Song for Swindon Saturday Night. Swindon’s home-grown music scene is long-considered a hidden gem by music lovers near and far.
Old Town’s annual Swindon Shuffle features dozens of Swindon-based bands and performers over a hectic weekend. And summer festivals like My Dad’s Bigger Than Your Dad provide a bigger stage for more established acts and their fans – all crowded into the Town Gardens Bowl.
London-born singer-songwriter Jol Rose has made Swindon his home for the last ten years. And his new album – released this week – reflects on life at home as well as dreams for a different kind of world.
Ragged Stories
Ragged Stories – Jol’s fourth album – sticks to the artist’s favoured style of ‘rough-edged Americana’. But this time pared down to guitar, voice and harmonica. And all recorded live in the studio, with no overdubs or technical trickery.
With a country twang throughout, songs hinting at Nashville or Phoenix are something you might expect. More surprising is Swindon Saturday Night, a song that’s long been a favourite at live shows, now for the first time recorded.
I wrote that after lockdown’ he says. “We were all so chuffed to be heading out to the pubs again. Particularly musicians having a chance to play in front of real people. I wanted a song that gave a shout out to all our great pubs in town.’
‘It’s been tricky keeping the song up to date’ Rose adds. ‘New pubs come and, sadly, some others go.’
The Ragged Stories album had its official online release on 1st October. And the CD launch show will take place in the Pulpit, Old Town’s newest pub and live music venue, on Tuesday 21st October, 8pm. Entry to the show is free and, this being one of Old Town’s smallest venues, Jol recommends early arrival.
The gig at the pulpit
The Pulpit gig is billed also as the ‘warm-up’ for Jol’s Germany tour. It kicks off on the 23rd October, taking in 19 shows over a four-week journey from the north of the country down to the Bavarian south.
The new album’s ‘Meet me in Berlin’ is a clue to the ten years the performer spent in that country. The song tells the story of wild nights in the big cities, making friends and losing contact with abandon.
I have great memories of my time in Germany and I love touring there – visiting places I know as well as new ones’ he says. ‘Some places there seem stuck in another century while towns like Berlin change as you watch them,’ he added.
Ragged Stories as well as his previous three albums and several singles are all on Spotify, iTunes and other streaming platforms, as well as www.jolrose.com
Not only but also
As well as the CD launch gig on 21st October, Jol is supporting Americana artist Rob Vincent at the Hop Inn, Old Town, on Saturday 11th October.
As we’ve mentioned The Pulpit:
