2011/01/29

Andy Lewis new Mini LP (Interview soon By Mike and Yann)



Paul Weller’s bass player Andy Lewis and Acid Jazz records are proud to present “41”, a mini album of seven songs that Andy wrote and recorded during the last fortnight of 2010. “In the space between getting home from my touring duties with Paul Weller in mid-December and the end of 2010, I found myself gifted with a particularly hyperactive musical imagination. New musical ideas and lyrics were coming to me on an almost daily basis. I set myself a bit of a challenge to see how many of them I could turn into complete songs before the year was out. I expected to finish about one or two, and put the others on the back burner, maybe forever. I ended up finishing seven.”Having completed a total of seven songs, Andy played them to some of his close family, friends and musical collaborators and was pleasantly surprised by the reactions

“My usual method is to write and record a song and do a guide vocal, then pass the track on to a singer who then interprets the guide part in their own way. However with these new songs, I’d obviously found my own voice because nobody was seriously suggesting I should get other vocalists in. I think it was because I was really enjoying the experience of writing these tunes, I felt good about singing. And I think that being in Paul’s band has given me more confidence. Doing the high harmonies in “Start!” in front of thousands of people every night for six weeks will do that to you!”

But what was to be done with a set of seven songs? Andy already had a virtually complete album ready to go, and these songs wouldn’t easily fit into the concept. So, realizing that he hadn’t released a record of his own in around three years, he decided to package the new songs together as a good old-fashioned mini album. A quick polish in the mastering studio and the mini album was ready for release. With the enthusiastic backing of Acid Jazz records, the recordings have been uploaded to iTunes in record time (and will be available to the public from February 7th 2011) and will be for sale in a physical format in all good music retailers in mid-March (date TBC).

The songs...

1. 41 “We hope you enjoy your stay at 41”

2. Complexity A partially successful attempt to make sense of quantum physics and the mysteries of love.

3. Sky Bar In a city in the north of England, the exclusive bar of a ridiculously top-heavy luxury apartment block looks down upon the faded glamour of the past.

4. Yarbles Do you have any?

5. Centre Of Attention A wedding guest spoils the party by unleashing his rampaging ego on the others.

6. Mr Camera The Coalition view of the recession- “You’re all in this together”.

7. Last Song Of The Year Time and inspiration run out as the year draws to a close…

The music of Andy Lewis has found its way into film scores (he remixed “On A Magic Carpet Ride” by Gabriella Cilmi for the soundtrack of the film “SOULBOY” and co-wrote & produced the opening title music to the 2005 film “BEST MAN”), websites and commercials. He played bass in Brit-Poppers Pimlico and perennial Indie favourites Spearmint, as well as carving out a career as a DJ (famously at Wendy May’s Locomotion and London institution Blow Up, and for Blur’s “Parklife” tour), songwriter and producer. In 2005 he released his first solo album “Billion Pound Project”. In 2007, he had a hit single collaborating with Paul Weller- “Are You Trying To Be Lonely” and released his second solo album “You Should Be Hearing Something Now”. Joining Paul’s live band and playing on hit albums “22 Dreams” and “Wake Up The Nation”, Andy’s toured the world and elsewhere since 2008. In April 2011, a single “A Good Soul In The Good Times” featuring singer Jess Roberts will precede the summer release of “South Herts Symphony”, his third full-length solo album.

1 comment:

Ian said...

Looking forward to hearing this, thanks for the info. Ask him about the Kevin Rowland album. Is he still involved ?