The RGM Inbox: January 2022 Part 2 (Singer-Songwriter Edition)
Welcome back to RGM and our occasional feature where we highlight new music from the RGM Inbox. This time around we’ll focus on the art of the singer-songwriter via four artists with albums set for release in the near future that are well worth noting in your record buying diary. So please join us as we feature Summit Of The Big Low, Gareth Dunlop, Jack Broadbent and Coyle Girelli.
Kicking things off we’ve Canadian born, but raised in the UK, Toby Uffindell-Phillips. You might know Toby from his previous work in the ‘00s with acoustic electronica group Sound Sanctuary and then as frontman of eclectic indie pop band Burning Shapes in the early 2010’s. His latest solo project is Summit Of The Big Low and the album ‘Thin Air’ set for CD/Digital release on March 4th 2022 (LP release on the 25th) via Friendly Tribe. The first single and title track from the album is supported by an award winning 360° video (The video was created as a collaborative multi-discipline experiment between Summit Of The Big Low, production company Khaki Films and movement storytellers No-One's Watching). This is classy stuff, very immersive (i sounds great on headphones) impressively blending acoustic based songwriting, electronica and some meaty electric guitar.
photography by Jamie Neish
Next up we’ve Gareth Dunlop and his latest single ‘Look Back Smiling’ taken from the album ‘Animal’ due March 18th via Zenith Café/Membran. Belfast born singer-songwriter and producer Gareth Dunlop was fortunate enough to remain a busy man during the global pandemic. Having established Sycamore Studios in the city just prior to lockdown, he was subsequently in a position to record not only his own long-awaited second album, ‘Animal’, but also produced new records by friends and fellow Northern Irish musicians Foy Vance (‘Signs Of Life’, 2021) and Lee Rogers (‘Gameblood’, out spring 2022). The connection to Vance will continue as Dunlop will be touring with his friend and pulling double duty as a member of Vance’s band. Positive and anthemic ‘Look Back Smiling’ showcase Dunlop’s soulful voice over a percussive backing track that hints at the 80s but sounds remarkably current. If you’re new to Gareth Dunlop then ‘Look Back Smiling’ is a fine introduction.
ON TOUR WITH FOY VANCE
22.03.22 CORK Cyprus Avenue
23.03.22 DUBLIN 3Olympia Theatre
25.03.22 YORK York Barbican
26.03.22 EDINBURGH Queen’s Hall
27.03.22 BIRMINGHAM Alexandra Theatre
29.03.22 MANCHESTER Bridgewater Hall
30.03.22 LONDON Eventim Apollo
02.04.22 BELFAST SSE Arena
JACK BROADBENT photography by Jeff Fasano
Next up, we’ve singer-songwriter and guitarist Jack Broadbent. Regular RGM readers will be familiar with Jack as we reviewed his excellent album ‘Moonshine Blue’ back in 2019. Like so many artists Jack was forced off the road by the pandemic in 2020 and initially planed to record a solo acoustic project, but holed up in Quebec with drummer/producer Mark Gibson the resulting album is a much tougher beast.
“We started playing some of the more rock ‘n’ roll stuff I had, and we couldn’t deny that there was a kind of vibe happening. So, I just went full steam ahead in that direction which brought the sound of this album into focus. We built on those grooves and ended up with the rock ‘n’ roll record I’ve been wanting to make for a long time.”
The title track from the album is available now as a single/video and ‘Ride’ the album will drop April 8th, 2022 via Crows Feet Records. Jack Broadbent will be taking ‘Ride’ on the road in 2022 and you can catch him in the UK at the Black Deer Festival on the 18th June.
COYLE GIRELLI : photography by Shervin Lainez
Completing our quartet of talented singer-songwriters we have Coyle Girelli. UK born, but based in New York for the last decade Girelli previously fronted Your Vegas and The Chevin and released a solo album ‘Love Kills’ in 2018. ‘Love Kills’ is an album of beguiling, cinematic wonder that would make the perfect soundtrack for a lost David Lynch film. It really is that good. Girelli will release his latest album, the eagerly anticipated, ‘Funland’ via Honey Lemon Records on February 25th and you can check out the latest single ‘Here Comes My Baby’ below.
“I had a running playlist that I listened to nearly every day while I was writing and I think it influenced this song. Some of the main ones on there were Leonard Cohen, Nina Simone, Hamilton Leithauser, Cigarettes After Sex, The War on Drugs, Big Thief and Bruce Springsteen.”
And so we conclude the latest deep dive into the RGM Inbox. Hopefully the four artists featured will be heading to the top of your want lists (do people still have such things, or is it just me?). RGM will be back soon with more musical gems for your consideration. So, until then, stay safe and enjoy the music.
