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'The Bare Bones' - digital release date 18th April
As of next Monday 18th April, Ian's new album 'The Bare Bones' will be available from the following digital stores around the world:
- iTunes U.S.
- iTunes Australia/N.Z.
- iTunes Canada
- iTunes UK/European Union
- iTunes Japan
- iTunes Mexico
- Amazon MP3
- Spotify
- MySpace Music
- MediaNet
- eMusic
- Zune
- Nokia
- Shockhound
- Napster
- Thumbplay
- IMVU
Don't forget, you can view Ian's promotional film for 'The Bare Bones', and get hold of a hard copy CD for just £10 + p&p by clicking here
'The Bare Bones' - new live acoustic album out Monday 21st March!!!
Hi Folks,
Thank you to those of you in the UK who came out to support the 'Newlife Up Close and Acoustic Sessions' at Robin 2 in Wolverhampton last month. It was a really fun night and in the end the event raised £2,507.05, which has already been allocated to disabled children in the West Midlands area. A huge thank you goes out to Scott Matthews, Steve Gibbons, and Lucy and The Rambler for giving up their time to get involved, and for their great performances.
My live recording at The Globe in Cardiff on 9th February went really well too. It was great to see so many people turn out for it, and despite the usual pre-live-recording anxiety, I felt pretty relaxed once I got up on stage, and I actually really enjoyed the gig. My old mate Morg Morgan came down and played on three songs which are featured on the album.
The album is entitled 'The Bare Bones' and consists of 11 songs including 4 previously unrecorded tracks. I've been flirting with acoustic music for years going back to the Sunday lunch time shows we used to do with Parker's Alibi at the original Robin Hood Club in Dudley over a decade ago. Since then people have often asked me if I had plans to release an acoustic record, but I guess it has taken the last couple of years of playing lots of acoustic shows for me to build the confidence to do so. Anyway, at long last here it is, and I'm very happy with how it has turned out.
The official release date is Monday 21st March, but you can save yourself £1.50 postage and packaging if you pre-order the album now at an all inclusive price of £10 by following the link here:
You will receive your copy in the days following 21st March. After 21st March it will be priced at £11.50 including p&p.
The internationally renowned Mick 'the dog' Allen has put together a film in promotion of The Bare Bones which can be viewed on the shop page.
I look forward to seeing you out on the road before long.
All the best,
IP
Newlife ‘Up Close and Acoustic’ Sessions
Newlife ‘Up Close and Acoustic’ Sessions with
Scott Matthews
Steve Gibbons
Ian Parker
Lucy and the Rambler
A gathering of homegrown musical talent of international pedigree featuring intimate performances from some of the regions top singer-songwriters in aid of disabled and terminally ill children in the West Midlands.
Born in Wolverhampton in 1976, Scott Matthews released his ground-breaking single “Elusive” in September 2006. The single received much airplay from BBC Radio DJs such as Jo Whiley, Dermot O'Leary, and Zane Lowe and, in May 2007, was awarded the Ivor Novello Award for "Best Song Musically and Lyrically". Scott has since embarked on a number of sell-out headline tours and toured with some of the world's most respected artists, including, Foo Fighters, Snow Patrol, Rufus Wainwright,Tori Amos and Robert Plant.
Unique and timeless - the legend that is Steve Gibbons has withstood the fads and fashions of the music business for over four decades. Analyse his music and superb self-penned songs and you’ll find the influences of blues, country, even psychedelia. Born in Birmingham, Steve first came to prominence as the leader of The Uglies, an uncompromising outfit at the forefront of the city’s burgeoning 1960s music scene. By the early 1970’s he had formed the five-piece Steve Gibbons Band which enjoyed success in the singles charts during the decade and has been perennially popular on the live circuit ever since.
Stourbridge native Ian Parker signed a record contract with German
independent label Ruf Records in July 2003, and quickly drew the attention of producer David Z (Prince - 'Purple Rain') who worked on the first of four albums for the company. A relentless live schedule from the outset has abled him to headline shows all over Europe and the UK, and he has made numerous forays into the USA. Along the way Ian has undertaken many appearances for radio and TV both here (BBC Radio 2) and in Europe including Germany's top music show 'Rockpalast'.
Both from a small town in the Midlands, cousins Lucy May Gill and Danny J Gauden have been songwriting together since the age of 14. Forming Lucy and the Rambler in 2010, they now bring their quirky blend of Folk and Blues to the streets.
Date: Thursday 17th February 2011
Time: 20.00 to 23.00
Doors opening at 19.00
Tickets cost: £15
All proceeds raised from the event will be donated to Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children dedicated to providing practical help for disabled and terminally-ill children and their families throughout the UK. Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children – Registered Charity No. 1001817. www.newlifecharity.co.uk
New UK Tour Dates Announced
Ian is undertaking a select few dates this autumn with the band, showcasing some great new songs, the best of the past and plenty of high calibre guitar playing from both Ian and slide player Chris Eaton.
20th October - New Roscoe, Leeds
21st October - Robin 2, Wolverhampton
22nd October - The Maltings, Ely, Cambs - venue launch night!
28th October - The Borderline, London
5th November - The Flower Pot, Derby
10th December - Band on the Wall, Manchester
11th December - The Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal
see gig guide for full details!
Hello Folks,
Happy New Year to you all! Just getting focused again after a couple of relatively carefree and lazy weeks spent half in France and half in Blighty. Plenty of food and drink, family and friends, and the whole commercial bullshit kept to a minimum given the social norms of the western world. I'm proud to announce that I did not partake in the 'sales' at any point, which left me feeling smug, if a little conceited, as I viewed the world around me with scorn whilst perched on my pseudo intellectual/spiritual high ground. I'm sure when my outdated TV or washing machine blows up in March, the joke will be on me, but for now…
Went for a long afternoon walk yesterday along the canal with some close friends. Winter sun is wonderful as long as you're not driving. Afterwards we roasted a joint of beef with advice from a skilled other about moisture retention. Got talking about the New Year, hopes, aspirations, resolutions etc. Decided on the following: run a marathon (maybe a half marathon given my lack of sporting prowess), develop political understanding beyond 'pub level discussions', spend more time with friends (meals are better than traditional drinking sessions which are now out until after the half marathon anyway), devise a better system for recycling in the house - getting pissed off with tripping over plastic bags full of empty cans and bottles, decorate the house as the situation has now reached critical mass, and increase musical creativity (last year saw a marked increase in this department given that I wasn't on the road all year for the first time in a decade, but there is still scope for more of this).
More gigs and tours are to be announced soon. The New EP 'Demons and Doubters' is available through ianparkermusic.com if you still don't have a copy.
The digital release date for the new EP has just been finalised for the MONDAY 18th JANUARY. From this date the EP will be available through Interscope from the following online stores: iTunes (worldwide), Rhapsody, Napster, Amazon MP3, eMusic, IMVU, Lala, Shockhound, and Nokia.
Take care,
IP
Hi Folks,
Thank you to those of you who came out to the EP launch parties last month. Both nights were really well attended and it was great to play the new songs live for the first time with the full six-piece band. I was really pleased with the response to the shows, and I feel very strongly that this is the most sincere set of songs I've ever played live. It was nice to play with the band again, having not done much of that this year, and the addition of Chris Eaton on guitar and Olivia Powis on cello, is really exciting. I'm very much looking forward to touring next year - dates to be announced soon!
The rest of last month was taken up with the final acoustic trio tour. It is sad that this was the final tour as I feel that the trio really has come into its own throughout the year, but it was always destined to be a temporary line-up, which turned out to a very pleasant experience.
For the remainder of this year, I'll be getting on with some song-writing having only three shows left to play, oh and my first 'house concert'! House concerts are a relatively new concept which have become popular recently, especially in the US, and it seems the craze is taking off here too, as I've been booked for a private solo acoustic performance in someone's living room (I guess that is the beauty of playing solo) over the Christmas period, which should be fun!
Finally, the EP has been selling well at gigs and through my website, and it will soon be available through all of the normal digital channels, release date to be announced soon! If you haven't already got a copy, you can order it today from the EP page.
All the best,
Ian
Hi Folks,
So at last, the new EP is ready! The final mix was completed last week, it's being mastered as I write, and it will go to the pressing plant next week. The EP is called 'Demons and Doubters' and features five songs: Winding River, Grow, Lovers and Friends, Lost, and Keep Me Walking.
If you've seen a live show this year, you may well have heard these songs at various stages of development as I've been trying them out. If you have not heard the songs at all yet, fear not, we plan to send you some sneak preview 'video shorts' over the next couple of weeks to whet your appetite!
The EP was recorded for the most part at Bath's famous Riverside studio, with additional work and mixing carried out at One Love Creations in Hampshire. It was produced by drummer Clive Deamer (Robert Plant, Portishead, Massive Attack) and engineered by Jon Jacobs, who learned his trade under the guidance of Sir George Martin at Air Studios. We were joined in the initial sessions by Billy Fuller on bass guitar and double bass (Robert Plant), and Chris Eaton (who has been involved in my trio shows this year) on slide and acoustic guitars. In later sessions, cello was added by Beth Porter, as well as piano/keyboards by Morg Morgan.
This recording marks a subtle but noticeable change in direction for me, and one which I'm very excited about. These songs feel like the most coherent set I've recorded to date, and everything down to the cover artwork is uncompromised and totally congruous with what I'm about at this point.
'Demons and Doubters' will be available through ianparkermusic.com and elsewhere online including iTunes and Amazon very soon!
I'll be playing two EP launch shows in October featuring my long time band mates Wayne, Steve, and Morg plus guests, and the EP will be on sale on those occasions at a discounted price, so order your tickets now!
19th October 2009 - Robin 2, Mount Pleasant, Bilston, Wolverhampton, WV14 7LJ
TICKET HOTLINE: 01902 401211
29th October 2009 - The Borderline, Orange Yard, off Manette Street,
London, W1D 4JB
TICKET HOTLINE: 0844 847 2465
 All the best,
IP
Ian Parker is now on Facebook. Click on the link below to join his list of fans:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ian-Parker/159785787779
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