Dan performs Letters Home at Maida Vale for a special BBC Introducing show on BBC Radio 2's Jo Whiley show. - BBC

Recently praised by the likes of Huw Stephens and Dermot O’Leary, the young Welsh singer-songwriter has a real talent. One of the best tracks I've heard in a while! - Vox Pop

https://soundcloud.com/dan-bettridge/dan-bettridge-third-eye-blind

Introducing Welsh singer/songwriter ‘Dan Bettridge’ with his single ‘Third Eye Blind’.

Really feeling this, great work Dan! - New Music Talks

They perfectly bookend the opening party of Swn which was earlier launched by Dan Bettridge, a singer adorned with a bourbon-soaked vocal oozing with pure soul. With the honour bestowed on him of opening the inaugural stage in The Abacus Rooms as well as the Horizons/Gorwelion Stage the following Saturday in Clwb Ifor Bach, on both occasions he nails a performance that sparks a gold rush of musical riches to come. - Cardiff AfterDark

Welsh singer-songwriter Dan was selected by Bob to appear at the showcase and remembers the first thing he learned to play on guitar as ‘a Jack Johnson song, like Banana Pancakes, or something silly like that’. Performing his tracks Letters Home and Third Eye Blind, Dan’s vocals flit effortlessly between the butter of John Mayer and grit of Paolo Nutini, making him a perfect Sunday soundtrack. - ASOS Likes

Any regular readers of kevonhissoapbox will know that Dan Bettridge is mentioned frequently in dispatches, so his set was almost guaranteed to be a festival highlight. Dan kicked off with the unbearably poignant “Letters Home”, a song which shares common ground with Willy Vlautin’s spoken piece “Postcard Written with a Broken Hand”, even down to its use of an unreliable narrator. It’s a song, like so many in his repertoire, that never fails to send a shiver down the spine. Other highlights in a fine performance included his momentous single “Third Eye Blind”, reproduced magically here by his tight knit band, and a couple of tracks from the 2014 “Darker Days” E.P, “Drive” and “Rosie Darling”. The only disappointment, in an otherwise top-notch set, was the omission of “Darker Days” itself. There may well be a 120 acts lined up for this year’s festival, but this is the guy they all have to beat! - KEVONHISSOAPBOX

Dan Bettridge - Live In Session
DURATION: 18:19
Welsh acoustic singer songwriter Dan Bettridge joins Dermot for a live session.

Tracklisting:
- Untitled
- Something Beautiful (Need To Breathe) - BBC Radio 2

http://richerunsigned.com/album/dan-bettridge/ - Richer Unsigned in association with Q magazine

A young man named Dan Bettridge would be my chosen ‘one to watch out for’ from Friday. For a young man of 20, he has the soulful voice of a life well lived and his lyrical content is way beyond his years. It’s almost like in a previous life he was a drifter in 1930s/40s Chicago. - I Am Music. TV

Dan Bettridge is a singer songwriter from Ogmore on Sea who writes beautiful and timeless music that you will instantly fall in love with. 2013 has seen Dan gain radio play from Adam Walton, Bethan Elfyn and Dermot O’Leary.

He released an EP ‘Hunters Heart’ this year which consists of five perfectly crafted songs that I have listened to over and over again, finding something new to cherish with each new listen. The combination of delicate guitar playing, warming vocals that will send your heart into a thousand little pieces and lyrics full of emotion and honesty create an EP that needs to find its way into every record collection across the world.

Dan’s performance at Sŵn is one you can’t miss, he will be sure to have the crowd in complete silence and hanging on his every word. - A Musical Priority

With his debut EP, 'Hunter’s Heart', attracting its fair share of attention - thanks in part to radio play from BBC 6 Music and Radio 2 and sets at Green Man and Swn - Dan Bettridge finished 2013 high on the list of ones to watch in the coming year. Fortunately, 'Darker Days', his follow-up collection, has developed that potential further.

