Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight #20
Preview of Liverpool Acoustic Live 27/11/09
1. Stuart Todd – My Love Can’t Be Disguised
2. Matt Swift – Real
3. Kaya – High On Coffee
4. Paul McDowell – Sunshine Song
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The next Liverpool Acoustic Live gig is taking place on Friday 27th November 2009 at the View Two Gallery on Mathew Street. The doors open at 8.00pm and the music starts at 8.30pm.
Entrance is £4 on the door, or £3 in advance from contact[at]liverpoolacoustic.co.uk
Stuart Todd will be joined by his new band The Freebies and they’ll be performing songs from his album. Matt Swift is playing as part of his Comeback Tour of Liverpool (!), Nordic songstress and event host Kaya will be entertaining us with her own brand of music, as will local lad Paul McDowell.
Stuart Todd
myspace/stuarttodd
Stuart Todd released his debut EP Playing The Field in 2004. Since then he’s continued to make a name for himself as an accomplished singer-songwriter, an excellent musician, and an organiser and host of acoustic music events. In 2007 he released the brilliant self-titled CD Campbell Todd which was made with his long-time friend and musical collaborator Neil Campbell.
Stuart will be celebrating the release of his debut full-length album with a launch party at Studio 2 at Parr Street on Monday 23rd November. He’s joined on the night by The Freebies, who are producer and friend Andy Fernihough on bass, Jason Jones on electric guitar, and Mark Brocklesby on drums. There will also be a guest appearance from Neil Campbell. Support is provided by Alister Said’s TAP UK, and by Rae Clark. The gig starts at 7.00pm, and it’s £5 entry which includes a copy of the CD.
Matt Swift
myspace.com/mattswift
Matt Swift originates from the small mining town of Skelmersdale, where his formative years were spent listening to some of the greatest singer songwriters of their generation, including James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, David Bowie and Jeff Buckley to name a few. Matt recalls at the age of 15 recieving his first guitar, an old battered Fender Acoustic bought by his dad in the 70s. “He passed it down to me and taught me, and showed me a few chords. The rest, as they say, ‘is history.’
During his teens, Matt’s individual musical awareness began to develop, and he started listening to bands such as The Cure, The Smiths, Smashing Pumpkins, AFI, The Cult, and The Kinks and it was at this point that he formed the band ‘Carmen’ who as Matt will be the first to admit “weren’t much good!” From a very early age it was clear that Matt possessed a flair for song writing and in particular a strong focus on his own identity, morality and “place in the world,” which comes across strongly in his music. Matt’s lyrics are at times both introspective and retrospective with the self-deprocating “Man I Am Not” a particular crowd pleaser with catchy hooks and a haunting melody line that tears through even the hardest of hearts.
It is impossible to place Matt’s music into one particular genre other than Acoustic, but there are obvious infusions of classic folk traditions and modern indie rock. Matt often describes his songwriting as “a platform to express my thoughts, and feelings about love, loss, and the state of the world.” Most of the songs you will hear Matt play stem from a time in his life where he was very much searching for identity, and “a place to fit in.”
The track “Real” was written the day after Matt’s auntie died in tragic circumstances. The song will be available on Matt’s new EP “Rising Tides” which will be avaliable early next year.
Kaya Herstad is originally from the north of Norway, and has made Liverpool her home since 1999. Since then she has become a well-know name on the local scene and was chosen as BBC Liverpool ‘Artist of the Month’ for July 2008 and as ‘Spotlight Artist’ for Liverpool Acoustic in August 2008. You can listen to that spotlight show here.
As a member of the Sense of Sound choir Kaya has performed at the Royal Variety Show, with Ringo Starr at the Capital of Culture 2008 opening, and as a finalist in the BBC’s Last Choir Standing. Since the BBC show the choir has completed a UK tour with singer and judge Russell Watson.
With her own music, Kaya has played alongside Brett Anderson (Suede), Cherry Ghost, Noah and the Whale, The Wombats, Sandi Thom, Polly Mackey and pretty much the whole Liverpool scene. She has played gigs and festivals all over England, Scotland and Wales in addition to further ashore in France, Poland and even Bosnia; not to mention her native Norway where tracks from her debut album Balloon in a Cactus Field have had prime time plays on both radio and TV.
‘Balloon in a Cactus Field’ was released on Ultimate Fake Records on the 24th November 2008 and is Kaya’s debut album. It’s also available on iTunes and in Liverpool’s HMV store, and has been described as “a collection of beautifully crafted songs with a surprising bite”.
Kaya is a well known event host on the local acoustic music scene, and her innovative Under the Influence gigs have recently celebrated its first anniversary. Her newest venture is the Eclectic Collection, another event with a different format from the normal showcase or open mic nights found elsewhere.
In short, Kaya is a dynamic performer both with and without the band and a prolific songwriter with most of her second album already written.
Paul McDowell
myspace.com/paulmcdowellmusic
Paul McDowell was born in Liverpool and spent much of his childhood exploring the sandy shores of the North West and Wales. After a short stint in full-on big city office life, he ditched the suit and tie and hit the high road with his guitar, voice and imagination.
Five years later, he has gigged around the UK and Europe, played with countless artists, and he even organised a music festival in Liverpool a couple of years ago.
He is recorded his second EP with producer Gordon Raphael (the Strokes, Regina Spektor, Skin), a more stripped down affair than his first E.P. reflecting his true solo style. One guitar, one voice
The first E.P. ‘I am trying to be happy for you’ was released in 2007 by MI MA MO Records and was recorded and produced by Steve Powell (John Power, Arctic Monkeys [live], the Coral [live]). It was met with critical praise from the BBC, newspapers, national and international radio stations, and fanzines.
Currently recording his first full length solo album, he also plays in a side project called Ortolans.
Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight #20 – November 2009
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.
The Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight is produced and presented by Graham Holland on behalf of the Liverpool Acoustic website. It is also available on the Internet courtesy of Art In Liverpool FM (Defnet Media), and is a proud member of the Association of Music Podcasting – supported by Libsyn
The theme music is King of the Faeries by Andrew Ellis from his CD Midnight On The Water.