Jo Langdon

You know that stereotype of acoustic artists? How they all just play the same three chords and sing hippy-kumbaya-camp fire crap? Well if you want your mind changing, have a listen to Jo Langdon.

‘For The Record’ is the debut E.P. from the incredible soul that is Jo Langdon. As a Cornwall-based acoustic singer-song-writer, Jo is already having a way more exciting 2016 than most of us ordinary folk. She recently jetted off to perform her first ever international gig in Hamburg and she is already having her summer booked up with various festival spots. ‘For The Record’ is the product of her months of careful editing and tweaking, along with the team at Phoenixx Records. And it is finally here.

‘Fairytale’ is a track I had the pleasure to review a few months back, and it has not lost its effect with time. It discusses dreams and love without becoming corny, Jo deals with these big topics with a simple and honest tone. The chorus has this wonderful, almost chirpy pace and I actually found myself remembering the lyrics. The sign of success.

Jo’s lyrical creativity is strongest in the verses of ‘Homeless’ with lines like ‘Sores on his feet/Brambles in his hair/With a cross around his neck/Which is heavy to bare’. Jo has a knack for creating characters like this. Vulnerable and passionate throughout, ‘Homeless’, finishes on the lines, ‘And all he wants/ Is his family back home’, strum, drum, end. Heart-breaking.

‘Lullaby’ is enchanting. Jo manipulates her guitar to sound like an old-fashioned music box, so much so that I could almost visualise a ballerina twirling around the room. The raw twang that accompanies her fingers sliding up the strings of her guitar makes you feel the very texture of the strings and the vibrations of her acoustic.

‘Not Syncing’ felt like the track Jo had planned and meticulously calculated. It is mature, precise and more controlled than the previous tracks. Accompanied by violins and a piano, stylistically it stripped away the casualness of the other songs. The addition of these instruments was a sweet surprise and it livened the entire E.P. up that extra notch. ‘Not Syncing’ is the best reflection of Jo’s versatility and it showcased her vocal range beautifully.

Emily Law, manageress of Phoenixx Records expressed to me how proud she and the team are of how far Jo has come, ‘Can’t wait to see her go even further!’ And that’ll be pretty far, I’d bet.

Forged by pure hard-work and talent, ‘For The Record’, feels natural and organic. The tracks are not robotic or clinical or obvious but homely and comfortable. It is refreshingly real. And, to me, that is a lovely quality to possess.

‘For The Record’ is available now from:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1pwkfXd

Google Play: http://bit.ly/1W7kJg

Listen on Spotify: http://bit.ly/1UR4vtT

And head over to Jo’s Facebook at: Jo Langdon

And also Phoenixx Records at: Phoenixx Records

Press the like button and the share button. You know what to do by now.

Cheers all,

Leah x - Leah Hamer

The word ‘unique’ is over-used these days. The amount of times X Factor judges cough this word out to describe some run of the mill karaoke Whitney wannabe is laughable. But Jo Langdon is entirely deserving of this coveted word.

Originally from Devon but currently living in Cornwall, Jo has been raking in performances across the country for the past year and a half, including a gig at The Exchange back in May. After spending most of her summer at festivals, this winter she has turned to the recording studios of Phoenixx Records to crack out her latest single, ‘Fairytale’.

‘Fairytale’ is an honest and completely charming song. Its folksy twang and quick pace make it a pleasure to listen to and despite its emotional content, it remains upbeat and steers away from becoming melancholy. Acoustic tracks have a tendency to blur into one, sometimes it is hard to define yourself as an acoustic artist and stand above the rest but Jo does this, not only with ‘Fairytale’ but with her endless imaginative covers. You only need to sample one of her many tracks on Soundcloud to discover her amazing capability of switching a song on its head, her cover of Franz Ferdinand’s ‘Take Me Out’ is genius. Despite this, I can’t take away the limelight from her original tracks, all of which are fully deserving of a listen. ‘Red Rum’ is especially good, showcasing Jo’s vocals spectacularly through multiple harmonies. But ‘Fairytale’ was definitely the right choice for her first release, an easy rhythm with a soulful, calming and occasionally haunting voice, it truly deserves a great amount of success.

Jo and the team behind her at Phoenixx Records have some exciting times ahead, ‘Fairytale’ is released on the 18th December and her E.P. ‘For The Record’ will be released in January.

Phoenixx Records is a Staffordshire based record label managed by the enormously talented Emily Law (many of you might have caught her singing with Stoke-based folk band Malthouse, or performing a couple of years back as the front woman of Nuclear Safari), who has turned her attention away from the microphone stand and to life backstage. The team have already singed eleven artists from across the UK and recorded thirty tracks in their studio including ‘Fairytale’. They are also one of the sponsors for next year’s Music Awards of Staffordshire and Cheshire Night, to be held on Friday 12th February at the King’s Hall Stoke.

Show all of your love and support for the brilliant Jo Langdon and Emily Law’s amazing team at Phoenixx Records by following the links below. They are both names to remember, trust me.

https://www.facebook.com/JoLangdonArtist/
http://phoenixxmanagement.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/phoenixxrecords/?fref=ts

Much love,

Leah x - Leah Hamer