Curiously enough, the biggest news for me on Ben Marwood Day (way back on the 13th May, when the album was released) was not the revelation that I had somehow squeezed out a second album from my brain a mere (ahem) nearly two and a half years after the first, but that I am about to do something I have said for a while I just would never do on the grounds I couldn't afford to.
And now I'm making a liar of myself.
This late July and early August, you can find me Stateside not as a freeloader (sadly), but as a musician, puzzlingly-expensive visa permitting. And massively-expensive flights. Seriously America, why do you make it so hard for people to bring angsty folk joy to your country?
I'll be out on the road to form the most unruly and unpredictable line-up since my collaboration with Shaggy - incidentally, I'm still waiting for that call - as I hit the road as an opener for the mighty Frank Turner and his sleepy souls, and also Off With Their Heads, who I hadn't heard when I agreed to the shows and now I have I can only say "I have to compete with whaaaaaat?".
Friends of the USA! Welcome me with open arms, direct me to your Publix stores where you have them and prepare to make lots of jokes about the Queen as I invade the following places in a few weeks.
JULY
26 POUGHKEEPSIE, NY The Chance
28 PORTLAND, ME Port City Music Hall
30 BROOKLYN, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg
31 BROOKLYN, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg
AUGUST
01 SILVER SPRING, MD The Fillmore
02 SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT Higher Ground
05 ANN ARBOR, MI The Blind Pig
06 MADISON, WI Majestic Theatre
(Thank you, Xtra Mile, for all of this)
Sunday, 16 June 2013
Saturday, 15 June 2013
Review: Back Down in Rock Sound
Thanks to Oxygen Thief for pointing this at me - nice review of the new album in Rock Sound.
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
Saturday, We Ride (or, Tina Fey is allergic to dogs)
Blogs blogs blogs blogs
Bloggers bloggers bloggers
Friends, Romans, Countrymen
Send help. I am going crazy. In a few days I hit the road with one bag, one suitcase and one guitar to visit eight of my most favourite places in the United Kingdom and whilst I can't wait, I'm also praying for much better weather than the water of depression that has fallen from the sky in the past 48 hours. It's Wednesday evening. Precisely 52 hours ago I was in the sunshine feeding the ducks. The ducks.
Still, whilst the potential of being soaked through on a regular basis, that I'm relying mostly on public transport for getting from A to B to C to D and that I don't have a consistent touring partner on this tour accompanying me everywhere and generally helping me keep a grip on sanity, if the next eight dates are anything like the opening weekend in London and Reading I will be very happy indeed. Those two got their own weekend because I suspected they would be (and they were) complete carnage, so thanks to those of you who came, who sung, who shouted and who stayed on at the after parties (London: hip hop night, Reading: 80s night). Thanks especially to Jay and Scott from Quiet Quiet Band who formed my unconventional but highly impressive band for the one-off special album launch show.
On the topic of the album, I'm not sure how well it did, I don't think it charted anywhere (because I mostly directly you away from chart-legible sources, didn't I?) and I'm not aware of it winning all the music prizes yet, but I'm still proud of it and I'm glad people like it. The good folk of Adverse Camber had some questions for me regarding the making of the album and I was happy to answer and swear a bit whilst doing it. Join us as we discuss what would happen if I ever met Tina Fey, why I never have to do the garden ever again ever (ever) and also what it's like to be definitely not a murderer.
Read the interview here!
Right, now off with you. Pass my umbrella on your way out.
ps. York show is sold out! Well done York.
----
1st June - Leicester, Cookie Jar
2nd June - Birmingham, The Railway (also known as The Brighthouse)
3rd June - York, Black Swan
4th June - Dundee, Cerberus Bar
5th June - Edinburgh, Pivo
6th June - Manchester, Bay Horse
7th June - Cheltenham, Frog and Fiddle
8th June - Bristol, Louisiana
Bloggers bloggers bloggers
Friends, Romans, Countrymen
Send help. I am going crazy. In a few days I hit the road with one bag, one suitcase and one guitar to visit eight of my most favourite places in the United Kingdom and whilst I can't wait, I'm also praying for much better weather than the water of depression that has fallen from the sky in the past 48 hours. It's Wednesday evening. Precisely 52 hours ago I was in the sunshine feeding the ducks. The ducks.
