Following the release of singles ‘Blue Boy‘ and ‘Last Warning‘, Alex Carter’s full album ‘Call It Rock And Roll’ is finally out on all platforms.
Featuring my drums recorded at my studio on five of the eight tracks, and piano on one, the album is available on Spotify, Amazon and Apple Music. Mixed and mastered by Chris Barwise.
The second Alex Carter single I have recorded on drums at my studio. Mixed and mastered by Chris Barwise.
Look out for more new music from Alex Carter coming soon!
I had a great time recording for blues artist Alex Carter last month, and Alex’s new single ‘Blue Boy’ is out now on all digital platforms – including Spotify, Amazon and Apple Music.
All the drums and organ parts for ‘Blue Boy’ were recorded ‘remotely’ here at my studio, before the track was mixed by record producer Chris Barwise.
I’m really happy with the overall sound and vibe I achieved in the studio – capturing Alex’s ‘raw, classic blues sound’ inspired by artists like The Stones, Chuck Berry and John Lee Hooker – and I am proud to have contributed to this record.
I’ve had the privilege of recording both drums and organs on a new single from blues singer/songwriter Alex Carter in my studio this weekend.
With a super cool, groovy blues vibe, I have really enjoyed getting stuck into this session and getting the tone and feel of the song just right – both in my playing and in the choice of cymbals and studio techniques. Plus the session was also another great opportunity to run organs through my vintage Sharma 2000 rotary cab, which is always very exciting!
Keep an eye out for the finished single being released soon. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it!
Really lovely to have such a glowing review from Chris Farlie – writing for w21Music – of the recent set I played on drums with Sam Coe at Buckle & Boots festival in Stockport. Chris seems to have been particularly taken with the volume and intensity of my drumming, as that enjoys several specific mentions in his article!
With a limited sized band today would not be the full “Comeback Queen” wall of sound experience but make no mistake this would be one of the most explosive 30 minutes that the Paddock Stage would see all weekend. Commencing with a thunderous drum intro and some heavy bass, the was the start of “Hard Time”, it was deliciously noisy and full of attitude – surely that drum kit would never be hit as hard throughout the whole weekend!
Chris Farlie for w21Music
I always enjoy that I get to play so ‘big’ when I work for Sam, as she and her producer Kevin both like to feel a lot of weight in the groove. The set we did at Buckle & Boots on the Paddock Stage was the first time I had got to play this material since Christmas, so it was a lot of fun to be let loose on it again.
The gentle keyboard intro to “The Truth” gave little indication of what was to come, This ballad came with drumming that was heart stoppingly loud and probably should have a health warning attached to it. All the while Sam laid down a vocal that veered between being breathy and quiet to being expressive as she wandered up and down the scales in impressive style.
Chris Farlie for w21Music
My next appearances with Sam Coe and her band are Saturday 2nd October for HarFest at the Norfolk Showground, and then at The Waterfront Norwich on Sunday 14th November.
I had the great privilege of playing drums for Sam Coe on a closed video session conducted under COVID restrictions at EPIC Studios just before Christmas. The video shoot was a pre-record of a live performance for the Americana Music Association‘s January awards show night, which this year was an entirely online event.
With the AMA Awards now having been broadcast, EPIC Studios have published the full length performance on their YouTube channel this week, and I am very excited to be able to share that with you here. I was really proud to get to be a part of this, and I think the look of the video and the sound we achieved with the drums and with the band overall is absolutely first class.
Axis bass drum pedals and hihat stands have been been my number one choice for years. For me, the build quality and the responsiveness of the direct-drive mechanism Axis use are second-to-none.
As a session musician playing a lot of live gigs every year, I need to have absolute confidence in the quality and reliability of the equipment I use – especially pedals, which take a big beating on every show. Even with the rigours and stresses of regular touring – traveling around the country and loading in and out of different venues all the time – I know that Axis pedals won’t let me down on the road, and that my feet will feel fully connected to the drumkit when I am onstage. I still regularly gig with the very first Axis pedal I ever bought, over ten years ago, and it feels just as comfortable to play on as it always has.
In the studio, the smoothness of the pedal action and the quality of the components mean that I always get the consistency of tone and the lack of extraneous pedal noise which my remote recording clients expect from my playing.
Over the lockdown period I have enjoyed some extremely productive discussions with the guys at Axis, and I am very honoured to be able to announce that I am joining the Axis Percussion artist roster this summer. I am proud to be associated with a brand whose products I have relied upon for so long, and to represent Axis Percussion as one of their artists.
I am very excited that I will be playing drums with Jade MayJean and her band for the big Christmas Lights Switch-On event in Ipswich town centre on Thursday 21st November this year.
Jade and the band will be performing a mixture of original songs from Jade’s album 20Sixty and classic Christmas crowd-pleasers from five o’clock on the main stage outside the Town Hall & Corn Exchange.
A few of the wonderful photos and videos I have been sent from Jade’s set at O2 Academy Islington last Thursday night, capturing a little bit of the incredible atmosphere at the show. (Big thanks especially to Jae Storer for some brilliant photography of the band onstage!)
It has been a huge privilege to spend the start of this year working on creating a live show for Jade from the songs on her 2018 album 20Sixty. I wanted to capture the cool, retro vibe of the album in the arrangements, whilst also making a visually impactful performance which grabs the audience’s attention with timecodes programmed lighting as well as a dynamic live band onstage.
Seeing this all come together in such a fantastic way on Thursday night last week – at a venue like O2 Academy, with a packed crowd watching the set – was an amazing feeling. I feel so proud of these performances, and I am very happy to have been able to deliver the audio and visual effect which Jade wanted from her live show.
Now onwards and upwards to the next exciting performance with Jade’s live band: on the main stage of the Ipswich Music Day in Christchurch Park, on Sunday 7th July.
