Meet Kris Barratt.

Kris is British.

Kris and his band got stranded in Athens.

Two years later, he’s at home and in love …

“I would do anything for love – but I won’t do that” sang American rocker Meat Loaf. And indeed, there was nothing one guitarist from a British band wouldn’t do for love – he moved from London to the Classic City to marry a beautiful Athens woman.

Kris Barratt, former member of the defunct British indie-pop-rock band The Capes, is a man whose love for music has taken him on a challenging, yet exciting life journey.

This journey began more than 10 years ago, when Barratt and two of his university friends became the first members of a band they called The Doldrums, which held its first rehearsals in the cramped quarters of the basement of Barratt’s south London apartment.

“It was a super narrow cellar – we couldn’t even stand around in a circle,” Barratt recalled. “It was just wide enough to fit a drum kit, (band members) Rupert, Richie and me.”

During those early days, Barratt never imagined that the band would be as successful as it became.

“It’s kind of funny. We never expected that we’d be touring the United States – especially me,” he said. “I mean, this was my very first band.”

After the first rehearsals, the band’s lineup often changed as new members joined and left the group. While the band members were finishing up their degrees, the band came to a stand-still. But when they all graduated from the university, they knew a huge part of their lives was missing – music.

“We decided to reunite after performing at a friend’s New Year’s party,” said Barratt. “We realized how much we and everyone else loved our music.”

The band adopted a new name, The Capes, and a full slate of gigs – one of which would eventually lead to its breakthrough.

After a show at the Red Square in Harlow, London, fellow performing band Medium 21 liked The Capes’ music so much that it gave the group’s demo to its label manager, Danny Corr.

Corr was sold, and a series of demos led to the release of the critically acclaimed EPs, “I Write the Wrongs,” “Laptop Parade” and many more on Corr’s Outafocus Recordings label.

These EPs caught the attention of producer Lenny Franchi, and in 2004 the band released the Franchi-produced single “Tightly Wound,” which made its way to Los Angeles music executive Trevor Randall.

Randall signed the band to his Hard Soul Records label and immediately launched its first U.S. tour in 2005 behind the release of the “Taste EP,” a compilation of previous singles. The record peaked at No. 63 on the CMJ college radio charts.

It was during this tour that Barratt met and fell in love with an Athens local named Caroline.

“The way we met was such a lucky coincidence,” she recalled. “Our friends introduced us to each other.”

Even with a budding romance in the Classic City, business continued as usual for Barratt.

The band’s debut album “Hello” was released in 2005 and held a steady place in the top 20 on the CMJ charts for three months.

The Capes returned to the U.S. in 2006 for another tour, but things went awry when label executives refused to pay the band accumulated advances that they (executives) owed the band and refused to book its flight back to London. As a result, the suddenly bankrupt and directionless group was stranded in Athens for many weeks after the abrupt end to the tour.

After an eventual return to London, the group disbanded.

Barratt quickly returned to Athens to marry Caroline.

“From the moment I met Caroline, I knew we were made for each other,” he said. “I sold all my stuff in London, then came down here to be with her.”

Today, the 31-year-old Barratt is a proud husband and founder of his new band Spring Tigers.

“If I could turn back time, I wouldn’t change a thing,” he said. “I’ve had an amazing experience.”