Bobby Long streams new album ‘Ode to Thinking’

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British singer-songwriter-guitarist Bobby Long, who is known for his powerfully evocative lyrics set to haunting melodies, has signed an agreement with Compass Records for the release of his new album, ODE TO THINKING.  The record will arrive worldwide on August 7 via new label, Compass Records.

In celebration of this, Bobby Long is now streaming the album in full via Allmusic.com 

Recorded last Autumn in Austin, TX, ODE TO THINKING is a taut collection of 11 original songs, produced by veteran producer Mark Hallman at his Congress House Studios. Long, who emerged from London’s burgeoning folk music renaissance, relocated to New York in 2009, cultivating a strong fan base for his music.

The release of ODE TO THINKING will be supported by his first ever full UK & European tour this October/November.  Bobby Long recently returned to our shores with a beautiful performance on the Acoustic Stage at the venerable Glastonbury Festival.

“This record started when I realised that the first five songs I wrote for it were probably the most personal songs I’d ever written,” Long says of the new recording. “That was the start of the journey.  ‘Ode to Thinking’ was one of the first songs I had written (for the album), and it was the definite turning point creatively where I felt, as I’m getting older, that I’m getting more interested in what’s going on politically and socially. I now think it’s really important to educate yourself and to take an interest in what’s going on in the world.” 

ODE TO THINKING is the result of a collaboration between Long and producer Mark Hallman, who operates the longest continuously-running studio in Texas. “We worked so fast,” he says. “We recorded 14 songs in 11 days which is kind of unheard of really. Mark plays so many different instruments-drums, bass, piano-so he has everything at his fingertips, and he really understands what it takes to make a good sounding record. It felt like a special time recording it.”

The new album brings together elements of Long’s live solo shows and is based around his acoustic guitar on which he wrote all of the new songs, which differs in essential elements from his two previous releases. “The first album (A WINTER TALE) was half electric, half acoustic,” he elaborates. “I walked into a studio, and the producer had put together a band to record live with. I showed the band my songs, and we worked them out as we went along. The second record (WISHBONE) was electric. I went in with a band-a bunch of guys I’d been playing with on the road. We had little time for rehearsals before so we recorded live for a bit and kind of put it together in the studio as we went along. With this record (ODE TO THINKING), it was simplified in a sense because the songs are largely based around my live shows-just me playing solo-which adds an element of honesty to it, and certainly gives the album more of a live feel. I brought the songs into the studio on my own. It felt like much more of an individual process from my point of view, and the only sharing involved was me working out ideas with the producer, which was really great this time around.” 

Long is partnering with Nashville-based Compass Records, a respected independent label with a history in folk and roots music, for the worldwide release of ODE TO THINKING

 ODE TO THINKING UK our dates are as follows:

3rd November Birmingham Hare & Hounds

4th November Manchester Night N Day

5th November Glasgow King Tuts

6th November London Borderline

£10 regionally & £14 London 

TICKETS ON SALE 10TH JULY

Danny Peart
Danny Pearthttps://www.dannypeartphotography.co.uk
Editor / Live Music Photographer / Journalist at Soundcheck-Live

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