News: 12th May 2012

The last few months...

I recently signed an agreement with a company in the U.S. to provide instrumental versions of my songs from Hello Me To You for potential placement in TV shows. I am now about three quarters of the way through the mixes. There are around six versions of ten tracks which comes to about sixty tracks. It's an interesting exercise. Once I put that to bed I am happy to say that, God willing, I will continue recording the next album. I have written quite a few songs and have started recording them, though it's taken some time as life is just...well...it's busy.

The new album...

It really feels like we are in a new era where the old is fading fast. I look at the demise of the music industry, the impending collapse of the world monetary system, the bank bailouts, the death of manufacturing and retail in Western economies and the idea of liberty which has reignited in the hearts of many people. I see mainstream media becoming less relevant and less informative. At the same time I also see it becoming more advertorial based and basically boring (to me). But I see the internet as the great equaliser, where critical thought can be found in the blogosphere, where ideas are passionately exchanged and debated.

This has been an inspiration for the new album I am working on. It's not meant to be political. I don't want to convince anyone of anything. It is a reflection, though, of where I'm at in my own head. At the heart of the album lies the idea that there is a global insurrection against the banking occupation occuring. But as I continue to write the record, I look around and it seems the insurrection is a pattern happening in other areas including against the mainstream media, against the status quo in the political sphere and against corporations that use their power to creatively avoid prosecution for financial fraud and advance their own special interests (thank you Max Keiser).

Amazingly, this is all meticulously documented on the internet as I witness countless writers and everyday people coming to a similar realisation at a moment in time when we still have this unregulated freedom on the internet for self expression. I believe as seekers of truth, we go from glory to glory and this is just part of the journey for me. Sounds a bit full on? Well, there is a lot of angst in the record but there is also release and hope. I will say that it's going to be a rock 'n' roll album after all. And isn't rock 'n' roll about sticking it to the man? Stay tuned.

Other news

My good friend and musical compatriot, DC Cardwell won the Catapult Song Contest for 2011. His brilliant song, I Am Still The Same, was the overall winner as well as the judges' favourite. What's more, he has an amazing video for the song. Click here to watch it. He is currently working on Marjorie Cardwell's album (his other half who is a terrific songwriter). I encourage you to check out DC's work and visit his website: www.dccardwell.com.