Still, whilst the potential of being soaked through on a regular basis, that I'm relying mostly on public transport for getting from A to B to C to D and that I don't have a consistent touring partner on this tour accompanying me everywhere and generally helping me keep a grip on sanity, if the next eight dates are anything like the opening weekend in London and Reading I will be very happy indeed. Those two got their own weekend because I suspected they would be (and they were) complete carnage, so thanks to those of you who came, who sung, who shouted and who stayed on at the after parties (London: hip hop night, Reading: 80s night). Thanks especially to Jay and Scott from Quiet Quiet Band who formed my unconventional but highly impressive band for the one-off special album launch show.
On the topic of the album, I'm not sure how well it did, I don't think it charted anywhere (because I mostly directly you away from chart-legible sources, didn't I?) and I'm not aware of it winning all the music prizes yet, but I'm still proud of it and I'm glad people like it. The good folk of Adverse Camber had some questions for me regarding the making of the album and I was happy to answer and swear a bit whilst doing it. Join us as we discuss what would happen if I ever met Tina Fey, why I never have to do the garden ever again ever (ever) and also what it's like to be definitely not a murderer.
Read the interview here!
Right, now off with you. Pass my umbrella on your way out.
ps. York show is sold out! Well done York.
----
1st June - Leicester, Cookie Jar
2nd June - Birmingham, The Railway (also known as The Brighthouse)
3rd June - York, Black Swan
4th June - Dundee, Cerberus Bar
5th June - Edinburgh, Pivo
6th June - Manchester, Bay Horse
7th June - Cheltenham, Frog and Fiddle
8th June - Bristol, Louisiana
Friday, 10 May 2013
News from the mailing list: Ben Marwood Day, 2000Trees and more.
The following is taken from the recent Ben Marwood mailing list mailshot. To get on the list, the box is at the bottom of this webpage.
----
Hey mailshotters!
I am on the train from London to Oxford.
It stops at places that aren't even places.
What better time to update you all on the latest news? Well, it is going to keep me awake, and I'm thankful that I caught the train this time around - three weeks ago today I missed them all and spent the night in Paddington. You'd think I'd have learned by now, but I've only been making the trip on and off for a decade.
So, today is going well. Next week, though, will be even better:
>>Album out this Monday
Yes. I am excited, nervous, proud and terrified in equal measure, for my new album Back Down is out on Monday. I'm not sure that I can accurately portray how this makes me feel without the medium of dance, but it will all be good come Monday. Here's a short breakdown of things you might want to know, followed by some long-winded sentences about stuff you probably don't.
>>Ben, where can I get it?
Why, I'm glad you asked. Back Down is available from all fine establishments and probably the crap ones too. Popular links are Banquet, Amazon, iTunes or how about Xtra Mile themselves?
>>Is there anything else important happening on Monday like, say, your brother Tom's 28th birthday?YES. But also Monday has been declared #BenMarwoodDay on Twitter (not by me), and I'll be part of a Twitter Q&A between the hour of 6 -7pm UK time. There's also going to be lots of other stuff happening throughout the day when no-one at work is looking (only kidding, people from work, I work dead hard). For more information on Ben Marwood Day you can read all about it on the Xtra Mile site. I'm pretty excited by all the attention, so I shall be doing my royal wave all day.
>>Recorded music is so April, what are your UK tour dates again? You know, the ones that start this Friday.
