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Ben Ottewell has announced the release of new album A Man Apart and new single Watcher released on 25th May, both through Sunday Best.
With an avid following from the days in his former band Gomez, A Man Apart is singer/songwriter Ben Ottewell’s third solo offering and follows his albums Shapes and Shadows and Rattlebag. The album is a record that crosses musical genres such as Americana, blues and folk backed by Ben’s unmistakable gutsy and gravelly voice. Co-written with childhood friend and former Tunng member, Sam Genders, the album was recorded in Los Angeles and Sheffield and engineered and produced in the latter by Martin Smith (Richard Hawley).
A Man Apart delves into such relevant subjects as love and relationships, fame and politics. The album’s title track focuses on populist politicians exploiting people’s hopes and fears, with Bones touching on the realisation of not being worthy of someone, and opener Own It, sees Ben reflect on his time growing up in public in Gomez. New single Watcher is the perfect introduction to the album and despite its pensive meaning, is a melodic Americana led track that builds into a memorable bluesy and soulful chorus. A video for the track will be premiering soon.
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WINTER MOUNTAIN
Cornish singer / songwriter Joe Francis is Winter Mountain.
Hailing from the wild northern shores of Cornwall, UK Winter Mountain is a blend of melodic songs, an extraordinary voice and heartfelt lyrics in a sound reminiscent of a time before digital recording when the emphasis fell on the importance of live performance and the essence of the song. A promising songwriter from a young age, Joe signed his first record deal at just 21 and went on to record his bands debut album at the prestigious Abbey Road Studios. Driven by talent and creativity Joe journeyed to the southern United States where he demoed new material at the legendary Sun Studios, Memphis. Indeed, it was these very qualities that inspired folk star Cara Dillon and her husband/producer Sam Lakeman to sign Winter Mountain to their ‘Charcoal Records’ label after watching a performance in Donegal, Ireland.
Winter Mountain released the self titled debut album in 2013 to unanimous critical acclaim with The Sunday Express naming “Winter Mountain” ‘an utterly fabulous record’ and awarding it a 5 star review, The Irish Post calling it ‘A smashing album, a terrific, classy debut’, whilst Maverick Magazine had this to say: ‘Winter Mountain make them like they used to, and three cheers for that!’. At present there are over thirty 5 star reviews on Amazon for the album.
Tracks from Winter Mountains debut album still receive regular national radio play from the likes of Janice Long, Dermot O’Leary, Clare Balding (BBC Radio 2), on RTE Radio 1 and from local stations in both the UK and Ireland.
Following the release Joe signed with Faber Music Publishing.
Winter Mountain have toured the length and breadth of the UK and Ireland opening for some of the worlds most talented artists including Seal, The Feeling, Guy Garvey, Richard Thomson, Seth Lakeman, Cara Dillon, Rosanne Cash, Leann Rhimes, Patty Griffin, legendary songwriter Benny Gallagher, Paolo Nutini, Fleet Foxes and many others, and have graced the stage at some of those countries most distinguished venues inc The Ulster Hall (Belfast), Union Chapel (London), The Belfast Waterfront, Vicar Street (Dublin) and headline sets to sell-out crowds at the likes of the infamous Camden Barfly and Dublins Whelans Bar. While opening for some of Cara Dillons’ bigger shows they outsold her on the merchandise stand and, unbelievably, whilst opening for Sara Watkins (Jackson Browne / Nickle Creek, The Decemberists) they won over audiences so much that they were often invited back for an encore, before the main act had even taken to the stage!
In festival season WInter Mountain are amongst the acts that draw some of the biggest crowds to their stage. Recently, following a 2016 performance at Dorsets ‘Larmer Tree Festival’ Winter Mountain was named the festival highlight by critic and reviewer Alan Ewart at www.soundofsummer.org, who said “I always say that at every festival I attend I find at least one artist whose music blows me away…Last week at the Larmer Tree it was the music of Winter Mountain. Joe is an excellent songwriter…”
Recent times have seen Winter Mountain contributing vocals to Seth Lakemans recent album ‘Word of mouth’ and Cara Dillons ‘Thousand Hearts’ as well as signing to the south-wests premier agency ‘Midnight Mango’.
Praise for Winter Mountain:
‘A great gig, beautiful songs. You really must see Winter Mountain live’ • Janice Long, Radio 2
‘Amazing…awesome singing, such beautiful songs.’ • Rosanne Cash
‘A sound that spans decades, hypnotic’ • Spiral Earth Magazine
‘The performance that night of album track January Stars is one of the most beautiful standalone moments of music we’ve heard in quite some time’ • Folk and Tumble. com Belfast.
Quotes about the album:
‘An utterly fabulous record’ • The Daily Express ‘One of my favourite bands’ • Clare Balding
‘Winter Mountain make them like they used to, and three cheers for that!’ • Maverick Magazine
‘A smashing debut album’ • The Irish Post
More about Winter Mountains debut album:
Excited upon hearing Joseph performance in Donegal, Ireland Cara Dillon and husband/producer Sam Lakeman immediately signed Winter Mountain to their fledgling label, Charcoal Records – Cara and Sam set about assembling a team of musicians who could help realise the vision that Winter Mountain had for their debut album. Featuring 11 original tracks and with contributions from Robbie McIntosh (guitarist with McCartney, The Pretenders and John Mayer), Audrey Riley (string arranger for Coldplay and Nick Cave) and Leo Abrahams (Brian Eno, Pulp) the album was recorded in a host of vintage studios, from State of the Ark, Richmond to the legendary Rockfield in Wales, Mark Knopflers British Grove Studios and Sam and Cara’s own studio in rural Somerset.
