BBMak are: Mark Barry (vocalist from Manchester), Christian Burns (Rhythm guitarist from Wigan) and Stephen McNally (guitarist from Liverpool)

Young and good-looking but definitely not a boy-band doing the fancy dances! BBMak have taken their music very seriously from the outset and are all strong musicians. They met and formed in 1996, playing music which is a blend of rock, pop and soul on the Manchester and Liverpool music scene.

They spent the first two years writing songs together and had their share of hard times, sleeping on a mate's floor. To get a record deal they forced their attention on the record companies by sending demos and then busking outside the London studios, following up with an invitation to a concert in Liverpool. This had the desired effect and they were soon signed up to Hollywood Records.

Like The Space Monkeys, BBMak initially made it big in the USA without any recognition back home. Their debut album, "Sooner Or Later", sold over 1 Million copies, whilst their debut single "Back Here" stayed in the US Billboard Top 40 for 6 months and was the most played single in the States during 2000. It also went on to top the Japanese charts.

Success didn't come easily though as they worked really hard, criss-crossing America to do gigs, clocking up 175 flights in 2000 alone. They toured with Britney Spears and N'Sync before attempting to really make their name in the most discerning market of all: the UK.

When "Back Here" was released first time around in 1999 it barely made the top-40, due in part to minimal promotion (one appearance on 'The Big Breakfast'). In a similar pattern to David Gray and N-Trance's career, the re-release gained more publicity and climbed to Number 5 in the UK chart in February 2001.

The band's next UK single, "Still On Your Side" reached No.8 and heralded the release of the album, which charted at a disappointing No.16. With the US conquered, BBMak are determined to match that success Back Here.