Taking its name from a religious tract, The Burning Hell has been slithering around in the muck in one form or another since the dawn of the millennium. Fronted by the moderately agoraphobic songwriter and occasional history teacher Mathias Kom on electric ukulele, The Burning Hell currently features between one and twelve people, depending on the night.

This cast of characters gathered at The House Of Miracles in the depths of summer 2007 to record 'Happy Birthday', an album that celebrates the beauty of age, the joys of decay, the possibility of dating after death, and the inevitable repetition of mistakes. Combining quirky instrumentation, happy little melodies and depressing Old World fatalism, the music of The Burning Hell is sure to make you smile and want to give up.

Possible Influences: Smog, Jonathan Richman, Stephin Merritt (Magnetic Fields), Handsome Family, David Byrne

The Burning Hell are

Mathias Kom : guitar, ukulele, vocals
Jill Staveley : guitar, vocals
Charlie Glasspool : piano
Mike Duguay : synths, glockenspiel, melodica
Jenny Gleeson : accordion, bass
Darcy McCord : cello
Adam DeMarsh : drums
Steve McNabb : trumpet, banjolele
Nick Ferrio : lap steel
Jenny Mitchell : backing vocals
Mary Jane McCallum : backing vocals
Andy Magoffin : engineering, backing vocals