Albums On There Way: Jake Morley - Dave Hanson - Ziemba

Jake Morley - Watch Yourself.

Background promo - The London-born singer called Jake Morley, is no stranger to a spotlight of national & international tours, festival performances, glowing press reviews or being supported by the likes of BBC Radio 2 and 6Music. Things were once happening for him with the release of his debut album ‘Many Fish To Fry’. Many individuals were beginning to take notice, people were getting behind Jake, attended his shows, the word kept spreading and things were looking up.

That was until a severe mental obsession over the follow-up album swallowed Jake whole. Lost and feeling the absence of his father, Jake withdrew from his life by entering the fearful, doubtful and dangerous inner reality. In that dark frame of mind the voices in his head were all-consuming and no song of his was good enough…

Taken from the upcoming album The Manual, (3rd June on Sandwich Emporium Records) the new single 'Watch Yourself’ brings us openly straight into Jake’s anxious and frightened mind. He duets with a choir of his subconscious, berating himself for being “a beautiful shambles, barely holding it together” whilst his unconscious mind says otherwise.

Luckily Jake has held it together by exploring his emotions far beyond anywhere he’s been to before, and then being able to express them as frankly as the likes of Gotye, Peter Gabriel and Hozier. Across all the complex layers of Calum McColl’s production and Jake’s most touching vocal performance to date, 'Watch Yourself’ is an intimate yet relatable soundtrack of every broken human mind out there simply trying to piece it all back together.

I probably use the expression "just a taste of what's on the album" or words to that effect, way to often. With the fascinating featured track 'Watch Yourself' it's more of an understatement. The Manual is a superb album, with eleven differing songs put together with consistent quality and natural passion. I am in danger of boring you to death with superlatives, rather lets just say check out the album, it's something very special.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dave Hanson - Midday Sun.

Background promo - After touring with Mumford and Sons and Sheryl Crow as well as performing on The Tonight Show, Dave Hanson decided to leave his successful band The Dunwells to pursue his dream of making his own music. Whilst spending the last 5 years travelling across America, these moments provided Dave with inspiration to write and create his new album. He is certainly not a new artist, but this is a new direction in the music we may associate with his former band. The treble has been toned down on his guitar to leave a rather smooth sounding end product…

After being told he was “so laid back he was almost horizontal” this explains Dave’s cleverly titled debut album Almost Horizontal- which not only provides us with an insight onto his experiences, but demonstrations his abilities as a new re-invented singer-songwriter. His debut album is made up with eleven songs, in which he not only plays guitar, but also writes all the lyrics and takes up lead vocal duties himself. Notable tracks include 2015’s single Blind Faith, along with Midday Sun and Joanna, whilst Small Town Sinner and Make Hay offer a different twist from guitarist turned front man’s song writing skills.

Throughout Midday Sun there is a clear bluesy rhythm and vibe. It’s completely unique how Hanson fuses the genres of blues and reggae whilst leaving a modern edge. The lyrics provide us with an insight into his time in the States, the listener almost feels like can relate to moments along the long and windy roads of a career in music. His vocals have been likened to those of John Mayer, however, with a more British twist. The indie guitarist is still in there (somewhere), but each song shows a strong influence of the blues and it comes across clearly in the delivery.

Interestingly, Dave uses storytelling in his lyrics, for example throughout Por Favor Senor- where the listener is left to decide themselves whether it’s true. Moreover, in Small Town Sinner Hanson expresses his (bad) experiences of Internet dating through the lyrics. Joanna has simultaneously modern feel; sonic comparisons to The Black Keys can definitely be made. With relaxed and cool vocals in the verses joined with a catchy and groovy chorus-this track will have anyone tapping along feeling like they’re the mean streets of America. Every track on the album feels like a different part of his journey, whilst he showcases his musical spectre of sound throughout. Dave Hanson’s Almost Horizontal album will be available in all the usual places on the 3rd June 2016. 

If you happen to find yourself in Café Nero sometime in June, checkout the live dates below and you might get to see Dave playing the album live. 

