Rich Mahogany

Here is my session for The Mahogany Blog of my new song, Stone. You can hear it in all it’s recorded glory over on my bandcamp page. It was a real pleasure to meet up with and play for Mahogany. You should all check out the blog as it is fantastic. Keep up the good work guys.

Spring??

I have finally learnt the tuning for The Wolves Act 1 and 2 by Bon Iver, my absolute favourite band in the world. I remember when Skinny Love was posted as the itunes single of the week way back when and ever since I have been devouring Bon Iver and anything else Justin Vernon turns his hand to. For those of you who love Bon Iver, check out Justin Vernon’s side projects, Volcano Choir and Gayngs. Also Deyarmond Edison (attached for your pleasure), which was a band he was in before. 

Anyway, the new tracks are up and spinning. I have more in the bag but I will hold those back for later. Akira are going to put out the next EP sometime soon. I just need to make a new video and get some artwork sorted out (hectic)…..all of which are in the works. Especially excited to see what Hazel Stroud produces in the art department. I am sitting down to write new songs right now, experimenting with fancy tunings. I should hopefully complete the new track in the next couple of weeks, a little number called ,”Foolish Love”. It is my homage to Skinny Love. Keep praying for sunshine.

music approaches

The new tracks are finally all shuffling into order and anxiously awaiting to be let loose into the wild. I am merely awaiting the arrival of high quality files for band camp….watch this space.

 

Unemployment Blues

Jobless but not unoccupied. However, my dwindling cash situation is not so great. I have a fear of topping up my oyster card these days! On the plus side though I have been enjoying some studio time with my friend and super talented Producer, Ian Barter. Three days, two films, two guest vocalists, two bags of roast chicken sensations, a few naps, lots of trips to the station, one dominating flute line, three cats and one dead shrew later I emerged from Mr Barter’s studio with five new songs!!

No that’s not me in case you were thinking I’ve been radically altered into a pretty lady. It is the delightful Sophie Jamieson laying down some sweet vocals for my new song, Fields of England. It really is a pleasure to hear someone sing the words you wrote to the music you thought up and for it to sound lovely. That may sound arrogant but forgive me this once. Thank you Sophie for coming down and singing!

Liz Lawrence also took time out from her hectic touring schedule to pop in and record our song, Sons and Daughters. I’ve been waiting a long time to record that song up and it really turned out well.  I’ll get finished versions of the tracks up on band camp soon. Here’s a picture of Ian Barter spreading some sweet vibes with the flute in the meanwhile.

You’ve got to go barefoot when coaxing sweet sweet music out of the silver pipe!

Which leads us finally to the very cool news of Extension Music signing me to their roster!! Extension will be pitching my songs for syncs. Which hopefully means that you will be hearing my dulcet tones whilst two people make out on a hit TV show sometime in the near future!! Keep your fingers crossed.

New Lyrics

In the morning, in the morning
Watch the colours fade upstream
The Shape of You and the spell of your name
I’ll remember you

I can’t see you with my eyes
I Will hold you with my hands
I Wish I Wish I Wish I Wish
I hope this will last

I’m Lost in the Shape of You
I’m Lost in the Shape of You
I’m Lost in the Shape of You
I’m Lost in the Shape of You

Lowell, Liz and Sophie

“Ladies,beautiful ladies!” As the great  Baron Munchausen once said. What a classic film.
I am lucky enough these days to have not one or two but three lovely Ladies to assist me in my musical endeavours. Lowell and I will be in the studio for three days next week cooking up some songs. We will also be working on a new version of Bury My Heart which I never felt I got right before so I’m very excited about that. You should all keep Lowell on your radars, she has just been asked to play The Great Escape down at Brighton and I have a feeling she will be a big deal (sort of like rich mahogany) in the years to come.

Lowell sans shoes mais, avec socks.

Liz Lawrence and Sophie Jamieson are two excellent singer songwriters who will be joining me when I travel down to see one of my Producers, the lovely Ian Barter. Liz and I will be finally be recording our song, Our Kingdom and Sophie is very kindly singing on a new song of mine called , Fields of England which is a companion piece to my song English Rain. I am really pleased that all of these very talented lasses agreed to work with me. I am hoping to get some new songs up here fairly soon so keep your ears peeled.