The final, perhaps most extraordinary touch to the album was made when none other than Mike Crossey (Keane, Ben Howard, The Arctic Monkeys, Jake Bugg), intrigued upon hearing just a small amount of what Winter Mountain had to offer, stepped up in the midst of his hectic schedule to mix the first few tracks.
In 2013 Winter Mountain signed to the song publishing arm of the prestigious Faber and Faber publishing house and to ‘Midnight Mango’ the southwest’s premier booking agent, as well as contributing vocals to Seth Lakemans most recent album ‘Word of mouth’ and share backing vocal duties alongside Timothy B Schmit from the Eagles on Cara Dillon’s ‘A Thousand Hearts’ album.
Ben Ottewell, one of several singer/songwriters in the successful British rock band Gomez, released his first solo album, “Shapes & Shadows,” via ATO Records on February 15, 2011. The nine tracks on “Shapes & Shadows” were co-produced by Ottewell and Will Golden and mixed by Tom Biller (Liars, Warpaint, Karen O) at The Chalet in Los Angeles.
While Gomez is a three-singer band, Ottewell’s powerful tenor has graced many fan favorites, from early songs like “Get Miles” and “Revolutionary Kind” to the more recent singles “How We Operate” and “See The World.” In one early profile, Rolling Stone declared, “Gomez’s not-so-secret weapon is Ben Ottewell. His deep, raspy voice is spine chilling… more like an otherworldly bluesman than a baby-faced Brit.” And GQ once wrote, “Ottewell’s voice is not of this world. It is a deep, reverent baritone, the kind of voice that shakes windows.”
Ottewell collaborated with childhood friend Sam Genders, previously of Tunng, on the ideas that became “Shapes & Shadows.” As Ben explains, “Sam and I grew up together in a little village called Bonsall in Derbyshire and have been friends since childhood. I love his songwriting — the stuff he did with Tunng and The Accidental, particularly lyrically. We’ve been wanting to do this sort of thing for a while now. Having grown up together, there is a strong theme of looking back or recollecting.”
Ben Ottewell, one of several singer/songwriters in the successful British rock band Gomez, released his first solo album, “Shapes & Shadows,” via ATO Records on February 15, 2011. The nine tracks on “Shapes & Shadows” were co-produced by Ottewell and Will Golden and mixed by Tom Biller (Liars, Warpaint, Karen O) at The Chalet in Los Angeles.
While Gomez is a three-singer band, Ottewell’s powerful tenor has graced many fan favorites, from early songs like “Get Miles” and “Revolutionary Kind” to the more recent singles “How We Operate” and “See The World.” In one early profile, Rolling Stone declared, “Gomez’s not-so-secret weapon is Ben Ottewell. His deep, raspy voice is spine chilling… more like an otherworldly bluesman than a baby-faced Brit.” And GQ once wrote, “Ottewell’s voice is not of this world. It is a deep, reverent baritone, the kind of voice that shakes windows.”
Ottewell collaborated with childhood friend Sam Genders, previously of Tunng, on the ideas that became “Shapes & Shadows.” As Ben explains, “Sam and I grew up together in a little village called Bonsall in Derbyshire and have been friends since childhood. I love his songwriting — the stuff he did with Tunng and The Accidental, particularly lyrically. We’ve been wanting to do this sort of thing for a while now. Having grown up together, there is a strong theme of looking back or recollecting.”
BEN OTTEWELL
English singer-songwriter, and one of the three lead singers of indie rock band Gomez. He was the recipient of the Mercury Music Award Prize in 1998, and is well known for his “deep, raspy voice” and “gravelly baritone”. Ottewell has recently embarked upon a solo-project, with the debut album Shapes & Shadows.
Ottewell came into contact with Ian Ball (vocals, guitar) while the two were studying law at Sheffield University. Ball was impressed by Ben’s big voice, and along with Tom Gray (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Paul Blackburn (bass), and Olly Peacock (drums, synths, computers), they formed the band Gomez. Ottewell’s deep, soulful voice has gained him some acclaim and has drawn some comparisons to Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder and artist Tom Waits, and his lyrical style, and acoustical arrangements, especially in his solo work, have drawn comparisons to folk singer Nick Drake.
Ben Ottewell’s first solo album, Shapes & Shadows, is not a huge departure from his material with Gomez, but it has its differences. It is more low-key, melancholy, and acoustic driven than Gomez. One music critic says “lyrically and thematically, Shapes and Shadows (the album) is a very thoughtful and mature recording, as if Ottewell is taking issues of love and relationships discussed in Gomez’s back catalogue to another, more mature level”. Highlights of the album include the chorus-driven melodies “Shapes and Shadows” and “Lightbulbs”, the upbeat “All Brand New” and “No Obstacles”, the folksy “Blackbird”, and the soft acoustic and meloncholy “Chose”, “Chicago”, and “Take This Beach”.
• • • Wikipedia
plus special guest: LITTLE GEM
Hailing from the mean border towns of Lancashire and Merseyside musical adventurer Little Gem has provided keyboards, guitars, vocals, production, mixing, remixing and all round entertainment for the likes of Arctic Monkeys, The Last Shadow Puppets, Gomez, Reverend & The Makers, Sleepy Sun and The Robot Heart.
In 2005 the first album Collected Dust was launched onto an unsuspecting pubic through independent label GC Recordings. Primarily a compilation of electronic instrumentals it proved rather challenging to play live, so Little Gem took to the task of actually writing some real songs. Release of these songs was brought to an abrupt halt by the temptation of headlining arena shows across the globe with a motley crew from Sheffield.
Now, however, decamped in his secret lab on the North East coast, Little Gem has re-aligned his hat and pedal collection to take you on a glorious full-bellied sonic adventure into his world.
More Light EP to be self released in November 2012.
BEN OTTEWELL
plus guests: BUDDY
LITTLE GEM
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