User:D4rkshine/The Ventura Project

The Ventura Project is an indie pop duo featuring British singer/songwriter Joey Slater and American bass player Matthew Milligan.

Matthew Milligan is the bass player in New York rock band Wheatus, and since 2007 Joey Slater has worked on UK based Wheatus tours selling their merchandise. Under these circumstances, the pair became close friends and formed The Ventura Project, overcoming their geographical distance by forging an online collaboration and making music digitally,

On August 17th 2009 they independently released their song Heroes on iTunes, which was picked up by BBC Radio Gloucestershire's Rob Champion and featured on the local edition of BBC Introducing. Heroes went on to be played on the national BBC Introducing, during which DJ Tom Robinson likened The Ventura Project to indie duo The Postal Service, who are famed for also working across long distances.

The Ventura Project's debut album TVP was released via download on March 13th 2010. The album was released on a donation basis, available from free.

In a review by BBC writer Stephen Morris, TVP was criticised for overusing synthesised instruments, though Morris did praise the band for a "whole raft of clever ideas and interesting lyrics".