December 2008: Spotlight on… Campbell Todd

Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight #8
December 2008 – Campbell Todd

1. Ways To Pass The Time (from the CD Campbell Todd)
2. Playing The Field (from Stuart’s EP Playing The Field)
3. November Song (from Neil’s CD Fall)
4. A Question Of Time (from the CD Campbell Todd)

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Neil Campbell and Stuart Todd (Campbell Todd) have worked together as an acoustic duo contributing to the performance of each other’s songs for seven years. Neil and Stu came together as independent songwriters. What they brought to their collaboration was a very distinctive vocal harmony blend and an acoustic meets classical mesh of guitar work.

After together forming the band ‘Triad‘ with drummer Mark Brocklesby (the band which eventually became the basis for ‘The Neil Campbell Collective’) Stuart left ‘Triad’ to pursue solo projects and Neil developed his work with the band in a more instrumental direction.

Over the past four years Neil and Stu have made sporadic contributions to each other’s music with the odd live appearance here and there, with Neil guesting on Stu’s EP ‘Playing the Field’ (2004) and with Stu’s guest contributions to The Neil Campbell Collective’s debut album ‘3 O’Clock Sky’ (2005) and ‘Fall’ (2006).

Campbell Todd finally released their eponymously titled debut album at a packed out launch event in the View Two Gallery, Liverpool on Friday 19th October 2007. The album was engineered by their friend Andy Fernihough and featured drums by Mark Brocklesby on some of the tracks. The CD is available from Zavvi (formerly Virgin Megastore) on Clayton Square in Liverpool priced £7. You can also purchase the album from cdbaby.com and directly from their MySpace site
After playing their final gig at The Zanzibar Club in April this year; Campbell Todd are reuniting for a handful of gigs in December 2008 and into the New Year 2009. Thank you to Neil and Stuart for offering their music for the show.
You can find out all about them at their MySpace profile, where you can find details about how you can get hold of the CD, and where you can see him play live. There are also links to Stuart’s and Neil’s own MySpace profiles.
If you get the chance, please support your local artists by emailing them, joining their mailing lists, leaving them comments, going to their gigs, and buying their music direct from them where possible.
If you’d like to suggest a local acoustic musician to be featured on the show then email contact[at]liverpoolacoustic.co.uk or use the ‘contact us form on the website.
The Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight is produced and presented by Graham Holland on behalf of the Liverpool Acoustic website. While you’re there you can sign up to receive the News and Reviews blog posts by email. Just put your email address in the box on the frontpage – it’s as simple as that, and we promise we won’t spam you.
The theme music is King of the Faeries by Andrew Ellis from his CD Midnight On The Water.