Alex Highton
London, England, United Kingdom | SELF
Music
Press
Volgens de bio op zijn Sellaband-pagina is de Britse singer-songwriter Alex Highton druk doende het geld bijeen te scharrelen dat hij nodig heeft ‘to record the album I can hear in my head – rather than the one I recorded in my shed’. Op zich kunnen we ons dat heel goed voorstellen, ware het niet dat deze, in eigen schuur vervaardigde Woodditton Wives Club, zo’n heerlijke, door en door Britse folkpopplaat heeft opgeleverd, dat het maar zeer de vraag is of een ruimer budget ook een betere cd had opgeleverd. Highton kwam op het idee voor dit album nadat hij van Londen naar het dorpje Woodditton in Cambridgeshire was verhuisd, een verhuizing die hem niet alleen in aanraking bracht met de geneugten van het simpele plattelandsleven, maar hem ook inspireerde tot het schrijven van een hele reeks liedjes erover. Het resultaat ligt besloten in deze buitengewoon charmante folkpopplaat die zowel qua thematiek als qua songs een update genoemd kan worden van het Kinks’ meesterwerk The Village Green Preservation Society. Zachtmoedig en warm, met dertien geweldige liedjes waar Ray Davies zo zijn handtekening onder zou zetten, is het ook juist de eenvoud die Highton hier bezingt, prachtig verklankt in de basale, maar zeker niet te kale productie, waardoor The Woodditton Wives Club zo’n grote indruk maakt. Het is zo’n mooie, sympathieke plaat dat je Highton zijn droom zondermeer gunt, maar of hij hem met meer geld nog kan verbeteren, waag ik te betwijfelen, want dit is in alle eenvoud gewoon perfect.
****1/2 Eric van Domburg Scipio - Heaven
Alex Highton, a little-known British musician has had his career boosted thanks to Ashton Kutcher and Twitter.
Kutcher, married to Demi Moore, was the first person on the social networking site to surpass one million followers.
He liked the music of Mr Highton so much he put it on his own website.
Speaking on his Twitter account, Kutcher, star of That 70s Show and The Butterfly Effect, said: "Who replied me with this Alex Highton link? This guy is great... how do I buy the album?"
Mr Highton, an unsigned singer/songwriter, who describes himself as a "Wannabe Harry Nilsson", said he was overwhelmed by the support.
He has had 63,000 visits to his MySpace page in just two days to hear his songs after the actor praised his work. He previously had 15,000 visits in two years. - the Telegraph
Discography
Woodditon Wives Club - october 2011
Village Life / You Left Me In No Doubt (single) - may 2011
Photos
Bio
Scouse Alex Highton moved to London in the early nineties to go to college and do a degree in performing arts. This is a surprise when you meet him. None so modest and self-deprecating. This is no actor. Honesty should be his middle name. Heartbreaking songs or simple life observations with lush orchestration played with such a refreshing honesty. You cant say Al is trying to be anything. Hes just Al.
Its since beginning simply to just write what he sees that he has produced some amazing work. Woodditton Wives Club mark one was a collection of songs recorded on one mic in his garage, after losing his job and becoming a full time stay at home dad in rural Cambridgeshire after ten years in London.
Somehow one day Ashton Kutcher tweeted about Al and the following day saw a gazillion listens to his myspace. Since hitting the ground again hes raised the cash for a proper recording of the aforementioned Woodditton Wives Club (via Sellaband) and also a trip to the USA for his first shows in New York, Austin Texas, and Los Angeles.
In a nutshell its like this: Liverpool boy moves to Cambridge via University in London. Writes and records songs chronicling his move from the city to the country, with wife and two girls. Gets attention of Hollywood superstar Ashton Kutcher, among others. Think Harry Nillson, Paul McCartney, Big Star, Graham Nash.
Village Life/You Left Me In No Doubt will be available from May 2011 as a download only single, and hell celebrate with two appearances at Liverpool Sound City, as well as a show at The Three Black Birds in Woodditton, immortalised in the song Village Life.
Band Members
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