‘Hunter’s Heart’ showed off his impressive blues vocals, blended perfectly with picked acoustic guitar. Despite that, though, Bettridge perhaps wore his influences on his sleeve a little too much at times. On ‘Darker Days’, both the songwriting and production have noticeably moved up a level.​

Drive, the opening track, follows a similar pattern to his earlier work, with a lyric that belies his 20 years and a rich vocal, but elsewhere, Bettridge is able to display his budding personality.

Home has an addictive quality, particularly its whistled bridge. Backing vocals from Bettridge’s mother, Clare, add extra colour, as well as embellishing the shy charm of a young man from the Welsh seaside.

Rosie Darling has already earned national radio play, and its folky bounce and beautiful violin line are helped by an upbeat performance from Bettridge. Increasingly, there is a real sense of an artist enjoying his work here, and it’s almost possible to see his smile coming through as he sings the closing chorus.

The title track defines ‘Darker Days’, though. Atmospheric piano performed by producer Charlie Francis - whose contribution is excellent throughout - is backed by haunting cello, and it’s the most powerful, emotive work Bettridge has put out out to date. - Stereboard

Introducing 20 year-old singer-songwriter Dan Bettridge and his new four track EP ‘Darker Days’ released today (24th February). The EP follows on from last year’s ‘Hunter’s Heart EP which one favour with BBC Radio 2’s Dermot O’Leary.
Dan resides in the seaside village of Ogmore-by-Sea, South Wales, where he first picked up a guitar at age 7 and began to play along to the music that his parents would play from artists such as Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens and Joni Mitchell. Maybe it’s this grounding in the classics that informs his style, with a mature sound that belies his 20 years, although he somehow manages to simultaneously sound both contemporary and classic.
Dan opted to quit his photojournalism university course to focus on his music. During long but organic and highly productive recording sessions which took place in the attic of producer Charlie Francis’ (REM, Future Of The Left, The Noisettes) home, Dan recruited a team of musicians – Rhodri Viney, Lucy Rivers, Brendan Bayliss, Lucy Simmonds and Dan’s mother who sings on ‘Home’) – to flesh out his songs.
The duet with his mother on ‘Home’ briefly recalls Johnny and June Carter Cash, while the southern twang to his vocals on Rosie Darling inspire comparisons with Kings Of Leon at their most tender. Prayer For You draws from Springteen’s ‘Im On Fire’ before going on to become something uniquely bewitching in it’s own right. But it’s on EP title track ‘Darker Days’ that you’ll be left in no doubt that Dan Bettridge is a genuinely exciting prospect. The track was originally set to be recorded on the guitar, until his producer stepped in to suggest it should be led by keyboards, which provide a haunting and epic backdrop for his passionate vocals.

This is a stunning EP which succeeds in sounding comfortingly familiar while retaining it’s own identity. Dan Bettridge deserves to be a star, tell your friends. Buy Darker Days by Dan Bettridge here.
Catch Dan on his mini UK tour to support the release.

Read more at http://www.rightchordmusic.co.uk/artist-of-the-week-dan-bettridge/#TdmtSIkb8HAPEcRk.99 - Right Chord Music

John Walters, 34, Cardiff, digital media business development executive:
“Dan Bettridge is a massive talent, I could see him going on to really really big things. As always with Swn, having loads of people from Wales is fantastic, it’s absolutely amazing.” - AltCardiff

Dan Bettridge is streaming the title track from his 'Darker Days' EP.

The four track EP (available here) follows on from last year’s 'Hunter’s Heart' release and was put together with help from producer Charlie Francis ;(REM, Future Of The Left, the Noisettes), musicians ;Rhodri Viney, Lucy Rivers, Brendan Bayliss, Lucy Simmonds and Bettridge’s mother, who sings on Home.

Speaking about the track, Bettridge said:

“I closed my eyes to sing it so that I had no distractions and we went through the entire song from start to finish. When it ended, Charlie swung around and said he loved it. Holding back tears I mumbled 'Good, me too'.”


A short UK tour is planned to support the release, culminating at London’s St. Pancras Old Church on March 9.

