Newcastle upon Tyne has hailed some legendary musical acts over the decades, Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch of The Shadows, The Animals, Sting and Dire Straits to name a few. Now, singer Alex Butler, complete with horn rimmed spectacles and fender Stratocaster, akin to Newcastle musical forefather Hank Marvin, could well be heading to join the long list of esteemed musicians from Newcastle upon Tyne’s musical hall of fame.
Alex Butler - From Obscurity To Radio 1 Playlist
20-year old Alex was still studying his A-Levels one day last year when he received a telephone call during a history lesson informing him one of his demo recordings had been selected to be broadcast on BBC Radio 1.
Alex recalls "It was someone from Radio 1 telling me that Nick Grimshaw and Annie Mac liked my music so much they had picked me to be the Up-and-Coming Artist on their show…"
It soon became apparent to Alex, who had up until that time, toyed with the ideas of either joining the circus or becoming a musician that music was to be his chosen path. "It was a real thrill listening to my songs being played on the radio to millions of listeners" he says.
Sounds Of The Jam And Nine Below Zero Recalled On Alex Butler's Turn
Alex has wasted no time getting into the recording studio to produce his first 4 track EP entitled Turn produced by Tristan Ivemy and recorded at David Gray’s Church Studio in Crouch End, North London. The Turn EP is a delightful excursion into old school mod pop with Alex sound highlighting exciting elements of sharp guitar licks backed with a punchy beat.
The title track Turn has a catchy melody with a repetitive but bouncy chorus which hones in on the mod sound popularised by The Jam and Nine Below Zero back in the late 1970s early 80s.
Similarly, the second track Come Out Of Your House is also very upbeat if not demonstrating a tighter musical arrangement, with a prominent keyboard sound.
Download Free Track On Alex Butler's Official Website
The pace alters considerably for the third number Stole Her Away in which Alex demonstrates an ability to construct playful lyrics around the scenario of losing a loved one by the hands of someone else. Falling somewhere between John Lennon’s poetic wordplay on Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds and Billy Bragg’s delivery of Between The Wars, Stole Her Away kicks off with the line “All of the creatures with sinister features invented the lake where you swim…” and highlights Alex at his creative best.
The final track on the collection **** it She Will Do has also been available as a free download from Alex official website since 10th January, 2012. Listeners that haven’t been alienated by the expletive in the title will no doubt enjoy this catchy number which features Alex vocal set to an almost reggae beat.
The Turn EP will be available from XX Recordings and to download from iTunes on 26 February, 2012
For more information on Alex Butler, visit his official website.
Source
- LD Communications Press Release, January 2012.