 

 

Hold On, Demo

Frosty

It really is getting to cold to do anything. Seriously, I spend most of my time planning on how to best insulate myself and plotting my movements from heated place to heated place, trying to minimise my exposure to the outside. It’s the Sri Lankan in me that does not enjoy this cold, added to that the fact that I have hardly any body fat (thanks noro virus) to keep me warm. Not to mention I foolishly shaved my head which can only hurt me in the keeping warm stakes. I have to wait now for my fingers to warm up before I can play guitar. Finger picking with numb sausage fingers doesn’t really work.

So, when I go into my writing session with the lovely Lowell this Monday I’ll have to warm up the old mitts with a cup of tea before we crack on. She’s from Canada so she’ll probably be there in a t-shirt and shorts wondering what all the fuss is about. I’m very excited to be in the studio with Lowell, she’s a bit of a wunderkind so hopefully we will end up with something cool at the end of the day.

Well, before I go back to my rocking Saturday night of watching Double Jeopardy on TV and steadily munching my way through the Godiva chocolate box someone got me for Christmas, let me wish you happy saturday and sweet dreams.

 

2013

2013 will be the year of (pro) activity! 2012 was the year of lessons learned….who to trust, who to listen to, what to do, where to go, how to go about the quest for success in the music industry…… So now I feel a few of those questions have been answered. Clarity washed over me midway through my three day bout of Noro virus. I followed that silver lining of thought and realised that I need to get back to what I do best when writing songs and be more organic, less concerned with what’s commercial, or what lyrics sound too alienating, we need the chorus to be punchier and quicker to get to etc etc

I think those thoughts weighed me down and made me less good. So 2013 I salute you for washing me of those concerns  and pushing me back onto purer paths. Who knows, maybe it will sound terrible or not at all different but I feel better. Thank you Paul Herman for understanding our chat and being as ever, super supportive and massively tall. Thank you James Bryan also.

Gigs are lining up nicely ( just check my dates page) and I’m very excited about recording my side project electro EP with my musical brother and percussionist Mike Worthington. Expect beats! Also, Liz Lawrence and I are finally getting into the studio to record our track. It is a real pleasure to hang out with and sing with Miss Lawrence, you should check out her album over on bandcamp if you are at all curious about good music. Stay tuned for more updates and ventures. This year is about saying yes…..hell maybe I’ll join a steel drums covers band and get dreads……

Me, Ev and Mike at PAS

 

Well it has been a busy month for me, full of fine gigs an fine times. I just had a lovely night with the folks over at PRS who put on the Almost Famous night over at the 229 club. I received taste of high life and got to give an interview and get my picture snapped a few times in the baltic cold that has descended on London this past week. All the team at PRS are incredibly cool and it was a pleasure to open up the night for them. I was especially pleased to get my second AAA lanyard! It’s the little things in life.

Other highlights were the Club Fandango night hosted by Fierce Panda at the Bull and Gate up in Kensal Town which was one of my favourite sets in a while, which is not to say that my Portobello Acoustic Session set wasn’t also a pleasure. In between gigs I’ve been writing some new stuff (and watching the production blogs for The Hobbit!), the cold makes you stay inside which is always helpful for writing. When I get to grips with Logic Pro I’ll slap some demos up on here as a Christmas treat. Technology is hard yo! Luckily I have my drummer, the indomitable Mr M. Worthington to assist me in my home recording endeavours.

I have one gig in December over in Shoreditch at the Cornershop to spice up my month of Christmas shopping, birthdays, parties and work. Other than that I shall be journeying to Reading to hook up with the lovely Ian Barter to record some new songs. As long as his new born baby boy Joshua lets us. Until next time, enjoy this trailer. Looks like Tarantino has baked up a sweet pie this time.

For now though I am very excited to watch Ben Howard in Brixton on Friday!!