Dan Bettridge UK & Ireland Tour Dates are as follows

Tue March 04 2014 - CAMARTHEN Parrot
Wed March 05 2014 - CARDIFF Norwegian Church
Fri March 07 2014 - BRISTOL Birdcage
Sun March 09 2014 - LONDON St Pancras Old Church - Stereoboard

Acoustic singer songwriter types are pretty much a dime a dozen these days, some sticking around and earning popular acclaim (see Ben Howard's recent surge to mainstream popularity) while most disappear back to obscurity before anyone's even noticed they've arrived.

ImageDan Bettridge is one of the next in line to try and make that step up into public conscious and, on the basis of his 6 track debut EP he's got every chance to do so. Still a few months shy of his 20th birthday, Bettridge grew up listening to the likes of James Taylor and Bob Dylan while he's had comparisons made to Willy Mason and Bon Iver. A recent favourite of BBC DJ's including Dermot O'Leary, Adam Walton and Bethan Elfyn who made him her 'BBC Introducing Act Of The Week' back in January.

Hailing from the South Wales town of Ogmore-by-Sea 'Hunter's Heart' already has the sound of someone who's spent significant time honing his own sound and developing a real personality to his music. Often these early EP's can be overly focused on a single sound and become repetitive despite being less than 30 minutes long. It's to Bettridge's credit that he avoids this and every song sounds fresh even after repeated listens.

Opening track 'In The Morning' goes from delicate, wistful verses to a catchy chorus which immediately sticks in your head and has you singing along even before the song finishes. 'Harvey's Angel' puts the focus firmly onto his lyrics while 'Days Of Ours' has a bluesy beat balanced perfectly by a soulfully delivered vocal.

'Prayer For Me' sounds the way you expect Kings Of Leon's Caleb Followill would sound if he went solo and acoustic. It's another expertly delivered vocal, rising and falling at just the right moments to add real personality to the track. It has the hallmarks of a real live favourite, particularly at the more intimate venues he's currently frequenting.

Closing track 'Untitled' is where the Willy Mason comparison has come from, the bassy acoustic rhythm and vocal sounding like they've come straight from Mason's 'Where The Humans Eat' album before closing with the sound of birds and the seaside, presumably a nod to his home town.
His genre may be the most difficult of all to grab a foothold in right now but all the tools are here for Dan Bettridge to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Ben Howard and really grab people's attention. There's a maturity shown in the way he delivers his vocals and he's got a real eye for a melody which gives him every chance of getting the mainstream radio play listing required to forge forward.
If 'Hunter's Heart' is the teaser of things to come I've got high expectations for his first full release.

'Hunter's Heart' is available now, to download on iTunes and from various other distributors. CD's are also available to order from danbettridge.bigcartel.com - Stereoboard

This competition has now closed. Thanks to everyone who entered. Congratulations to Eli Gumble!

Singer songwriter Dan Bettridge heads out for a short run of UK shows next month supporting the February 24 release of his latest EP 'Darkest Days'. To celebrate the release Stereoboard have launched a new competition giving you the chance to win a pair of tickets to your preferred show on Dan's trek.

Influenced by artists such as Cat Stevens and James Taylor, 20-year old Bettridge has had tracks aired on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2, performed a live session on BBC Radio 2's Dermot O'Leary Show as well as airplay and live sessions on BBC Radio Wales. He has also performed sold out headline shows and performed at festivals such as; Green Man Festival and Swn Festival.

Check out the title track of Dan's new EP, below.


Dan Bettridge UK & Ireland Tour Dates are as follows, enter below to win tickets for your preferred show.

Tue March 04 2014 - CARMARTHEN Parrot
Wed March 05 2014 - CARDIFF Norwegian Church
Thu March 06 2014 - BRISTOL Birdcage
Sun March 09 2014 - LONDON St Pancras Old Church
Tue March 11 2014 - OXFORD Cafe Tarifa

This competition has now closed. Thanks to everyone who entered. Congratulations to Eli Gumble! - Stereoboard

Heading out on your first tour is a daunting enough task as it is, but the spectacular venues picked for Dan Bettridge's maiden foray into a full set of live dates makes it all the more challenging.