May 17 LONDON Camden Monarch (18+)
May 18 READING Rising Sun Arts Centre (18+)
Jun 01 LEICESTER Cookie Jar/Crumblin' Cookie (14+)
Jun 02 BIRMINGHAM The Railway (18+)
Jun 03 YORK Black Swan (18+)
Jun 04 DUNDEE Cerberus Bar (18+)
Jun 05 EDINBURGH Pivo (18+)
Jun 06 MANCHESTER Bay Horse (18+)
Jun 07 CHELTENHAM Frog and Fiddle (18+)
Jun 08 BRISTOL The Louisiana (16+)
Now I need to go home and edit this draft so it looks slightly more colourful. Right now it's looking like a thesis or a classic Penguin book, and we all know that's not what you signed up for.
Hello from platform 13,
----
Hey mailshotters!
I am on the train from London to Oxford.
It stops at places that aren't even places.
What better time to update you all on the latest news? Well, it is going to keep me awake, and I'm thankful that I caught the train this time around - three weeks ago today I missed them all and spent the night in Paddington. You'd think I'd have learned by now, but I've only been making the trip on and off for a decade.
So, today is going well. Next week, though, will be even better:
>>Album out this Monday
Yes. I am excited, nervous, proud and terrified in equal measure, for my new album Back Down is out on Monday. I'm not sure that I can accurately portray how this makes me feel without the medium of dance, but it will all be good come Monday. Here's a short breakdown of things you might want to know, followed by some long-winded sentences about stuff you probably don't.
>>Ben, where can I get it?
Why, I'm glad you asked. Back Down is available from all fine establishments and probably the crap ones too. Popular links are Banquet, Amazon, iTunes or how about Xtra Mile themselves?
>>Is there anything else important happening on Monday like, say, your brother Tom's 28th birthday?YES. But also Monday has been declared #BenMarwoodDay on Twitter (not by me), and I'll be part of a Twitter Q&A between the hour of 6 -7pm UK time. There's also going to be lots of other stuff happening throughout the day when no-one at work is looking (only kidding, people from work, I work dead hard). For more information on Ben Marwood Day you can read all about it on the Xtra Mile site. I'm pretty excited by all the attention, so I shall be doing my royal wave all day.
>>Recorded music is so April, what are your UK tour dates again? You know, the ones that start this Friday.
May 17 LONDON Camden Monarch (18+)
May 18 READING Rising Sun Arts Centre (18+)
Jun 01 LEICESTER Cookie Jar/Crumblin' Cookie (14+)
Jun 02 BIRMINGHAM The Railway (18+)
Jun 03 YORK Black Swan (18+)
Jun 04 DUNDEE Cerberus Bar (18+)
Jun 05 EDINBURGH Pivo (18+)
Jun 06 MANCHESTER Bay Horse (18+)
Jun 07 CHELTENHAM Frog and Fiddle (18+)
Jun 08 BRISTOL The Louisiana (16+)
For more details head to the gigs page here.
People, I can't wait. I'll be joined at various points on the tour by so many incredible acts it is making my head hurt. No two bills are the same, and do yourself a favour and look some of these up: Retrospective Soundtrack Players, Jay Newton, Oxygen Thief, My Name Is Ian, Helen Chambers, Dave Hughes, Mark McCabe and Jim Lockey just for starters.
**JUST ANNOUNCED**
On July 12th/13th I'll be making my seemingly annual outing to the only festival worth your time and money, 2000Trees in Cheltenham. Come and help me go crazy with the excitement. I promise this year I'll bring sensible footwear..
>>The end
People, I can't wait. I'll be joined at various points on the tour by so many incredible acts it is making my head hurt. No two bills are the same, and do yourself a favour and look some of these up: Retrospective Soundtrack Players, Jay Newton, Oxygen Thief, My Name Is Ian, Helen Chambers, Dave Hughes, Mark McCabe and Jim Lockey just for starters.
**JUST ANNOUNCED**
On July 12th/13th I'll be making my seemingly annual outing to the only festival worth your time and money, 2000Trees in Cheltenham. Come and help me go crazy with the excitement. I promise this year I'll bring sensible footwear..
