Out today are two live recordings from the CloudwatcherUno™ Live Sessions at The Camden Chapel in London in October 2022. Showcasing the very best of independent artists we feature Afreine and Blue Violet. Singing in her first sold out London show Afreine captures the hearts of the audience with her stunning vocals.
The main act of the evening were Blue Violet a phenomenal duo who bring a stripped back acoustic performance that focuses on their harmonies, guitar skills and killer lyrics.
So let yourself be transported to a front row listening experience as you hear these amazing artists sing live on stage in London. These incredible recordings are available on Spotify, Apple and all streaming platforms.
We catch up with CURRAN and talk about how the band got together with Drake White and opened up for him on his recent tour. Mark got his people to talk to Drakes people and the band got lucky. They previously toured across Europe in 2018. Then we talk about Long Road Festival and the shenanigans that Mark got up to the night before backstage and how he was paying for his sins on the Saturday morning playing with Jam Moncur.
CloudwatcherUno with Mark Curran (L) and Jam Moncur (R) at The Long Road Festival 2022
Playing a private show in New York and laying down tracks for the new album in Germany, Mark is keeping himself busy. CURRAN put out an EP in 2019 called “Lonely Road of Faith” and this was the title track and the tour finished in 2019 and started doing promo with a years worth of touring booked for 2020 and then the pandemic hit in Italy.
CURRAN in action opening up for Drake White in London 2022.
It will be rereleased with 5 new tracks as a full album after Mark took the decision to pull it from all streaming services. All the previous songs have been remixed and remastered so in essence it is a brand new record. After the pandemic artists have begun scrambling for venues as they are all competing to perform in front of global audiences. Streaming has killed income for independent artists and touring for opening acts has meant that they make no money.
“Rise Up (My City of Ruin) – Curran
So life as as artist is becoming an impossibility and the cost of touring has meant that prices of tickets have gone up. So spare a dollar for the independent artists travelling across the globe to bring the joy of live music to your ears. In an era of Talent Show winners and disposable pop stars, CURRAN stands out from the rest, not only as singer/songwriter’s but as bona fide Rock Stars.
In the podcast Mark plays an acoustic version of “Better Days” to hear this and to join in with the conversation with CloudwatcherUno and CURRAN click the link below. Also streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
In 2021 we launched the ‘CloudwatcherUno Live Sessions’ to bring independent singer songwriters at St Pancras Church, London an iconic venue. Now on October 27th 2022 we bring two amazing acts to perform acoustically live on stage at The Camden Chapel and they are:
Blue Violet are anglo-Scottish alternative pop duo Sarah & Sam Gotley. Their debut album ‘Late Night Calls’ is out now, produced by the bands regular collaborator Rob Ellis (PJ Harvey, Anna Calvi, Bat For Lashes). Described as ‘Civil Wars meets Black Keys’ by BBC Introducing Scotland, Blue Violet rounded-off 2021 with the release of the emphatic ‘Asylum’. Blue Violet continue their upward trajectory with a set of diverse and intricately crafted genre-crossing songs of beauty, heartbreak and love.
Afreine has made a mark as a being a versatile and underestimated singer-songwriter. Afreine writes deeply from the experience of her childhood, heartbreak, and the natural drama that comes from a small-town music scene. She is a voice representing the queer, BAME, and single parent community and is known for a soulful, yet delicate voice.
Good things come to those who wait. Russell Marsden and Emma Richardson EMMA RICHARDSON (emmarichardsonart.com) were set to perform live after two years. On a cold February evening at St Pancras Old Church, London an intimate venue fans would see the Band of Skulls duo sing old and new songs from their self titled album “Marsden & Richardson” Band of Skulls | Official Site.
Every inch of the altar was taken up with microphones, speakers, amplifiers, cables, pedal boards, guitars and a string orchestra. The new album is a departure from their trademark loud rock sound and replaced with sweeping violins, strings, acoustic guitars, bass and is more focused on the magic of their lyrics. Their last album was “Love Is All You Love” released in 2019 and they had toured all over England and North America in venues many times bigger than this church.
Signed vinyl by Russell Marsden and Emma Richardson.
The songs for the new album had already been formed and written but never fitted their loud rock personas so during lockdown they rehearsed and then recorded 12 songs. The opening song of the night was “Outsider” the first track from the new album backed with a string orchestra the effect was completely exhilarating. Where there would have been an undulating bass and heavy guitars these had been replaced by the duo’s acoustic voices and filled every heart with awe and wonder.
Russell and Richardson | “Outsider”
In hushed anticipation the crowd listened to Marsden and Richardson sing more songs from the new album such as “One More Question“, “Closer Together” and “Lonely Hearts“. This was serious music for adults, each song hit the audience with precision, the strings carried the songs on an interstellar trajectory to undiscovered musical lands.
One of the outstanding moments of the night was when the duo did an even more stripped down version of “Beautiful Love” with Russell on piano and Emma using hand claps to generate a beat for the song. The effect was electrifying and sent the crowd into rapturous applause at the end of each song.
Old songs were given similar high octane orchestral riffs and songs such as “Honest” and “The Devil Takes Care Of His Own” were such a delight to hear and the result was a charismatic, addictive monstrous songs given new life. These repurposed songs showed the versatility of the song writing and strong foundation of the original lyrics.
Signed set list by Russell Marsden and Emma Richardson.
If this is the future for Marsden and Richardson’s sound then the future looks and sounds totally royally awesomesaurous.
CloudwatcherUno PLAY.LISTEN.ENJOY. 