Sound Sanctuary was a British genre-blurring indie-folk project founded by Canadian born singer-songwriter Toby Uffindell-Phillips. Adopting the title of the singer’s debut solo record as their moniker, the original line-up alongside Toby of Dave Tonkinsmith, Andy White and Alan Mills emerged from the 'garden of England' county of Kent shortly after the turn of the millennium. They introduced their sound with a series of demo EPs before releasing two records - 2005's mini-album 'Contact' and a full length follow up 'Dust' in 2008 on independent label Lo-Tek Audio, with production duties handled by electronic duo Bombay Monkey.

The groups music defied easy categorisation — dreamy acoustic-folk meets ambient electronica, with layered harmonies, gentle rhythms, and a subtle experimental edge. Critics repeatedly praised the band’s ability to transcend genre clichés, drawing comparisons to artists like Nick Drake, Kings of Convenience, and Zero 7, while also hinting at the genre-bending spirit of early Radiohead or The Beta Band.

Their work earned national airplay on BBC Radio 2, 6Music, and XFM, and made its way onto television through live sessions for Sky and sync placements, including two international ads for a well-known ice cream brand. While Sound Sanctuary never chased mainstream fame, their music stood as a quiet counterpoint to the noise of the era — a space where soul met circuitry, and reflection was wrapped in warm, immersive soundscapes. Following the band’s most active years, frontman Toby Uffindell-Phillips went on to explore new creative directions, notably forming the indie-folk project Summit of the Big Low, where echoes of Sound Sanctuary’s DNA remain present.

Burning Shapes were an indie rock band who gained a loyal following in the South East of England in the early-2010s before releasing their debut album, These Things Happen on their own Friendly Tribe label. Formed by school friends Toby (vocals, guitar), Dave (vocals, bass), and Andy (vocals, MPC, keys), the band evolved from acoustic sessions into a fully-fledged, high-energy live act with the addition of drummer Steve Martin.

Their music blended guitar-driven indie rock with more mellow, introspective melodies, drawing comparisons to bands like Razorlight, The Cribs, and Foo Fighters. Their accessible verse-chorus structures and mix of upbeat, guitar-rich songs with laid-back melodic tracks bridge the gap between ambient exploration and structured indie anthems.

Beyond the music, Burning Shapes were early pioneers in blending technology with DIY marketing. They embraced mobile phones not just to shoot music videos — one of which featured phones and tablets as a central theme — but also to innovate how music could be shared. Most notably, they became the first band ever to release an album via QR codes, hiding them as digital easter eggs for fans to discover and assemble a unique version of their album before it’s official release. This forward-thinking approach drew attention from industry press, including a feature on Music Ally — a remarkable achievement for an independent band operating outside the mainstream - and earned them radio play and praise from BBC 6 Music’s Tom Robinson and Lauren Laverne respectively.