Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire
ARTIST BIO
A band defiantly in the classic mould, Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire’s darkly compelling conjunction of classic Americana and Celtic soul found real coherence with the release of their long awaited eponymous album. Produced by Danton Supple (Coldplay, Morrissey) and mastered by Pete Maher (U2, The Killers), the album was released to critical acclaim in late 2013.
Hart took a leap of songwriting faith on the album – visiting themes of death, desolation, religion and loss- underpinned by the hopeful romanticism characteristic of his earlier work. Connecting with his band The Lonesome Fire, the result is a vividly widescreen sonic landscape; dark, brooding and atmospheric, but shot through with moments of beauty and hope, given life by the producer of Coldplay’s multi-million selling album X&Y.
The album was recorded in locations as diverse as a Glasgow church, the band’s own rehearsal room in Govan Town Hall (once home to Franz Ferdinand), and the legendary Dean Street Studios in London (the birthplace of albums by David Bowie and The Smiths).
As well as having his own show on BBC Scotland, Roddy also curated Forever Young: A 70th Birthday Tribute To Bob Dylan for Celtic Connections 2011, a hugely successful gala concert featuring artists such as Rosanne Cash, Thea Gilmore, and Josh Rouse, which was broadcast by BBC Radio 2 and Sky Arts. As part of Celtic Connections 2013 he curated The Roaming Roots Revue – a night in the spirit of Levon Helm’s Midnight Rambles and featuring Beth Orton, The Low Anthem, and many more, Roddy and his band were then acclaimed as the ‘festival highlight’ by The Independent. Hart has performed for the Queen at the Scottish Parliament, toured all over the world, and played with artists such as Wilco, Kris Kristofferson, Ray LaMontagne, Ray Davies and Jeff Beck. The band will again host the Roaming Roots Revue this year featuring a series of exclusive duets from an international array of talent.
The band also made their US Network debut on the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson earlier this year, securing a rare week-long residency on the leading talk show.
'Widescreen…poetic and [with] verve…evoking the epic rock of Springsteen. Local hero turns contender’
Uncut
‘Gorgeous…exquisite Americana with a neat Scottish touch’
Clash Music
’Hart deserves a legitimate place in the long line of classic Scottish pop writers’
The Sunday Herald
‘Destined to be a classic’
The Sunday Mail
‘Outstanding’
The Daily Express_
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