BIG NEWS...

NEW ALBUM TO BE MIXED BY SAM WILLIAMS

I'm thrilled to announce that my new record is being mixed by musician and producer Sam Williams. 

While famously having produced the platinum selling 'I Should Coco' by Supergrass, Sam's also worked with artists including Plan B, David Bowie, The Noisettes, Kula Shaka and Gaz Coombes.  

Sam Williams

The as yet untitled record will be out in early 2019 and I can tell you that from the early mixes Sam is sending through, it will be worth the wait. I'm really proud of it and the many fabulous musicians who have contributed to its creation. 

RECORDING

 

Acoustic guitar time - Martin DX1RAE

Patrick Kenneally on drums

Jon Bretman

Fact: Stephen's lap steel guitar is worth over £1k

Stephen Barlow

Elder brother Ian

Musician and session engineer Tali Trow

  Tali's son Arthur showing us how it's done

WHILE NOT RECORDING...

After a great gig at The Isle of Wight Festival, I had the pleasure of supporting Mark Morriss from The Bluetones up in Aberdeen. Lovely and talented guy, thanks to AGP Aberdeen and everyone who came to see me. 

Backstage lovin'

I also appeared on the Jon Holmes show on Talk Radio, playing a couple of songs live (with the brilliant Darling Boy) and being interviewed. You can watch it all below, should you so wish: 

CARELESS SONS

When I shared the stage with the very lovely band that is Careless Sons for Cambridge TV Sofa Sessions last year, I had no idea I'd be in one of their music videos (and neither did they). It's one of the great randoms of the universe that I am, check it out below. 

They're doing a series of connected videos, so I'm also at the end of this equally brilliant music video of theirs too.  

Spookily, I have a massive fight with an onscreen girlfriend (which starts with smoke) in this Nathan Grisdale music video too. Things don't go well with the girl and I in this Jar Family music video either. 


AND FINALLY....

I hate it when people pirate my music.

Much love, 

Nigel. X

P.S. One of my hugely talented friends is in a touring show called 'The Hartlepool Monkey' - it's brilliant, go see it!
P.P.S. I've just finished 'How Not to be a Boy' by Robert Webb. Well worth a read.
P.P.P.S. This is the most addictive game you'll ever play. Ever. It's all about paperclips/taking over the universe.



'If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.'
Albert Einstein.  

A truly good book teaches me better than to read it. I must soon lay it down, and commence living on its hint. What I began by reading, I must finish by acting.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/h/henrydavid121060.html?src=t_acting

'So go create. Take photographs in the wood, run alone in the rain and sing your heart out high up on a mountain where no one will ever hear and your very existence will be the most hypnotising scar. Make your life be your art and you will never be forgotten.'
Charlotte Eriksson 

New recordings, acting and a bit of both.

NEW ALBUM

I'm very pleased to announce I'll be recording my first proper solo album at Tilehouse Studios in January with a group of some of the best session musicians in the country. 

Here's a little sample of what we've done already (this one recorded at Bowerman Studios) and yes, it contains real harp, violin and cello.



There are live videos for 'Fever' and 'Travelling Man' both of which will appear on the album if you fancy other, very different tasters!

You can still currently download my acoustic album, 'Third Movement' for free from here. It'll be deleted at the end of the year, so get it while you can. 

MUSIC VIDEOS

I'm featured in the new Rizzle Kicks music video 'Skip to the Good Bit' which samples the famous EMF song. Here it is:

 Earlier this year I was also lucky enough to feature in the music video to 'Footsteps' from The Jar Family which you can see here. They're a great band, well worth checking out. 

My penchant for making low-fi music videos for The Foxes album tracks continue with this latest offering for "Sweet Little Wonder".  It features all of us in the bath, which will both delight and shock in (un)equal measure.

Other humbly home made videos include:

The Sad Thing.

Get Me. 

Send Me Nothing. 

Country Low.

No Reply (made by my brother Terry).

Candlestick director Chris Presswell who helped with filming this also made a very special little stop-motion/layered video test called 'Nigel Gets What He Deserves' which is both spiritually correct and rather amusing.

Chris was also responsible for taking the photo of me which was featured in the final episode of one of my all time favourite TV comedies, The IT Crowd on Channel 4. 

To quote Chris himself: "The episode is currently available on 4oD."


THE FILM

The new feature film I'm in, Candlestick, is 'a stylish Hitchcock style thriller'. The production team have just finished recording the score with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (which provided the music to such films as The Sixth Sense, District 9 and Mullholland Drive) and it'll be out in 2014. 

Follow the Candlestick facebook page for exclusive photos and regular updates. 

 

THE ADVERTS

Never one to turn down the chance to wear a bright green full body jumpsuit, I'm the 'game head' in this Stride advert for Gumulon. I also have a beard in this, which I quite like.

Using my geeky acting side to its extreme, I play Francis in this comedy viral ad. It's fine, I want to hit myself quite a bit in this too. 

Do check out the out-takes video too. 

AND FINALLY....

Thank you to everyone who came to see me in Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens at the Leicester Square Theatre this summer, directed by Stuart Saint. It was glittery, challenging and a lot of fun. 

Until next time....

Much love, 

Nigel. 

P.S. I found this: 'Hit or Miss' by Odetta Holmes. It's great. 
P.P.S. You can still find me dj'ing Death2Disco every week at Notting Hill Arts Club. I book the bands too, feel free to make suggestions. 
P.P.P.S. Real or not, this video has completely cured me. 
P.P.P.P.S. Pub quiz? 

• “While we look to the dramatist to give romance to realism, we ask of the actor to give realism to romance.” Oscar Wilde.

   

  "I got tiger blood, man. My brain...fires in a way that is - I don't know, maybe not from this particular terrestrial realm."  Charlie Sheen.

While we look to the dramatist to give romance to realism, we ask of the actor to give realism to romance.

Oscar Wilde

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/o/oscarwilde396809.html#UEb1bOcoMw6rsC5A.99

Hamburg

Sadly, we could only stay a few hours in Stockholm due to the need to drive an epic distance to Hamburg, so we left the same night and drove for a few hours before stopping off. Cleverly saving money, we decided to sleep in the car that night. When I woke up at 4am, the temperature had fallen to 1 degree above freezing...the inside of our car was literally colder than a fridge!

Hitting the road early it didn´t take us too long to defrost, and we were in the car for a mere nine and a half hours to reach Hamburg. There was only a brief period of road madness, with us both screaming, but a quick stop off for ice-cream restored sanity. By the way, the bridge to cross over from Sweden to Denmark, and and another in Denmark (there's no other option!) are REALLY expensive...around thirty of your earth pounds....each. We've now driven over three thousand four hundred miles since last Monday.

Anyway, the last time we were in Hamburg was last year when The Foxes played at the Indra Club, so it felt surprisingly familiar. Once again, we stayed with our friend Christina who also suggested a venue we could play at called "Freundlich & Kompetent" (Friendly and Competent), which is run by students, and is really quite a funky and relaxed place. It's about time we had a bit of luck, and we walked in JUST as another band from the U.S. who were due to play there pulled out. So we did a quick soundcheck and after that were asked to headline! Not bad for a totally random gig quest. It went really well, and after a couple of encores (the German audience were lovely) it was time to sample some items from the bar. Thanks to the staff there for taking a chance on us and letting us play, to "Autumn Fall" and especially Christina who suggested we ask there and let us stay in her new flat.

We're just off to have some lunch before heading off to Amsterdam, we'll be staying with my old school friend Rich who lives in the centre of "the red light district", whatever that is :-) Expect an interesting blog tomorrow....