>>The end
For some reason that I'm definitely not complaining about, I am Band of the Week on fairsharemusic. I'm really not sure how these things happen, but i'm very happy with it. Check them out - they give half of their profits to charity. Whilst we're on the topic of unexpected happenings, and in conclusion, I am humbled by the number of people who have emailed, tweeted, facebooked and rugby-tackled me to the ground to express their support for the new album, from the people who gave up their time to play on it, to the people who are just going to sit and listen. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Now I need to go home and edit this draft so it looks slightly more colourful. Right now it's looking like a thesis or a classic Penguin book, and we all know that's not what you signed up for.
Hello from platform 13,
Ben.
xx
ps. I know you probably have already, but please do check out Frank Turner's new album Tape Deck Heart, out on Xtra Mile. If his new video compared to mine is anything to go by, all Xtra Mile bands will be digging holes in their videos in 2013.
pps. Still no approach received from Everton.
Thursday, 18 April 2013
gigs and tickets and sugar and spice and all things whatever
Hello bloggers!
It is with great pleasure that I can give an update on the Back Down tour supports, tickets, door charges and such. In the run-up to the dates, I'll be keeping the gigs page on the website updated as much as possible, so head over to there for regular updates.
Below is the list: four ticketed shows, two pay-on-the-door and four free shows. I think it's a nice mix, and I'm intensely proud of the supports who have been willing to give up their time to join me. As well as below there'll be other supports tbc. I really can't wait to get out and play some new songs, catch up with people and issue some high-fives.
See you there!
MAY
17 London Camden Monarch // [[facebook]]
JUNE
1 Leicester Cookie Jar // [[facebook]] // [[tickets]]
----14+, w/My Name Is Ian
2 Birmingham Bright House **EARLY onstage 8pm** // [[facebook]]
----18+, free show, w/My Name Is Ian
3 York Black Swan // [[facebook]] // [[tickets]]
----18+, w/Helen Chambers
4 Dundee Cerberus Bar // [[facebook]]
----18+, free show, w/Dave Hughes
5 Edinburgh Pivos // [[facebook]]
----18+, free show, w/Dave Hughes and Mark McCabe
6 Manchester Bay Horse // [[facebook]]
----18+, £5 on the door, w/Helen Chambers and Mark McCabe
7 Cheltenham Frog and Fiddle // [[facebook]]
----18+, £4 on the door (£3 NUS), w/Jim Lockey and Oxygen Thief
8 Bristol The Louisiana // [[facebook]] // [[tickets]]
----16+, w/Oxygen Thief
It is with great pleasure that I can give an update on the Back Down tour supports, tickets, door charges and such. In the run-up to the dates, I'll be keeping the gigs page on the website updated as much as possible, so head over to there for regular updates.
Below is the list: four ticketed shows, two pay-on-the-door and four free shows. I think it's a nice mix, and I'm intensely proud of the supports who have been willing to give up their time to join me. As well as below there'll be other supports tbc. I really can't wait to get out and play some new songs, catch up with people and issue some high-fives.
See you there!
MAY
17 London Camden Monarch // [[facebook]]
----18+, free show, w/Kyle Evans of Retrospective Soundtrack Players
18 Reading Rising Sun Arts Centre // [[facebook]] // [[tickets]]
----18+, w/Oxygen Thief and Jay Newton
JUNE
1 Leicester Cookie Jar // [[facebook]] // [[tickets]]
----14+, w/My Name Is Ian
2 Birmingham Bright House **EARLY onstage 8pm** // [[facebook]]
----18+, free show, w/My Name Is Ian
3 York Black Swan // [[facebook]] // [[tickets]]
----18+, w/Helen Chambers
4 Dundee Cerberus Bar // [[facebook]]
----18+, free show, w/Dave Hughes
5 Edinburgh Pivos // [[facebook]]
----18+, free show, w/Dave Hughes and Mark McCabe
6 Manchester Bay Horse // [[facebook]]
----18+, £5 on the door, w/Helen Chambers and Mark McCabe
7 Cheltenham Frog and Fiddle // [[facebook]]
----18+, £4 on the door (£3 NUS), w/Jim Lockey and Oxygen Thief
8 Bristol The Louisiana // [[facebook]] // [[tickets]]
----16+, w/Oxygen Thief
Sunday, 14 April 2013
pre-order in the court
Yes, it's true, it wasn't all a big dream, Back Down is still coming out on the 13th May on digital download and CD.
