Less than three years after his departure from Lowestoft's platinum-selling band The Darkness, original drummer and founding member Ed Graham is back with a new alternative rock band and the release of their debut single.

Eastern Daily Press: Former The Darkness drummer Ed Graham in his new band Puppets To The Supreme Commander. Picture: Courtesy of CAT.Former The Darkness drummer Ed Graham in his new band Puppets To The Supreme Commander. Picture: Courtesy of CAT. (Image: Archant)

Ball and Chain, the new four track EP from Puppets To The Supreme Commander, was released on Friday on the Ashwood Music label and reveals a new sound which Ed has been working on with the multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, Angus Duprey, since January 2015.

Ed said: 'After leaving The Darkness I took some time out to put together the right formula for my next project and I'm very excited about the Puppets and the music we're making.

'Angus and I started out with the philosophy that there are no rules, if we want to write a rock song we'll do that, if we want to write a pop song we'll do that, if we want to write a punk/grunge/new wave song we'll do that.

'Angus is brilliant at composing songs and can just pick up an acoustic guitar and spontaneously sing a song about the things around him from the people in the room to what's happening in his life. One thing I've learnt from my 17 years in the music business is the importance of good song writing - you can have the best musicians in the world but without great songs there is little point.

Eastern Daily Press: The Darkness, pictured from left Dan Hawkins, Justin Hawkins, Ed Graham and Frankie Poullain. Picture: James Bass.The Darkness, pictured from left Dan Hawkins, Justin Hawkins, Ed Graham and Frankie Poullain. Picture: James Bass. (Image: Eastern Daily Press � 2003)

'It's wonderful to be back playing great rock music with great musicians. We're very lucky to have compiled a band of talented players who can interpret the music and produce the exact sound we're trying to make.'

Originating from Oulton Broad but now living in Norwich, Ed performed with The Darkness until his departure in June 2014. During the band's five year break from the business, Ed formed and played with the heavy metal band Stone Gods, until The Darkness' reunion in 2011.

Puppets To The Supreme Commander is also made up of David Donley on bass (Sex Pistols' Glen Matlock, Adam Ant), Rebecca Waller on keys (The National Symphony Orchestra, The Wu Tang Clan's GhostFace Killah), and David Miles (Bjorn Again) on lead guitar.

Ed said he is also enjoying having more artistic input into the musical output and video concepts, and played an active role in the production of the DVD to accompany the single, which was filmed at a 1940s disused radar base on the cliffs of Hopton-on-Sea.

Ball and Chain will be available as a digital download from iTunes, HMV, and Amazon from 79p.

For more information about the band visit www.AshwoodMusic.com