Tour dates (CN – Café Nero):

26th May – Album Launch, The Bedford London
31st May - CN Heathrow terminal 2     
1st June - CN Heathrow terminal 2
2nd June - CN Heathrow terminal 2
3rd June Album Launch – Seven Arts, Chapel Allerton Leeds 
6th June - CN Edinburgh
7th June - CN Newcastle
8th June - CN Leeds
9th June - CN Manchester
10th June - CN Sheffield
11th June - CN Birmingham
13th June - CN Cardiff
14th June - CN Bristol
15th June – CN Brighton
16th June - CN London
19th June - Southampton Notes Café (JJ Nichols support)
21st June - Birmingham, The cellar (JJ Nichols support)
22 June - Grimsby Yardbirds club (JJ Nichols support)
23 June - Chester, Live Rooms (JJ Nichols support)
25 June - Milton Keynes, Craufurd Arms (JJ Nichols support)
25 June - CN Old Compton St - Gay Pride Festival
28 June - Piano Works, Farringdon - CN promoted show
10 July - Cornbury Festival - 11am on CN Stage

'Midday Sun' is the new single from former guitarist of The Dunwells, Dave Hanson. It's melodic and deep reggae vibes, provide an excellent backdrop for Dave's bluesy vocals. Musically the song builds in content, whilst the background harmonies are delightful. As a foretaste of the new album, this has grabbed my attention.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ziemba - With The Fire.

Background promo - Ziemba is the performance moniker of René Kladzyk, a NYC-based artist and musician. Yesterday she shared "With The Fire," the 2nd single from her forthcoming debut LP.

"With the Fire" features a forthcoming music video that was shot in the ruins of Kladzyk's childhood home in Forestville, Michigan. This house has sat abandoned for 20 years, but is still filled with all the things that were there when Kladzyk was a small child, now in an extreme state of dilapidation. Its become a sort of nostalgia museum, inhabited by small animals, bees, and mold that have slowly transformed the furniture, toys, and artifacts of Kladzyk's youth. There's a magic in seeing the passage of time so viscerally; Kladzyk's sandbox now has a 30 foot tree growing out of it, the flaking paint hangs from doorways in lace-like chandeliers, the barn has been completely swallowed by ivy.  The house reveals the death of Kladzyk's childhood through these explosions of life and growth. Kladzyk's house provides a bittersweet encapsulation of the song and the album themes, demonstrating the passage of time through objects and traces.  In this vein, her debut album will be accompanied by the release of a limited batch incense, created with cedar, lilacs, and other plants harvested from the verdant yard of Kladzyk's childhood home.  Created in partnership with bio dynamic herbalist & perfumier Pretty Hole Collective, this incense will be something to burn while listening, a material reminder of the creative capacity of destruction.

Tour Dates 
05/29 - Brooklyn, NY - Trans Pecos 
05/31 - Detroit, MI - Lo & Behold release party 
06/01 - Detroit, MI - El Club 
06/02 - Ann Arbor, MI - Arbor Vitae 
06/03 - Chicago, IL - Cafe Mustache 
06/04 - Madison, WI - Arts & Literature Lab 
06/05 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry 
06/09 - Seattle, WA - Barboza* 
06/10 - Portland, OR- Lacuna* 
06/11 - Portland, OR - Valentines* 
06/12 - Sacramento, CA- Red Museum* 
06/13 - Reno, NV- Holland Project* 
06/14 - Oakland, CA - The Night Light*
06/15 - San Francisco, CA - Vacation* 
06/17 - Los Angeles, CA - Basic Flowers*
06/18 - Flagstaff, AZ - Firecreek
06/21 - Tucson, AZ - Hotel Congress
06/24 - El Paso, TX - Warszawa
06/26 - Austin, TX - Hotel Vegas
06/28 - Nashville, TN - Fond Object
06/30 - Atlanta, GA - Mammal Gallery
07/02 - Richmond, VA - The Sour Haus
07/03 - Baltimore, MD - The Crown
* = w/ Sam Mickens 

Last month we featured Ziemba with 'It Curls Itself' and described the song as "a vocal piece of beauty and originality". 'With The Fire' is another song from the forthcoming ten track album. By comparison this song showcases Ziemba against a more comprehensive musical background and continues to impress. It takes me from interested to must hear, wonderful!