Cardiff Bay’s stunning Norwegian Church sold out in advance for the arrival of the 20-year-old, with expectation high following some deserved praise for his sophomore EP, ‘Darker Days’.

Opening up was Ollie James, who despite being understandably nervous at playing his first gig, deserves credit for sticking to his own material, which earned scattered applause from around the packed room.

There were no such nerves for the second act. Alex Stacey may only be 15, but he's a battle-hardened veteran of the Caerphilly pub scene and his experience shone through. Time We Lost and Drink and Drive are stand outs in a set that would have appealed to the Ed Sheeran fans out there.

When Bettridge takes the stage, it's clear his recent experiences playing Green Man and Swn have done him good. Gone is the awkward shyness that characterised his early gigs, replaced instead with a quiet confidence that retains his charm but adds a more professional polish.

A reverent silence greets his acoustic guitar and vocal on Untitled, while each track from his two EPs to date get an airing, alongside a cover of the Steeldrivers' If It Hadn't Been For Love. Throughout, there's the sense that he is now ready for a larger stage.

As the set comes to an end he adds extra accompaniment, with slide guitar on Home and, to close the show, a spine tingling version of Darker Days complete with the full cello and piano arrangement from the EP. It's a beautiful way to finish a short but thoroughly impressive performance from a man who is getting closer and closer to the big time. - Stereoboard

Young folk singer Dan Bettridge has been on a steady incline since his debut EP Hunter’s Heart was released last year. Gaining radio play and admiration from Dermot O’Leary, the boy looks set to become a man and step out from the shadow of veterans Bon Iver and Willy Mason with another EP, Darker Days.

Intricate strumming opens ‘Drive’ and you are instantly hit with an endearing voice that weaves a dark tale, claiming: “I’m a cold, a cold killer, for you my love”. In some strange way this makes you feel safe, as Bettridge’s vocals soothe and you feel his pain, his gravelly voice breaks pleading to be saved. ‘Home’ on the other hand, is a lighter affair, an intimate country number that illustrates a softer side to Bettridge as he shares his duties with a backing singer. ‘Home’ has bags of character, helped by some charming harmonica playing and likable whistling to boot.

It is clear that Bettridge has a maturity far beyond his years with his delicate acoustic performance and lyrics that engage and tug at the heartstrings, none more so than on ‘Rosie Darling’ as he sings, “I ain’t saying you ain’t got my kind of skin, just don’t think you’re ready for my kind of sin”. The chorus is something else, as his vocals intoxicate your mind and let you forget about any woes, with the addition of strings bringing an exquisite touch to a beautiful song.

Pulling out all the stops on the title track Bettridge sings over the sound of a piano, an inclusion that indicates his maturity and willingness to push on from being an acoustic guitar player. ‘Darker Days’ is a heartfelt track that exposes the tender side of the singer songwriters voice and will ultimately reveal the sensitive side of your heart as teardrops form.

Darker Days is full of heart wrenching emotion, an EP that brings to light the talents that Bettridge possess not just lyrically but vocally as well. It seems the young Welshman was born to perform and affect the hearts of those who care to listen, and with Darker Days it seems he has a platform to go on and replicate the success of his peers.

Tracklisting

1. Drive
2. Home
3. Rosie Darling
4. Darker Days - Noise Cannon

When I heard the opening track of Dan Bettridge's début album Darker Days, I was initially worried that it was going to be a bit of a boring affair. The problem that usually arises with the singer/songwriter material is that a man and his acoustic guitar may not always be the most engaging of pairings; it takes something really special to hold my attention for more than three minutes.

Then, Bettridge's vocals kicked in and everything changed, because this guy has one of the most obviously raw talents I have heard in a long time. His voice manages to take a simple acoustic tune and turn it into a piece of musical mastery. You could quite easily replace that acoustic guitar of his with a combine harvester - it would still sound utterly brilliant, simply because of his voice.

This 4-track EP is such a wonderful start to this young Welshman's career, as it shows just how much he is capable of. While the acoustic chords themselves might not be the most complex of affairs, it works so damn well because it allows him to focus on his voice and lyrics - and that is the real deal breaker for me, when it comes to this EP: his voice pushes him past the boundaries of being just a normal singer/songwriter, to being a real future talent.

Each and every song is filled with so much passion and admiration for what he does, that it is truly something to be impressed by. The main single off of this EP, ‘Darker Days’ is a perfect example of this, each and every line is thrown out with such love. This is only made more emphatic with the addition of a piano, replacing his usual acoustic guitar. This shows something rather special, in that he is comfortable ditching the guitar altogether if need be to create a much more varied sound.

This EP is just a complete and utter joy to listen to. It isn't too dreary and depression, while it isn't upbeat and happy by any stretch of the imagination. Instead, it holds the balance perfectly, as Bettridge creates an aura of calmness. Darker Days has the ability to take a student who is smack bam in the middle of his 10,000 word dissertation, who is freaking out about life in general, and calm him right down. It is the perfect way to chill out, and that is the number one thing that you can ask for when listening to a singer/songwriter.

Although this EP is only a sign of what is to come, he has managed to reach such a high level that some artists don’t reach in their lifetime. Personally, I cannot wait to see what else this 20-year-old from South Wales has to offer. It can surely only get better. - Bouncesin

“Bit worried, first ever tour, like,” Dan Bettridge admitted, his voice still a little heavy with sleep after being rudely awoken by his phone. If he really is nervous, though, he’s got a peculiarly relaxed way of showing it. ‘Darker Days’, his second EP, is a confident affair, one that displays hints of a songwriter maturing at his own pace.

With the record only a week old, the ensuing tour will give Bettridge a chance to spread the word just a little. Hailing from Ogmore-by-Sea, a picturesque village nestled a short hop around the coast from Cardiff, his development so far has had an endearingly homespun air.

“I can’t say for sure, but I think the music I write would be completely different if I didn’t live where I live,” he said. “It’s not a conscious thing, it’s not in my head when I’m writing, but how can it not be? I don’t even know if I’d be writing music. It’s informed it, even if I’m not singing about waves.”

‘Darker Days’ expands on the sound Bettridge introduced 12 months ago on his debut, ‘Hunter’s Heart’, adding country tones to his bluesy vocals and fingerpicked acoustic. It’s also something of a reflective record, documenting a hectic period in his life.



“I was just writing to get something out of my system,” he said. “I wasn’t thinking about where it was going to go or who was going to listen. When it’s done, you think ‘shit, better put something out now’. Then you start worrying. The record is a diary of the last 12 months. It’s 2013, to be honest.”

Bettridge has found support from a burgeoning Welsh music scene, having turned out at both Green Man and Sŵn​ - increasingly two pillars of the landscape - off the back of ‘Hunter’s Heart’. His first tour gets underway close to home - with shows in Carmarthen and Cardiff - before heading west, to Bristol and finally London, where he’ll play St Pancras Old Church on March 9.

“Before I started performing myself, I didn’t really take much notice of the Welsh music scene,” he said. “It’s a tight knit community. This year it’s definitely picking up. Sŵn​ had the NME small festival award, which was sick.

“Last year was the first year I played it and I really, really enjoyed it. It was really well organised. The Welsh Music Foundaton are a great help, and [WMF boss] John Rostron is an absolute hero. With the budgets they’ve got and where we are, they’re doing really, really well.” - Stereoboard

Dan Bettridge is a nineteen year old singer songwriter from Ogmore-by-Sea, who is going to wow the hearts of many music lovers over the next few years. Dan was raised in a house full of music, with exposure to the likes of Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens and James Taylor from an early age there was only one path that Dan was likely to choose in life. Dan started learning guitar at the age of 8 and has never looked back since.

Dan has been busy promoting his own music and trying to get himself heard by as many as possible, Dan has recently started receiving plays on BBC through Adam Walton and Bethan Elfyn who listed Dan in her ‘ones to watch list for 2013’.

Dan will instantly appeal to fans of Willy Mason, Bon Iver, Sam Airey, Ivan Moult and anyone who has an ear for beautiful heartfelt songs. Listening to Dan’s debut EP ‘Hunter’s Heart’ you can hear real emotion and honesty running through the music, that will make you want to listen with a great deal of intent.


The EP consists of five songs that are a real joy to listen to, this is an EP that you will cherish and never stop listening to. The EP flows seamlessly from one perfectly crafted song to another. ‘In The Morning’ opens the EP with a soft guitar sound and vocals that will instantly start echoing around your room. The song builds with passion and belief ensuring that by the time the song has ended you will be completely hooked. ‘Harvey’s Angel’ contains delicate guitar playing combined with a vocal that will be sure to melt the heart of many. ‘Days Of Ours’ has a captivating guitar playing and endearing vocals that will be sure to silence even the loudest of crowds in the live arena. ‘Prayer for You’ you can hear Dan pouring his emotions into every word that he sings throughout this song. ‘Wolves and Ghosts’ which provides the EP with an uplifting melody which will be sure to bring a smile to your face. The EP ends with a live recording which will make you want to rush out to a show.

I strongly urge each and every one of you to go and purchase this wonderful EP from Dan Bettridge and I guarantee you will feel as strongly as I do that this is an artist who everyone needs to hear.

Steve Tay - A Musical Priority

Dan Bettridge has revealed a short documentary capturing life on the road during his first ever UK tour.

The Welsh singer songwriter hit the road earlier this month, performing in Carmarthen, Cardiff, Bristol, London and Oxford, supporting his latest four-track EP 'Darker Days'.

Influenced by the likes of Cat Stevens and James Taylor, the EP follows on from his debut release, 'Hunter’s Heart', and was put together with help from producer Charlie Francis (who has previously worked with REM, Future Of The Left and the Noisettes), musicians Rhodri Viney, Lucy Rivers, Brendan Bayliss, Lucy Simmonds and Bettridge’s mother, who sings on the track Home. - Stereoboard

20 year-old singer-songwriter Dan Bettridge is to release his Darker Days EP on February 24. The new four track EP follows on from last year’s Hunter’s Heart EP – which prompted BBC Radio 2’s Dermot O’Leary to label Bettridge “a credit to the youth of today”. A short UK tour is planned to support the release, culminating at London’s St. Pancras Old Church on March 9.



Dan resides in the seaside village of Ogmore-by-Sea, South Wales, where he first picked up a guitar at age 7 and began to play along to the music that his parents would play from artists such as Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens and Joni Mitchell. Having impressed his now manager whilst playing at her birthday party, Dan opted to quit his photojournalism university course to focus on his music.

During long but organic and highly productive recording sessions which took place in the attic of producer Charlie Francis’ (REM, Future Of The Left, The Noisettes) home, Dan recruited a team of musicians – Rhodri Viney, Lucy Rivers, Brendan Bayliss, Lucy Simmonds and Dan’s mother who sings on ‘Home’) – to flesh out his songs. The relationship between Dan and his producer came about when Francis was impressed by Dan’s performance on a radio session in the BBC Wales studio. Their collaboration is perhaps best represented on the EP’s title track, ‘Darker Days’ – a song which ended up shifting from guitar to keyboard-heavy. Of ‘Darker Days’, Dan recalls:

“I closed my eyes to sing it so that I had no distractions and we went through the entire song from start to finish. When it ended, Charlie swung around and said he loved it. Holding back tears I mumbled ‘Good, me too’.”

It’s clear then that Dan’s live performances win him fans; with his management, producer and Radio 1’s Huw Stephens all being prime examples of the rule. With a short tour planned to coincide with the Darker Days EP release, more will doubtless be won over by Dan Bettridge’s gentle and irresistible folk-tinged songs. - Curcuit Sweet

Such a fan of Dan Bettridge. He will be touring his EP (out this week) in the UK in early March. - Alfitude

Dan perfomed an Under The Apple Tree session at Truck Festival for Whispering Bob TV - Under The Apple Tree sessions, WBBC

Cover photo & Interview on Page 5 - Cardiff Student Media

Dan Bettridge - Darker Days // Official Music Video - Furball Films