new release – Darren Johnson Music PR

‘Avenue of Luck’ the new single from folk/Americana duo Duffy & Bird

Single release date: 21st June 2019

A stunning slice of folk/Americana ‘Avenue of Luck’ is the brand new single from Duffy & Bird. It follows the duo’s well-received debut album ‘5 Lines’ released in 2017 and is a first taste of new material ahead of a new five-track EP that will be released this Autumn.

Duffy & Bird are Tricia Duffy on lead vocals and Al Bird on vocals and guitar. The duo’s blend of vocals with Duffy’s warmth and clarity creates a beautiful and emotive harmonic effect that is coupled with Al’s sensitive acoustic guitar. Betraying Al’s roots in rock, their songs combine fluid vocals with cleverly precise guitar arrangements.

Reflecting on the inspiration behind ‘Avenue of Luck’ Tricia Duffy comments:

“Al and I had been chatting about the number of listeners we had on Spotify and he used the phrase Avenue of Luck – how do we get on to the Avenue of Luck? That sounds like a song, I said to him! I think we both have a shared set of values when it comes to that whole notion of luck. We consider ourselves lucky but we also both strongly believe that there isn’t really any such thing as luck – as the song says only opportunity and [hard] work. That started the theme for the song. We’ve found that Avenue of Luck is a fantastic live song for us and even though it’s still new, it’s been incredibly popular when we’ve taken it out.”

Now based in Chiswick, west London (Tricia) and Farnham, Surrey (Al) the pair hail from Portsmouth and Cardiff respectively, their paths first crossing in 2015. Originally starting out as two-fifths of a rock covers band they morphed into an acoustic duo performing covers of classic songs. However, putting a set-list together one day two years ago, Tricia confided to Al that she was getting a little tired of doing covers and wanted them to start writing their own songs. With Tricia’s natural gift for storytelling and Al’s intuitive feel for a strong melody the pair soon evolved into accomplished singer-songwriters. Tricia’s trip to Nashville for a writing workshop in 2017 with songwriter, Verlon Thompson, and others meant she came back with new inspiration and a clutch of brand new songs. Their material began earning them a reputation on the live circuit, with some of their memorable appearances including 2018’s Weyfest and the Tamesis Dock floating barge venue in London.

“It’s all about stories with Tricia,” says Al. “She’ll get an idea from something someone has said, or she’s seen on TV, and that will percolate in her head until she can write 4-5 lines of a poem. That’s how most of our songs start.”

“Al is highly logical,” adds Tricia. “His musicianship is incredible but his inspiring skill is the way he listens. He hears how things are developing before we’ve even finished writing them and adds magic touches where you least expect them.”

Duffy & Bird’s debut album ‘5 Lines’ was released in November 2017. A five-track EP is scheduled for release in Autumn 2019.

“When I listened for the first time, my very first thought was I haven’t heard anything like this, since Simon & Garfunkel. An incredible duo.” Al Yardy – KB Radio on Duffy & Bird’s debut album ‘5 Lines’

Website: https://duffyandbird.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/duffyandbird

Twitter: https://twitter.com/duffyandbird

Media enquiries to: Darren Johnson 07799 731 682 darrenjohnson@crowfliescommunications.com

News: ‘Overrun’ – virtuoso rock guitarist Cris Martin to release new single and video

Single/video release date: December 15th 2017

‘Overrun’ is the new single from Cris Martin – a stunning slice of instrumental classic guitar rock from the virtuoso musician.

Cris Martin received critical acclaim for his 2016 solo album ‘Rock Dawn’, which featured former Iron Maiden front-man Blaze Bayley and former Samson drummer Barry Graham Purkis (Thunderstick). The single ‘Overrun’ is drawn from the album and a brand new accompanying video is also being launched on December 15th to coincide with the release.

“What Cris Martin does comes straight from the heart and soul, with the emotion flowing through the fingers. He has the ability to compete with any of the flash, hard riding guitar heroes who litter the world.” – Malcolm Dome

Talking about the new single, Cris Martin comments: “Overrun originated back in 2013 when I was thinking about recording again after many years out of a recording studio. I was using a small studio in Streatham and as the studio sessions progressed the track seemed to take on its own character. I wanted the music to evolve rather than conform to fashion or any particular style or genre. This is one benefit of making independent music, one can express oneself freely. I wanted a bluesy, rock feel coupled with a smattering of virtuosity which I think we achieved. Being an instrumental track, the lead guitar line has to be as strong as a lead vocal line. The title came from an incident at the studio where myself and the engineer had popped out to go to the shops. As we were crossing the busy main road, a fast Mercedes sped past almost hitting us and it was the result of almost being run over which gave me the idea of swapping round the words around to Overrun!

“This track also has a more poignant story behind it as I was helping to care for my elderly mother whose health was failing and the recording sessions helped with the stresses and strains of being a carer. Unfortunately she passed away and I was unable to continue with the sessions for a while in order to deal with my bereavement. However, after several months, I felt able to finish off the album. I am a great believer that creating music can be a great healer. This track, especially, definitely helped with my recovery.”

The video was filmed at Black Cat studios in Leicestershire owned by James Scott who also mixed the Rock Dawn album.

Talking about the making of the video, Cris adds: “I roped in some colleagues to appear as the ‘backing band’. I wanted the video to have a humorous element so we came up with the story-line of a hipster engineer and his self-obsessed millennial vocalist recording in a studio, and their comical conversion to metal-heads.”

