Ben Howard: the new face of British music?

http://www.myspace.com/benhoward
 

Getting a bit sick of hearing Ed Sheeran on the radio? Want to find a new guitarist to get your heart racing? Ben Howard may soon be the replacement that you are all looking for. Whilst he is being hyped most notably by the BBC, “as a gifted and immediately involving singer-songwriter” whose voice has a “husky soulfulness,” he is sure to be top of the charts once again after his UK tour is finished. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/9mb6).

Ed Sheeran, the face of 2011 who  battled the music industry by producing  four independent albums before making the fifth, his first signed album, has encouraged a new wave of guitarists to sweep the British music scene, usually full to the brim with commercial pop artists, sleazy lyrics, and an excess of auto-tune. Whilst artists such as James Vincent McMorrow and Benjamin Francis Leftwich are still yet to become mainstream, Ben Howard already seems to be creeping into Ed Sheeran territory as far as popularity is concerned, having sold out all tours up to now.

Howard, who taught himself to play acoustic guitar as a young boy, may seem to have a very similar back story to Ed. However, whilst Ed utilises his trusty loop pedal to layer his music in an innovative fashion, Ben Howard has stripped back down to basics combining a raw, almost ethereal melody with edgy vocals and harmonies layered rustically on top to create music which appears, to me,to be less synthesised than Ed’s now infamous loop pedals.  Howard explores acoustic guitar in an innovative way, and his combination of lyrics and guitar skills has made him an up and coming figure on the music scene.His playing style has captured the imagination of audiences due to his inventive technique of hitting his knuckles off the guitar in between strums to ensure his music has an added percussive dimension. Ben Howard has taken the classic elements of folk music and made it mainstream, something that has rarely been seen successfully since John Martyn.

Ben Howard has only just spread from the beaches and festivals of the south west, so look out for his concerts across the UK. He will be promoting his current EP ‘Old Pine’, and debut LP ‘Every Kingdom,’ which remains in the top 20 of the UK album chart, despite being released in September 2011, ahead of the likes of Jessie J’s album ‘Who You Are’ at number 18 which was released in November 2011. Ben Howard is touring the country in order to gain publicity and launch his commercial music career. Heis sure to become a key figure on the main stages at festivals this summer having played at Hop Farm in 2011 with storming success. Whilst you may have missed out on those Ed Sheeran tickets, which went like gold dust back in October for Leeds University Student Union, Ben Howard is still a regular at local festivals, and will be gracing Leeds Met University Student Union 27^th February alongside Willy Mason. Whilst tickets have raced out the door equally as fast, tickets for other locations are still available, and he will be returning to Leeds 02 academy on November 14^th. 

He has also recently performed sets for Absolute radio, as well as interviews with Zane Lowe for BBC Radio 1, during which he premiered his come-back single ‘Oats In The Water.’In 2011, he recorded live sessions with Jo Whiley on BBC Radio 2, and performed a live lounge in October in Edinburgh as part of Radio 1’s Student Tour 2011.

If you haven’t heard of this emerging talent then now is the time to give him a shot. Check out his LP (his Myspace features all his recorded tracks which are available for free listening whenever you fancy), download his single, and get your hands on a pair of tickets for November!