Harvest Sun Promotions presents...
JOSH ROUSE @ THE BLACK - E
Great George Street, Liverpool L1 5EW
+ very special guests
7.30pm, Thursday 26 January
Tickets £15 adv available from www.ticketweb.co.uk & Probe Records
Although born in Nebraska, singer/songwriter Josh Rouse moved to various cities throughout his childhood and subsequent musical career, driven at first by his father's military career and later by his desire to take inspiration from different environments. He paid tribute to his birthplace on his 1998 debut, Dressed Up Like Nebraska, and explored the influence of his adopted home state, Tennessee, with 2005's Nashville. Rouse later settled in Spain and explored the country's musical traditions, although his songwriting continued to exhibit the summery, rootsy appeal of his earlier work.
As a child, Rouse spent time in California, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, South Dakota, Georgia, and Arizona. Music was one of the few constants in a life filled with new towns, new schools, and new friends, and he took comfort in bands like the Smiths and the Cure. After receiving several guitar lessons from his uncle, Rouse began writing songs as an 18 year-old and molded himself into a skilled composer, eventually scoring a contract with the Rykodisc subsidiary Slow River. His debut album, Dressed Up Like Nebraska, was released in 1998 to widespread critical acclaim. He pulled up stakes shortly thereafter and resettled in Nashville, where he was befriended by Kurt Wagner, frontman of the chamber country group Lambchop. The two began writing together and issued a collaborative EP, Chester, in the fall of 1999.
Rouse's second solo record, Home, appeared the following spring and was followed by Under Cold Blue Stars in 2002.. Before the release of his next album, however, Rouse's marriage ended and he moved from Nashville to Spain. Released in 2005, Nashville served as a farewell to both the city and his marriage; it was also his most fully realized record to date, featuring Brad Jones' lush production and Rouse's poignant, nostalgic lyrics.
Once in Spain, Rouse settled in the small seaside town of Puerto de Santa Maria and began writing songs shaped by his new surroundings. Jones eventually flew into town, and the two captured a relaxed and intimate vibe on 2006's Subtitulo. After the release of two EPs (Bedroom Classics, Vol. 2 and She's Spanish, I'm American, the latter of which was recorded with Rouse's girlfriend, artist Paz Suay), Rouse chose to handle his own production for 2007's Country Mouse City House. He also married Suay, became a father, and relocated to Valencia's Mediterranean coast.
Rouse's eighth studio album, El Turista, was released in 2010, a full five years after his relocation to Spain. Living abroad for half-a-decade had left an indelible mark on the songwriter, who sang several of the album's tracks in Spanish. Ironically, the bulk of El Turista was recorded in Nashville with Brad Jones, a move that only strengthened the globe-trotting appeal of Rouse's songwriting. For the 2011 release Josh Rouse & the Long Vacations, the singer/songwriter drew from the AM radio sounds he grew up with, as well as present-day influences from his adopted home of Spain.
Josh Rouse and the Long Vacations’ marks a new peak in achievement for the Artist. One that bridges both history, and what is to come. All highlighted in a musical collection that also reflects the current day, and the here and now for the artist. This is the world of Josh Rouse circa 2011: An American, born in the Midwest, who has over his life called many parts of the United States home, but an American now living a more cosmopolitan existence in modern Europe. The common thread through this rich journey has been the music – distinctive, appealing, and much celebrated across the globe. And so the life of Josh Rouse, of the Artist, is reflected in this set of new recordings, a new album, his ninth overall, and with the simple title, ‘Josh Rouse and the Long Vacations’.
In drawing the album’s players from a mostly local crew of musicians, the Artist has made an excellent choice. Across the breadth of these nine songs, the supporting cast exhibit an uncanny ability to interpret the material with perfection. In addition to core Long Vacations members Xema Fuertes and Caio Bellveser, the record is enhanced by contributions from special guests Refree (a.k.a. Raül Fernández) on the theremin, piano, moog and vox, Robert DiPietro providing drums and percussion, Esteban Perles (on more drums) and Paco Loco on the baritone guitar.
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