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Ben Glover has been
compelled to write songs since his mid-teens when he was awoken and
unsettled by Bob Dylan and Tom Waits. It’s writers whose work
contains lyrical richness and who take a poetic approach in exploring
the human condition that attract Ben. In his own writing he creates
characters so life like that you can almost trace the lines of their
face with your finger. Whether it’s the sound of longing in
“Melodies of Midnight,” or the
worn portrait of a stranger people thought they understood, in “The
Ballad of Carla Boone,” the crafted images linger
and stir. His words and melodies find their way to the deepest place
in your soul.
In his teens, Ben started performing in his home village of Glenarm,
situated on the north coast of Ireland. Like many in the early stages
of their musical career he paid his dues performing cover gigs.
“I played the cover circuit since I was seventeen until
my mid-twenties. Unfortunately there are many great cover songs that
I have played to death in bars and clubs and now I can't go near them
at all. However the one cover I never did get tired of performing
and still love to perform is the greatest song of all time in my opinion
and that is Dylan's "Like A Rollin' Stone." The language
and depth in that song is unbelievable and it's impossible for me
not to get a real kick from playing it live.”
Ben gigged throughout his years at Queens University, Belfast,
where he graduated in Law. Although he had earned his degree he inherently
knew that it was essential for him to pursue a career in music. In
the summer of 2004 Ben put together his touring band, The Earls and
in spring 2006 the band released their debut EP The Ballad
of Carla Boone. The record was released with very limited
distribution but received great support at radio and press.
The next step was to think about the album. Back home in Glenarm Ben
flicked through his record collection, picking out his favourite producers
and writing to them. JD Foster (Calexico, Richard
Buckner, Richmond Fontaine) immediately replied, loved the music and
flew into Northern Ireland for a meeting. JD Foster and the band rehearsed
for a week at Amberville Studios and he decided that he would like
to produce the album. In August 2007 Ben Glover & The Earls travelled
to Nashville to record the debut album in Studio A
in Blackbird Studios.
“It was my gut feeling that I had to record my debut album
in Nashville. I made my first trip to Nashville in February 2007 and
whilst I was walking through the airport to get on the plane to Ireland
something told me that I had to do my next recording there,”
Ben remembers. “I like to think that the ghost of Hank
Williams whispered this order in my ear!”
Thanks to JD, and through his own Nashville contacts, Ben was introduced
to many of Nashville’s top session musicians and the very special
guests on this album include: 21-time Grammy Award winner Vince
Gill, John Deaderick (The Dixie Chicks,
James Taylor), Willie Nelson’s longtime harmonica player Mickey
Raphael, pedal-steel guitar legend Al Perkins
(The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, CSNY), Buddy Miller
and Grammy Award winner Jim Lauderdale.
“It was a real honour for me for the guests to give up their
time and want to be part of my album. What I learned most from my
experience in the studio with them was how humble and completely down-to-earth
they all were. Although they are amazing artists it was their modesty
and the respect they showed the project that made the biggest impact
on me.”
Aside from the amazing players that contributed to the record,
Ben also experienced the thrill of a lifetime while in the States
working on his debut. The friendship that he struck with harmonica
player Mickey Raphael brought Ben to of all places, face to face with
musical royalty, Willie Nelson.
“I
will be forever in debt to Mickey Raphael who brought me Willie's
tour bus in Memphis! Willie is a massive influence on me and although
I was only in his company for a short time it was an experience that
I will continually draw. Moments like that a very rare. The Honey-Suckle
Rose (tour bus) is Willie's home on the road and so to meet him in
his personal space was something very very special. He had been listening
to a few of my songs earlier in the day too, which is pretty cool.
Also on the bus with Willie was Merle Haggard and so I got to share
ten minutes with two American and music icons. I will recount this
tale for the next 80 years!”
It has been a breathtaking, globetrotting whirlwind for this poet
from Glenarm who got to this stage of his journey by following some
good advice. “ David Gray told me quite a few years ago
to "follow your heart." It's been said by many people and
it's a cliché but it definitely is the strongest and most honest
guide.”
With so much experience, emotion and honest, raw talent it’s
no surprise that fans are anxiously awaiting the release of his debut
album, “The Week The Clocks Changed,”
which is set to hit retail outlets in March 2008. |
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