Festival season is now in full swing and thankfully we’ve mostly had some beautiful summer weather to accompany it.
Last Saturday I played at Dubs in the Hall Festival. Aimed predominately at owners and lovers of Volkswagen Campers, it has a friendly, laid-back atmosphere and the sultry weather we had certainly contributed to a really relaxing feel. The festival is located in the beautiful setting of Holt Hall in North Norfolk and with an eclectic mix of live music, from reggae, rockabilly, rock, indie, folk and acoustic plus DJ sets, there was something for everyone.
Here’s a little video I’ve put together from my fun and very warm day there:
Sunday was another great event with a visit to the Norwich Lanes Summer Fayre. Now in its 11th year, the fayre is bigger than before and it’s easy to see why it’s become such a popular day in the city’s arts calendar. Huge crowds soaked up the buzzing atmosphere and there was an array of lovely vintage and craft stalls, street food, live music, art, DJ’s, performances and fairground attractions along the various areas of the historic busy streets.
The Summer Fayre really showcases the vibrant arts scene here in the city and my friend, local film maker and photographer Claudia Taveira has captured some lovely shots of the day as shown here. Check out her WordPress Photography blog Claudia Taveira Photography Blog
Also this past month I’ve been in the studio. I really love the process of recording and have recorded a lot of material in the area including my first album ‘Slipstream’. I’ve also recorded and collaborated with some amazing musicians in New York City and Nashville which is always inspiring and really broadened my musical horizons. This time I was recording the guitar part to create an instrumental to one of my acoustic songs ‘Here Alone’ as one of my incredibly talented vocal students Breeze Redwine wanted to record a version. The biggest thrill as a songwriter is when an artist covers one of your songs and Breeze has done a beautiful soulful version.
I recorded in The Mill Studio (photo above) which is based near Diss. Established for over 10 years, it’s responsible for producing releases by local bands and international signed recording artists. The setting is really lovely and peaceful, away from the city and owner Johnny Cole says the studio’s goal is to provide a relaxed and enjoyable approach to recording, whilst aiming to achieve the best results. Check out the studio here at The Mill Studio
Lately I’ve recorded and performed songs by Mumford and Sons, James Bay and Years and Years. Acoustic versions and free downloads are on my SoundCloud
Performing James Bay’s lovely song ‘Let It Go’ in the garden on a sunny day:
