A long-time master in taking the anxieties of life and twisting them around with his particular brand of feel-good power-rock, Ryan Hamilton’s return is suitably upbeat.  

Paper Planes is the first new original release since his Top 10 2021 Album, ‘1221’. It’s also the first release in over two years that Hamilton has been able to support with live shows, debuting new material in front of thousands at LeeStock festival recently and next appearing at Maverick Americana festival in July.  

Backed with a blistering cow-punk version of the George Strait classic ‘All My Exes Live In Texas’, Hamilton sounds like he’s ready to make up for pandemic lost time.  

Paper Planes is released on Stevie Van Zandt’s ‘Wicked Cool’ label on all digital platforms: https://orcd.co/PaperPlanes   

Hamilton embarks on a co-headline full-band tour of the U.K. in October with Jason & the Scorchers legend Warner E. Hodges. 

Dates here: https://ryanhamiltonmusic.com/tour-dates

Wicked Cool Records’ First Official RSD Release

Dallas Fans Can Catch His In-Store Session at Good Records This Saturday, April 23 at 4PM

12 Song Set Includes Originals + Collaborations with Bob Schneider, Chuck Prophet and Covers of Tracks By Catherine Wheel, Spin Doctors and The Refreshments.

Critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Ryan Hamilton and Wicked Cool Records have announced an exclusive Record Store Day release of his latest album ‘1221’ on sky blue vinyl.

Limited to 1000 copies, the album marks the first official Record Store Day title from Wicked Cool Records.

Hamilton says, “I’m a big supporter of local record stores, and I’m a huge fan of Record Store Day. I would have been there anyway, so to have my album as a Record Store Day exclusive is not only a HUGE deal for me and Wicked Cool Records, it’s dream come true territory.”

Ryan Hamilton will celebrate Record Store Day (Saturday, April 23) with fans via an in-store performance at Dallas, TX’s Good Records (9026 Garland Road Dallas, TX 75206) on Saturday, April 23 at 4pm.

During 2021, with touring still off the agenda owing to the pandemic, Ryan released a new track a month via Wicked Cool for his project ‘1221’. Collaboration was the abiding theme, with artists & friends such as Bob Schneider and Chuck Prophet offering up previously unreleased original songs for the record.

Nestled among originals of his own, ‘1221 features a smattering of choice covers where Ryan does his very own take on songs by the Spin Doctors (How Could You Want Him…), Catherine Wheel (Satellite) and the Refreshments (Banditos).

Working with go-to producer Dave Draper, the singles came together in pandemic isolation with Ryan recording at his home studio in Texas and Dave sprinkling his magic from the U.K.

Upcoming Shows:

US:

5/5 Sellersville Theatre – Sellersville, PA (with Soraia, Kurt Baker)

5/6 Berlin – NYC (with Soraia, Kurt Baker)

5/8 Daryl’s House – Pawling, NY (with Soraia, Kurt Baker)

5/13 Dingbatz – Clifton, NJ (with Soraia, Kurt Baker)

UK:

6/2 Northcourt – Oxford, UK

6/3 Leestock Festival – Suffolk, UK

7/2 Maverick Festival – Suffolk, UK

10/12 Rescue Rooms – Nottingham, UK

10/13 Water Rats – London, UK

10/14 Waterloo Music Bar – Blackpool, UK

10/15 The Patriot – Newport, UK

10/16 Thekla – Bristol, UK

10/18 The Musician – Leicester, UK

10/19 The Crescent – York, UK

10/20 The Railway – Winchester, UK

10/21 The Greystones – Sheffield, UK

10/22 The Greystones – Sheffield, UK

10/23 Bannermans – Edinburgh, UK

10/26 Cluny – Newcastle, UK

10/27 The Stables – Milton Keynes

10/29 Stromness Town Hall – Orkney Islands, UK

10/30 – Green Hotel – Kinross, UK

Socials:

Ryanhamiltonmusic.com / twitter.com/theryanhamilton /Instagram.com/theryanhamilton

The last time I crossed paths with Ryan Hamilton was November 2019 at his annual Holiday Hoedown in Nottingham. He had short hair, hell, I had short hair! It seems a lifetime ago now, a time when Corona was just a beer and wearing a mask in a bank would’ve got you arrested.

These are trying times for us all, including our favourite Texan troubadour, but things are getting better right? Recording and releasing the ‘1221’ album over a 12-month period in lockdown has kept him sane and kept his fanbase interested, and now a return to the UK for his first live dates since the world changed appears to excite him as much as his fans.

3 dates billed as a co-headline tour with London singer/songwriter Emily Capell will see the singer play The Hyde Park Book Club in Leeds, bookended by sold out shows in Newcastle and London.

It’s my first visit to the Hyde Park Book Club, and it’s a great little venue. From the outside it looks like a supermarket, yet inside, with a small reasonably priced bar, homemade sausage rolls and cakes for sale, it has a homely atmosphere and surely the ultimate den for the student population to come and hang out, drink, and catch up on assignments. Down a precarious set of stairs, we find the basement venue. If dimly lit and void of people, it would seem the perfect ‘kill room’ for Joe Goldberg from the popular Netflix show ‘You’. But tonight, it will be the stage for 3 talented musicians.

With a shock of pink hair, an acoustic guitar and a powerful set of pipes, Brighton songstress Gina Larner warms up the crowd with an enjoyable set of folk-tinged pop ditties. Her tones sit nicely somewhere between Kate Nash and Amy Macdonald, she apologizes for chatting too much, has a cool song about daytime whisky drinking. It’s fun, she has a likeable presence, and the songs stand up to the test. A perfect opener.

We bought tickets, we turned up and we assumed one would headline and one would support. So, it was a surprise to see Ryan Hamilton and Emily Capell take to the stage together and announce a song for song face/off. I knew little of Emily’s music before tonight. I avoided researching as I wanted to view her as a new artist free of any expectations. Of course, being a big fan of Ryan Hamilton, I wasn’t expecting her to be able to compete, and in this case, boy was I wrong…oh so very wrong!

The lady with a beehive and a Gretsch guitar can certainly holds her own against the Texan with a cowboy hat and an acoustic, no problemo. Song for song and piss-take after piss-take, the duo have the room captivated for the entire set. If you have seen Ryan Hamilton bearing his soul with just an acoustic guitar, then you know what an intimate experience it can be. From the uplifting opener ‘Smarter’ to the ever cool ‘Never Should Have Moved To LA’ onto crowd favourite ‘Take It On Th Run’ (or ‘Take It Up The Bum’ as it was sung tonight) the songs are great as ever. But it’s the sadness of ‘Cheaters Never Change’ and the optimism of ‘This Is The Sound’ that really shine through tonight.

It’s by no means a sad show, and this is largely due to the comedy banter between the duo. Ryan and Emily work well together in this format, like they have been touring for months, not days. It’s like a brother/sister act of light-hearted one-upmanship that usually ends in Emily telling Ryan to sit down and shut up! Ryan’s fascination with the English language continues and Emily obliges by teaching him the meaning of words such as “skip”. Its comedy gold and maybe if the singing fails they could both have a career in stand-up!

Thye end the set as a duo tackling each other tunes and a great version of the Johnny Cash classic ‘Jackson’.

For me a great artist has to have the whole package, that certain sparkle. Well written songs, a good voice, charisma and the ability to captivate an audience. Ryan has already proven himself in that department, but to remember the hooks to songs the first time you hear then live is very rare for me, and listening to Emily’s album the morning after the show I remembered at least four of the songs she played. The likes of ‘No Worries’, ‘Ipso Calypso’ and ‘Who Killed Smiley Culture’ are quality tunes full of quirky, retro 60’s pop goodness, but with a contemporary edge.  And to deliver them, out of her comfort zone, solo to an unfamiliar audience with such confidence is the sign of a star in the making.

Ryan Hamilton is an artist whose back catalogue straddles power pop and Americana with radio-friendly singles and lyrics that hit the heart and soul. His live performance, whether with a band or solo is always memorable. Emily Capell is a Clash loving, doo-wop delivering ball of quirky goodness with a killer voice and killer tunes. They live worlds apart and come from different cultures, but somehow, together they make magic and gel probably more than they realise. Let’s hope this is the start of a beautiful musical friendship and hopefully more gigs together. Ryan has already teased his return to these shores later this year, if he plays a show near you, do yourself a favour and check him out.

Author: Ben Hughes

Ryan Hamilton album, released digitally & CD November 26, 2021 on (Stevie Van Zandt’s) Wicked Cool Records

Hamilton’s Americana fuses his Country heritage with alt rock & power pop sensibilities. 


The central theme of this latest album is collaboration. Pandemically stripped – for now – of his transatlantic band the Harlequin Ghosts, Hamilton, working with long-time collaborator and producer Dave Draper, has drawn upon a variety of sources here. Including covers of tracks by The Spin Doctors, The Refreshments and Great Yarmouth’s finest – Catherine Wheel, ‘1221’ also offers a brace of previously unrecorded originals by Chuck Prophet and Bob Schneider along with the Hamilton penned singles.


Hamilton has released a track a month during 2021, each hitting the iTunes Americana Top 20.  Hamilton has been heralded by Spin magazine as one of the ‘Best Lesser-Known Artists of the Last 35 Years’.

RICKY RAT-  “She Feels Like a Good Thing” b/w “Born in Detroit  (I-94 Recordings) Ricky has teamed up with his Rat Pack members Laura Mendoza (bass) and Joe Leone (drums) for 2 new studio tracks.  The “A” side is a brand new original and the “B” side is a cover of the classic “Born in Detroit” (The Rockets). The amazing Jimmie Bones guests on piano on this barnstormer.   A good time slice of Rock and Roll sees Ricky do what he does best just cruising down this Rock and Roll freeway kicking up the dust with some punk rock n roll with a catchy chorus and gang vocals that sound like one of those memorable nights out.

The B side is worth the money for this 45 alone.  Ripping it up with some cool as fuck piano licks to give the feel good kick this bit o boogie woogie needs.  Class!

Preorders are available at I-94Recordings.com (they will ship out August 20th).

 

Delusions Of Grandeur –  EP (Savage Magic Records) is the result of a bunch of mates from two different countries, recording songs remotely, to help kill the boredom of Lockdown 1.0.

It is not a band, there will be no gigs. It is a one off, 4 track 7” of songs that would have otherwise been left to rot on Austin’s hard drive if Mel hadn’t suggested that they should try recording them and see what happened.

Blah blah Hip Priests, blah blah Bitch Queens. It doesn’t sound particularly like either but it’s fast, bangin’ and has loads of guitar solos!  That’s a pretty succinct press release and right on the money to be fair.  Obviously, Mel’s vocals would point to the Bitch Queens comparison but the solos are pure hear n aid bliss wig out for guitarists especially on ‘Drinking My Life Away’.  One for the collectors of these bands involved but that would be doing these tunes a disservice because they are proper bangers and that’s why you should buy this record. Respect the Rock!  

PRE-ORDERS shipping from USA! <—click here
PRE-ORDERS shipping from UK! <—click here

 

Chuck Norris Experiment – ‘This Will Leave A Mark’ (Transubstans Records / Ghost Highway Recordings)  is taken from the upcoming album with the same name, which will be released on September 17.   The single is released on all streaming services and download platforms! Spotify / YouTube

A clean sharp stab of high octane Action Rock from Sweden’s finest most uncompromising rockers giving fans and newcomers a nice little taster of what’s to come from Chuck and the gang.

 

Confused – ‘I Want A Beer’ (Confused Records)  Get the WD 40 ready for those double bass pedals and heads down wait for the starting gun and Go!  Hardcore as fuck Confused go for it.   M.O.D., Agnostic Front, D.R.I.paved the way for this to come crashing the party.  Brutal. RIOT PRE-SAVE URL:  www.tinyurl.com/getriot
Website / Facebook

 

 

Brian McCarty & the Jen-U-Wine Faux Diamond Band “Hamtramck Jukebox” b/w “A Place in the Sun” (I-94 Recordings) Brand new single from Brian McCarty.  The “A’ side pays tribute to Lili Karwowksi and her bar Lili’s 21 which was the hangout/hometown bar for the gang back in the day.

He was the vocalist and founding member of Detroit’s glam punk Trash Brats (1987-2002) and has been consistently putting out solo releases for the last 20+ years. A wonderfully sunny rocker with a tip of the hat to Detroit rockers whilst the flip side is a bright and breezy tip of the hat to Stevie Wonder with a rocking version of the song “A Place in the Sun”.   A blast from start to finish and a real ray of sunshine and hope in difficult times.  check it out! Here

 

 

FRVITS ‘Stupid Era’ (Slovenly Recordings)  A banging six tracks spread over a 7″ EP is VFM if ever I saw it.  This debut EP from Montreal’s first and only Dot Matrix Rock’n’Roll Band FRVITS. It’s thunderous hardcore space punk (or so they say).  It is ferocious to be fair, Fronted by Shit Vicious on a radioactive vox, and featuring Wind of Change (associate of PRIORS & DUCHESS SAYS), Krispy Karl, Alexander Ortiz, and Blag Dahlia/Jesus (DWARVES) with a vocal appearance on the penultimate track “Abortion Hoops.” This one is tough, fun, and as abstract as a frvit salad served in a urinal. Head fucked!

Buy Here

 

 

 

Kris Rodgers and the Dirty Gems – Take Me To The Pilot’  (Wicked Cool Records) Kris Rodgers & The Dirty Gems’ upcoming album, Still Dirty, which was released in July on Wicked Cool Records.

THE Q-TIPS – ‘There Are Those Who Drill Violently!’ EP (Slovenly Records) Prepare your ears and numb your minds, puny humans. The Kids of the Drill Hole, known officially as Munich’s THE Q-TIPS, are here to scrub your auditory canals, getting rid of the grime and re-contaminating ‘em with their 2nd EP “There Are Those Who Drill Violently.” For their Slovenly debut, sequencer Ms. Juliette and programmer Mr. Brotzeit kick four cuts of crunchy and negative synth-punk screamers hysterically down your hear-holes. The sincerity of tracks llike “Full of Hate” and “Shut Your Face” is as real as you are stupid, but the humor never gets lost in translation.

Buy Here

 

 

 

Indonesian Junk – ‘She Stands There’ (Rum Bar Records) Inspired choice of cover for a single. Didn’t see this one coming as the kings of sloppy loud dead boys glam-punk crowd Indonesian Junk do justice to the mighty Degeneration legacy by knocking out a blisteringly good take on this banger.
If you have to ask who Dgen were then their work here is done. Killer band does killer cover who’d have thunk it? Hooray to the Junkos you’ve done good here and we tip our hat to you guys tipping the hat to those guys.  Good times!
Ryan Hamilton – ‘Permanent Holiday’ (Wicked Cool Records)  ‘Permanent Holiday’ is the 8th track from Ryan’s 1221 project, where every 12th of the month, a new track is released, culminating in a full-length album at the end of the year.  This one is like a huge ray of sunshine the feel-good hit of the summer. A song about escapism and this never-ending pandemic or a hopeful future where the new normal rocks.  This might just be the tonic for that time.

KOMBI KILLERS – ‘ScuMo’  (Riot Records) oi oi heads down and lace up those docs. Brisbane’s old-school punk rockers KOMBI KILLERS have released their new single ‘ScuMo’ through Riot Records, and it is available on all digital platforms! blink and it’s done. no compromise and boot boy punk.  Not for the faint-hearted.

CAROL HODGE RELEASES NEW SINGLE ‘THIS’ 

 

NEW ALBUM ‘THE CRIPPLING SPACE BETWEEN’ is OUT SEPTEMBER 24th VIA MIDNIGHT STAMP RECORDS

 

 

One of the best songwriters in existence at the moment” – Louder Than War

 

Yorkshire-dwelling singer-songwriter Carol Hodge is a wonderful musical dichotomy. With her roots and ethics firmly set in punk as keyboard player and long-term collaborator with Crass frontman Steve Ignorant and his current band Slice Of Life, Carol is also a uniquely gifted song-writer and as able to conjure up beautiful pop-infused, heart-wrenching melodies as she is screaming into the face of authority and injustice

 

She describes herself as a ‘seven-fingered pianist’. Carol was born with a rare condition called cleft type symbrachydactyly, which means Carol has just two fingers on her left hand. This hasn’t held her back as her impressive CV is testament to. Carol also performs as a keyboardist/backing vocalist with various touring bands including Ryan Hamilton (signed to Stevie Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records), Crass/Steve Ignorant, and has also guested with Ginger Wildheart, Headsticks and The Membranes.

 

Today sees the release of ‘THIS’, the first release from the forthcoming ‘The Crippling Space Between’ album, due September 24th via Midnight Stamp Records.

‘THIS’ is an uplifting rock anthem that packs a positive punch. Lyrically, the song references W.H. Auden’s Funeral Blues, and charts the deterioration of the spirit throughout 2020. Dramatic low-key verses give way to huge and heavy guitars in the choruses, reflecting the rollercoaster of uncertainty life has become of late. Carol explains:

 

I’ve never felt such rage, such grief, such uncertainty. We all like to think we are in control of our own lives, and have a hand in our own destinies, but 2020 pulled the rug out from under us. It has absolutely taught me to accept that there are forces in the world beyond my control. I have dug deep and found the positives. When it seems like there is nothing left, there is hope. Always.

 

The official music video stars Nashville-based dancer Erik Cavanaugh. Erik’s unconventional style and crusade against the stereotype of the ‘dancer’s body’ (his philosophy: “Do you dance? Do you have a body? Then you have a dancer’s body”) has won him over 13 million likes on TikTok. He also features in music videos by The Avalanches (feat. Rivers Cuomo) and Tim Chadwick. He dances up a storm throughout the video, ending the finale in 5 inch heeled red latex boots.

 

 

Produced by Dave Draper (Jazmin Bean, The Wildhearts, The Professionals), ‘The Crippling Space Between’ is an unashamed exploration of the emotional rollercoaster that was 2020. Carol flits between musical styles, bridging the gaps with her astute lyricism. A fierce believer in remaining independent, the album will be released on Carol’s own label Midnight Stamp. Previous albums Savage Purge (2020) and Hold On To That Flame (2018) featured on several Top Album end-of-year lists, and 2020 single Stopped Believing In You received significant indie and online radio play, including from BBC Manchester and BBC Bristol.

 

Find Carol Hodge online Here

For his July release, Ryan Hamilton expands the collaborative theme of his 1221 project with a Chuck Prophet original song that has not previously seen the light of day. As promised at the time of releasing last month’s rocking ‘Shots Fired’, Hamilton serves us up more pounding drums, driving guitars and a big BIG chorus with this anthemic, no doubt soon to be live favourite.

Ryan Hamilton releases previously unheard Chuck Prophet song as his July 1221 offering

So, how did you & Chuck Prophet first come to know each other?

Chuck and I have a lot of mutual friends, but the truth is… we became friends on Twitter. How lame is that? Haha. We started tweeting each other, and that led to emailing each other, exchanging phone numbers etc… What a world we live in now.

Are we likely to see you collaborating with Chuck again in the future, or maybe even touring together with live shows definitely back on the cards for 2022?

I would LOVE to collaborate with Chuck more. “Big Man” turned out amazing, and I think it may be the beginning of something more. Who knows. I think a tour together would be wonderful. It’s been discussed a little bit, and I think it should happen. I actually just signed with a new, big, awesome Agency here, AMG (Atomic Music Group) and it appears I will be touring A LOT next year. Gotta do something with Chuck!  

With 1221 now in the home stretch, how have you found the public’s reaction to the project and has it surprised you which songs have been received the best?

The reaction and support for this 1221 album/project has been amazing. I’m terrible at guessing which songs people are going to love the most. Haha. So far it’s “Deja Vu I Love You” and “Shots Fired”. If people like those, they’re gonna LOVE the rest 

Hamilton has been heralded by Spin magazine as one of the ‘Best Lesser-Known Artists of the Last 35 Years’.

RYAN HAMILTON RELEASES “BIG MAN” 12 JULY 2021, VIA WICKED COOL

LINK TO TRACK PRE-ORDER/SAVE HERE: orcd.co/1221july

 

Ryanhamiltonmusic.com

twitter.com/theryanhamilton

Instagram.com/theryanhamilton

Ryan Hamilton shoots to thrill at the halfway point in his 1221 Project 

How can it be June already?
Back in January 2021, Texan singer/songwriter announced his 1221 project, his intent to release a new song a month for the duration of the year. This month’s track, ‘Shots Fired’ sees us reaching the halfway point with a floor-stomping rocker.
What was the inspiration behind this latest track?

This song is about getting used. I’ve had some TOXIC relationships in my life… as lots of people have. So I got a feeling this song is gonna resonate with lots of folks. When you stay in a poisonous relationship, simply because there’s a singular good thing… whether it’s sex, or not feeling alone… whatever it may be. We ignore the abundance of reasons we should GET OUT, and stick around anyway. Why do we do that? This song is about that. 

With half of 1221 already done, are you able to share anything about the remaining six months of releases yet to come?

From here on in, everything is rock n roll. I can’t wait to share the rest. 

On the cover image for ‘Shots Fired’, you appear to be the victim of said shots – what’s happening there?

I wanted an image that portrayed a man being used. I’ll let you decide just HOW he might have been used 😉

Hamilton was recently heralded by Spin magazine as one of the ‘Best Lesser-Known Artists of the Last 35 Years’.

RYAN HAMILTON RELEASES “Shots Fired” 12 JUNE 2021, VIA WICKED COOL

LINK TO TRACK PRE-ORDER/SAVE Here

Ryanhamiltonmusic.com
twitter.com/theryanhamilton
Instagram.com/theryanhamilton
“Little babies in bathrooms getting high…”  So begins the fifth single of Hamilton’s 1221 project in an arrestingly ‘did I just hear that right?’ moment.
But before you’re shocked by such imagery, let Hamilton provide some context.
“This song was a gift from my friend, fellow Texas-based artist and all round great guy, Bob Schneider. He’s a true artist, and has a real gift as a songwriter. The lyrics are about how we often revert back to being babies throughout our lives. Bob and I have been friends for a lot of years. He was the first music friend who made me feel like it was ok to be 100% myself. A kindred spirit, and a fellow weirdo. I’m am forever thankful for Bob’s kindness, support, and friendship. I’ve always looked up to him as a songwriter. So, when he sent me this incredible track for ‘1221’, I was honored. Not only is ‘Babies’ a killer song, melodically… I found the lyrics deeply interesting, and powerful.”
Hamilton has already treated us to a brace of choice covers on what – month-by-month – is bringing us his next album. But this Bob Schneider song isn’t actually a cover?…
“This isn’t a cover, no. This is actually a song Bob has never recorded for an album. For him to trust me with his song, and be proud of the version I created is a VERY big deal to me.”
 
We’re assuming that’s (younger) you on the single’s cover art – what exactly is happening there?…
“I found a box of old photos, and this one really stood out to me. It’s all a bit odd. But I was a weird kid! Haha. Yeah. That’s me on the cover. The photo seems to really fit the vibe, and the off-kilter lyrical content of ‘Babies’.”
With UK producer Dave Draper once again at the helm, ‘Babies’ is evocative of the Country vibe central to Hamilton’s 2020 chart topping EP ‘Incommunicado’ (also Draper produced). A certain twang may be customary with a singer/songwriter from Texas, but how does a producer from deepest Worcestershire tune into that Americana sound so well?
“It’s strange how good Dave is when it comes to Country and Americana. He’ll go from producing the Wildhearts to dropping Cliff Richard lyrics to referencing Hank Williams. He’s like a mad scientist! Not only do I love working with him, I think he’s the best Producer out there right now.”
Expanding on the theme, Hamilton enthuses: “I love that the UK’s Americana scene is thriving. It’s humbling to have become embraced within it. The folks at Americana UK are super supportive and I was thrilled to be invited to play Maverick Festival last year. Here’s hoping that can go ahead now in September. Everything crossed.”
Hamilton was recently heralded by Spin magazine as one of the ‘Best Lesser-Known Artists of the Last 35 Years’.
RYAN HAMILTON RELEASES “Babies” 12 MAY 2021, VIA WICKED COOL
LINK TO TRACK PRE-ORDER/SAVE: Here

the latest single in Ryan Hamilton’s 1221 album project

 

 

With a 2021 launch schedule to rival even Elon Musk, April 12 sees Texan singer/songwriter Ryan Hamilton release his very own ‘Satellite’. This comes as the fourth single of Hamilton’s 1221 project, in which he brings us twelve new songs, – an album-in-progress – one every month across the year of 2021.
April brings us a cover of ‘Satellite’ by late nineties shoegazing/ alternative rock band Catherine Wheel. For many, this could be an introduction to a group who had all the makings of eclipsing the likes of My Bloody Valentine and a certain Thom Yorke fronted combo back in the day. So what brought a band from Great Yarmouth, UK to the attention of the Texan?:
“I think it was 1997. Radiohead’s ‘Ok Computer’ was EVERYWHERE. But right behind those guys, was a band called Catherine Wheel, and an album called ‘Adam & Eve’. That album was BIG! here. In all the music magazines. I think maybe they get left out of the discussion because Radiohead was just THAT HUGE. But they deserve so much more attention, respect etc. They were – are – an incredible, and influential band.”
Hamilton’s 1221 project kicked off in January 2021 with a cover of another 90s lost treasure, the Spin Doctors ‘How Could You Want Him…’, garnering much public praise from the band. Which begs the question – have any of Catherine Wheel heard your version of ‘Satellite’ yet?:
“They actually have. I was able to get in touch with the guys from the band, and have struck up friendships with Brian and Dave. They all love the cover! Which, of course, feels amazing. I think I also get some extra cred with our tour manager Pam, who is the biggest Iron Maiden fan there is. It blew my mind to discover that Catherine Wheel’s front man Rob is the cousin of Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson”.
Featuring another lush production from stalwart collaborator Dave Draper, Hamilton’s ‘Satellite’ sounds like a certified radio hit – 90s panache firmly intact, with a very ‘now’ sonic wrap.
The single’s art is another striking image, Hamilton festooned in guitars looking like some kind of musical satellite about to get beamed into space…
“I had this idea about being surrounded by several different guitars… with no idea if it would actually work. But it turned out great! Side note: Having that many guitars strapped to you at once is REALLY HEAVY. I could barely move! Haha.”
 
Further ‘hardware’ features in the accompanying video. With echoes of ET’s ultimate quest – it finds Hamilton seemingly searching for a signal from the great beyond, roaming an empty field with a satellite dish and boombox in tow.
 
“For this video, I wanted to do something really simple, and “Satellite” related. I love simple, effective videos. I’m having fun coming up with original concepts for the visuals on this project. Thankfully, with each new release, people have been responding in a really positive and great way.”
Hamilton was recently heralded by Spin magazine as one of the ‘Best Lesser-Known Artists of the Last 35 Years’.

RYAN HAMILTON RELEASES “Satellite”, VIA WICKED COOLPRE-ORDER/SAVE HERE: https://orcd.co/1221april

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