Reflections on Kid in a Big World

If you don’t fancy reading the thick end of 3,000 nerdy words about an album you’ve likely never heard and never will hear, I suggest you might want to stop here. Why not take a look at my interview with Ginger Natalie if blogging is your thing, or read my report of UEA’s Korfballers’ national triumph?

John Howard talks Incidents Crowded with Life

Later this month (the 26th to be exact), John Howard’s autobiography Incidents Crowded with Life will be published by Fisher King Publishing.

John Howard – Songs From the Morning review

John Howard has today released his latest EP Songs From the Morning, where he has covered songs from five artists who influenced him as he grew up in Bury and continue to have an impact on his writing as he prepares to release his eighteenth ‘solo’ LP later this year as he turns sixty-five.

John Howard’s new single From the Morning released on Friday!

John Howard’s 21^st and latest single, a cover of Nick Drake’s From the Morning, will be available to download from next Friday, 1^st December.

The Granite Shore, Suspended Second – Review

Occultation Records, 9/10
Out now.

“What news from England, are they happy now they’re free?”

There isn’t much that needs to be said about the Granite Shore’s new LP Suspended Second that hasn’t been already. Whether it’s from band leader Nick Halliwell (it presents his – profoundly negative – feelings towards Brexit through metaphor and is released on his indie label Occultation Recordings), new recruit John Howard (it’s the band’s second album and this time includes backing vocals and piano from the Night Mail man) or the multitude of glowing reviews (it’s bloody good), most bases have been covered.

But if only to add to the chorus of positive voices, I think it might be worth me having a stab at explaining quite why it’s such a triumph.

John Howard on The Granite Shore

Things are going well for singer-songwriter John Howard, who recently announced that his memoirs, Incidents Crowded with Life, would be published by Fisher King Publishing. Next month, John appears on The Granite Shore’s second LP Suspended Second. I asked him all about the album and how he came to be involved with the band, and The Granite Shore singer and guitarist Nick Halliwell, whose label Occultation Recordings released John’s latest solo album Across the Door Sill.

My 25 favourite covers… so far!

Whilst there have been some very questionable covers done in the past, there have also been some corkers. Here is a list, in ascending order, of my twenty-five favourite cover versions that I’ve discovered so far…