With Xtra Mile being professionals and all, I'm sure there'll be no shortage (especially with downloads being, y'know, infinite) but just in case you absolutely 100% cannot sleep without being safe in the knowledge that there's a copy out there reserved especially for you, here are the ways that you - yes, you - can pre-order it to your heart's content.
I would definitely recommend it.
Why not pick up three?
Please?
Xtra Mile shop
Banquet Records
iTunes
Amazon
With Xtra Mile being professionals and all, I'm sure there'll be no shortage (especially with downloads being, y'know, infinite) but just in case you absolutely 100% cannot sleep without being safe in the knowledge that there's a copy out there reserved especially for you, here are the ways that you - yes, you - can pre-order it to your heart's content.
I would definitely recommend it.
Why not pick up three?
Please?
Xtra Mile shop
Banquet Records
iTunes
Amazon
Wednesday, 3 April 2013
Under Lock and Key, and more for free
I know, I know, I only posted recently. Two posts close together? I need (another) hobby.
Some great news though: for the month of April the wonderful Xtra Mile Recordings are Amazon's free label spotlight. That's great news for Xtra Mile because it will presumably mean that they get tax breaks (arf, a big corporate joke), and it's good news for you because it means you can pick up a sampler called Good Hangs as a download for absolutely free. Or, as it's known around here, a free download.
My new single 'Under Lock and Key' is included in the package, but the full list is right here for your perusal:
1. Frank Turner - Tattoos [demo]
2. Jim Lockey & the Solemn Sun - England's Dead
3. Dave Hause - Melanin
4. Future of the Left - Real Meaning of Christmas
5. Mongol Horde - Casual Threats From Weekend Hardmen
6. Fighting With Wire - Didn't Wanna Come Back Home
7. Glossary - Keep It Coming
8. Straight Lines - Ring The Bell
9. Sonic Boom Six - Virus (single mix)
10. Ben Marwood - Under Lock and Key
11. Fighting Fiction - The Long and Short of It
12. Franz Nicolay - Hearts of Boston
13. Vinnie Caruana - To Be Dead and In Love
14. Tim Barry - 40 Miler
15. Beans On Toast - Angry Birds
Enjoy!
Some great news though: for the month of April the wonderful Xtra Mile Recordings are Amazon's free label spotlight. That's great news for Xtra Mile because it will presumably mean that they get tax breaks (arf, a big corporate joke), and it's good news for you because it means you can pick up a sampler called Good Hangs as a download for absolutely free. Or, as it's known around here, a free download.
My new single 'Under Lock and Key' is included in the package, but the full list is right here for your perusal:
1. Frank Turner - Tattoos [demo]
2. Jim Lockey & the Solemn Sun - England's Dead
3. Dave Hause - Melanin
4. Future of the Left - Real Meaning of Christmas
5. Mongol Horde - Casual Threats From Weekend Hardmen
6. Fighting With Wire - Didn't Wanna Come Back Home
7. Glossary - Keep It Coming
8. Straight Lines - Ring The Bell
9. Sonic Boom Six - Virus (single mix)
10. Ben Marwood - Under Lock and Key
11. Fighting Fiction - The Long and Short of It
12. Franz Nicolay - Hearts of Boston
13. Vinnie Caruana - To Be Dead and In Love
14. Tim Barry - 40 Miler
15. Beans On Toast - Angry Birds
Enjoy!
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