline has provided her with the opportunity to combine both of these passions.
Juliet Sluce
Juliet started playing recorder when she was 4 years old and is still playing it over 40 years later. This lead to an interest in all wind instruments including the rest of the recorder family, the oboe, cor anglais, irish whistles, saxophone and the ultimate windbag - the voice. She played in youth bands including, classical, folk and theatre. She was in the orchestra pit for productions of Guys and dolls and Kiss me Kate and for a concert tour of Europe with CASO orchestra, including London Festival Hall and Royal Albert Hall. In recent years the spectrum has included Irish music with ‘The Raggle Taggle band”, American folk country with “Hot diggety”, easy listening trio “ The Mocktails” and of course the funky vibes of Grooveline. She has not yet fulfilled her ambition to become a concert pianist or play the trumpet in a jazz band but there is still time.
James Fowler
James has co written and/or performed keyboards on 12 national chart top 30 house/disco records, the majority for the Ministry of Sound. He has also done remixes for many well known acts such as ‘M people,’ ‘Ultra Nate’ and ‘Steps’ to name a few. For many years James was the musical director of the touring show ‘Circus of Horrors.’ Grooveline would be lost without his magic fingers and his love of sampling. James is currently trying to beat his addiction to buying keyboards and speakers he doesn’t need. When he isn’t playing keyboards for ‘Grooveline’, ‘Dr Oz’ or ‘Hot Candy’, he keeps his fingers and brain busy by playing competitive chess and has just been named joint winner of the Devon “Cookworthy Cup.”
Justin Sluce
Justin likes to tell people that playing the bass performs a similar role to the foundations of a building: without it the whole thing would fall down and even the very best foundations tend to go unnoticed most of the time as they are buried in the mix. Perhaps despite this or maybe because of this he loves holding down the low end...and playing bass.
He is a classic art school musician - possibly better suited to holding a paint brush than playing an instrument. Whilst studying for his Masters degree at the Royal College of Art he joined 'Brave New World' fronted by a former member of the UK Subs. His music career has included a film appearance in the 'Man from China' which was a bio-pic about the drummer of the band he was in at the time - a chinese artist in exile in London.
Before taking up bass duties in various bands covering celtic folk (The Raggle Taggle Band), country (Hot Diggety), cocktail music (Mocktails) and rock and pop (Swamp Ash, Dr OZ) Justin also played violin and guitars in various orchestras and bands.
Do not worry: he has seen every type of dancing and nothing can shock him anymore.
Matt Cook
Matt’s musical talents were first discovered on piano, where he achieved grade 8 and a performing diploma. However aged 14 he picked up a guitar and the piano then went out of the window (instead of the customary TV set) Whilst at school Matt also dabbled in trumpet and saxophone, then at university in between experimenting with the sitar and digeridoo, Matt studied composition at Birmingham Conservatoire. He is a PRS member and his compositions for ‘electronic works’ are widely used on TV and Radio. Matt is a natural and versatile guitarist and has worked with many bands of different genres playing original music and covers - including funk, pop, soul, indie, metal, shoegaze, post rock and country. A recent highlight in his career was playing the Eden project supporting ‘Sigur Ros’ with post rock band ‘Dawn Chorus Ignites’ playing original instrumental compositions. Matt is one of the founders and organisers of the annual “ Monster mash” music festival in Marlborough. When Matt isn’t playing guitar he reads about playing guitar and at night dreams about playing guitar. His past times include collecting guitars, effect pedals and amps, going to festivals, cooking, drinking cider and partying. However the last two past-times are currently on hold as his wife Emma has recently given birth to their second child Eilidh, a little sister for Maisie – a girl band in the making.
Ian Darbyshire
Ian started playing the clarinet at the age of 5 but changed to Saxaphone and Guitar when he went to university in London, where he played with many bands.
Ian has performed all over England and in Europe, playing to small audiences all the way up to 5000 seat venues. Ian has been seen on MTV and even had a 'single of the week' on Radio One.
When not playing music, Ian loves to be out on the waves paddleboarding.