Arrogant Samman insists 'it's my band'

Scandinavia are at breaking point a source reveals.

'Easily manipulated' - Samman is under Neville's spell

Filmmaker Ted Byron Baybutt, 32, has lifted the lid on the infighting that is tearing Scandinavia apart. Just days into a recording session in Lamberhurst, Kent, relationships are at breaking point – with guitarist Warrick Harniess, 32, increasingly isolated. Baybutt suggests that the recent presence of guest musician Tim Neville, 29, is acting as a destabilizing force, with a new power alliance emerging between him and charismatic frontman Nadim Samman, 29. ‘It’s been brewing for a couple of days’ said Baybutt, who is filming for a forthcoming documentary of the band.

Love Nest

After a night out at the Brown Trout, a gastro pub favoured by fellow guitar innovator Jeff Beck, Harniess decamped to a love nest in a neighbouring village with a paramour, much to the dismay of his fellow Scandinavians. ‘It was like he didn’t care, really shocking’ said Baybutt. Neville, a recent addition to Scandinavia’s bloated entourage, cajoled the rest of the band into returning to the studio for a late night jam session.  ‘They sounded incredible together’, said Baybutt. ‘It was stripped right back to the essentials, nothing laboured at all’. Some reports have put Harniess’ increasing eccentric contributions at the heart of discord, with Samman impatient with the subtleties of 'world' music. Baybutt also reports that Neville has been pitching a brace of songs in the Scandinavia mold to Samman and erstwhile keyboardist Thomas Parkinson, 31. ‘I don’t know if they’ll make the album this time round, but the guys seemed impressed. There’s no denying his talent.’

Loggerheads

The two adversaries were on the verge of blows on Sunday morning when Harniess returned to the studio to find Neville rerecording his guitar parts at Samman’s behest.

'Eccentric'

Baybutt self-portrait