by Kenyon Hopkin
Hailing from Essex, England, Soul Hooligan began as a solo project in 1997 for producer Austin Reynolds. In 1998, he released his first single, "Sweet Pea." In order to promote his music live, he added James Sumner (formerly of swing band the Big 6) on keyboards, harmonica, and vocals and Dave Jay on keyboards, melodica, and vocals. The first full-length, Music Like Dirt, was released in spring 2002. The group has also had tracks featured in films and television, including Driven and Austin Powers in Goldmember.