About Cris Martin

Cris Martin started playing the guitar aged 16 and found that he had a talent for playing fast in a similar style to his guitar hero, Gary Moore. After several years playing cheap, hard-to-play guitars, Cris fortuitously won a sum of money and purchased his first Gibson Les Paul guitar and a classic Marshall amp. Aged 21, Cris joined his first pro band Thunderstick and recorded two well-received albums and an EP. After Thunderstick, Cris did session work and then spent several years in various bands recording, writing and gigging. In 1997, disillusioned with the music business, Cris stopped playing and sold all his guitars intending never to play again.

In 2008 after many years of friends telling him he shouldn’t have put aside his guitar talent, Cris purchased a guitar curious to see if he could still “shred”. However, he was in for a nasty surprise as he realised he would have to learn to play all over again in order to regain his once formidable technical mastery. He briefly joined a rock covers band but needed to be able to compose his own material and began working on a solo album. ‘Rock Dawn’ was released in 2016 and featured former Iron Maiden member Blaze Bayley who contributed vocals to three of the tracks.

The single and album are available via the website at http://www.rockdawn.co.uk/

‘Riding The Flood’ – south coast duo Dandelion Charm release exquisite EP of prog-folk-rock

Cat no: SZ002 Release Date: 11 February 2018

Riding The Flood is a new five-track EP from Newhaven-based duo Dandelion Charm. John and Clare Fowler combine prog, folk and rock influences into a luxurious blend of intricate harmonies, soaring melodies, superb musicianship and heartfelt lyrics. Imagine Fleetwood Mac meets Opeth and CSN meets Yes.

Very much a personal as well as a creative partnership, Dandelion Charm have been memorably described as ‘like Fleetwood Mac without the drama’. As one reviewer has noted, however, all the drama is to be found in the songs themselves.

Clare Fowler: “The themes we deal with in our songs are not frivolous ones. They are all about aspects of real life, things that we’ve seen or been part of. Fear and self-doubt, optimism and determination, family, relationships and addiction are some of the emotions and situations we explore on Riding The Flood.”

The EP is released on 11th February 2018 and will be formally launched with a special gig on that day. Dandelion Charm will be performing songs from the EP with a full band at the Brunswick, Hove’s premier music and arts venue.

With a background working in a commercial studio, John brings over twenty years of song-writing and production experience to Dandelion Charm. Clare, meanwhile, is a long-time visual artist and performer and her love of storytelling manifests itself in her heartfelt lyrics and emotive delivery. There are three key elements to Dandelion Charm, however: John, Clare and ‘Olah’. The latter being John’s custom-built jumbo twelve-string guitar which is central to both the songwriting process and the duo’s live performances.

John Fowler: “We crowd-funded for Olah and I ended up with this amazing beautiful-looking instrument. With Dandelion Charm it’s the first time I’ve made music where I’m not trying to please anyone but it’s hugely rewarding seeing others who love what we’re about.”

What people are saying about Dandelion Charm:

“Dandelion Charm have the songs and talent to appeal to not only prog and folk fans, but anyone who enjoys strong songwriting with blissful vocals and melodies.”
– Jason Ritchie (Get Ready To Rock)

“the fullness of the music, the beautiful harmonies, the sheer musicianship that one moment floats out of the car hi-fi then suddenly becomes a blast of power”
– FATEA

“Packed with beautiful harmonies and emotional, heartfelt lyrics. Like Fleetwod Mac, they play, sing and write music with classic, soaring pop melodies that will also appeal to the serious muso.”
– ROSS SIMPSON (Director – First Act Workshops)

“Bloody brilliant night at The Old Oak…Dandelion Charm – just, WOW!”
– Jimbo Tipler (Folk at The Old Oak)

“Dandelion Charm…clearly destined for greatness”
– Chris Giles (Folk Is Not A Rude Word)

Track By Track: Here, Dandelion Charm guide us through each of the five tracks on Riding The Flood:

September: September is a double edged sword, the gateway to Autumn signalling the end of the Summer but also a time of new starts and resolutions after the hedonism of holiday. It encompasses feelings of fear and dread at the prospect of a return to work, school, reality but also optimism and renewed vitality for the future. The song September has opposing connotations for John and Clare and they really like this, they love the way that songs they have written are interpreted and owned by the listener in relation to their individual experience.

Riding the Flood: This was written in response to a poem that their daughter wrote at age 16. She was travelling alone to London on a train for a week, and wrote her observations down about her experience and fellow travellers. There are threads of fear and self doubt interlaced with an overriding courage and determination. An internal dialogue runs alongside parental advice and a longing for the comfort of childhood innocence. Percussion creates atmosphere by hinting at the sound of a train passing over tracks.

The Spark: This is a song that deals with the struggle out of addiction, themes of self delusion and loathing juxtaposed with themes of hope and release. The mournful vocals building into a passionate outro that mimics the jumble of contrasting emotions associated with recovery.

The Great Believer: This song tells a story about coming to terms with disappointment. It looks back on the cultish abuse of youthful and unquestioning passion. It is set in a bleak landscape which is a metaphor for the feeling of detachment to reality that comes with the realisation that you have been used. It is crushingly lonely and yet there is release, and hope in time.

Wraith: Is an epic journey. It was written about an incident with a patient that John cared for when he worked in a medium secure Psychiatric Forensic Unit. The song is written from the perspective of the carer who is a witness to the intense and relentless fall out of child abuse. Mental anguish, depression and self-harm ravage the protagonist while the only easement is the repeated promise of safety through incarceration and medication.

Website: https://www.dandelioncharm.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dandelioncharmmusic

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dandelion_Charm

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