ADSactly Artist Spotlight - Soul Search
What is it about soul music that lives up to its namesake, reaching into the soul and speaking directly to a part of you that needs more than words and images in order to make sense of the world.
SOUL SEARCH
RAG 'N' BONES MAN
Rory Charles Graham was born in 1985 in Essex. There was really a missed opportunity to name him Ray, but anyways I digress.
He leaned towards being a slightly troubled youth, which got him expelled from King's Academy before moving back to his hometown to continue his schooling. He obviously has a cheeky streak in him that's still present today.
As a youth, Rory took part in the Prince's Trust self-development programme for people aged 16 to 25 who were unemployed and was applauded for his efforts in a community project that saw kids painting and making vegetable gardens.
Let's check out some music, and start with the obvious single that everyone knows:
HUMAN
Backtrack 5 years to when Rory started working with UK hip-hop label "High Focus". This work, and these releases - including collaborations with Leaf Dog and Dirty Dike - lead to him working with producer, Mark Crew, who was then working on an album with Bastille on the track "Remains" which also features Skin from Skunk Anansie.
REMAINS
Okay, to be honest, I don't really like this track. I only really like the hook that Rag 'n' Bones man does. But it was undoubtedly a decent step in his career.
During this period he also released an EP titled "Wolves" followed by another titled "Disfigured".
It must be noted that the title track from "Wolves" ended up on his debut album when it released.
WOLVES FEAT. STIG OF THE DUMP
But then the world breathed a collective "Aha" moment when he released Human. Man, what an album, and what a title track. The title track was featured on various media such as the trailer for Mass Effect: Andromeda, the Amazon Prime series Oasis, the trailer for Thank You for Your Service, and the television series Inhumans. You don't really need much more exposure than that.
The title single went gold in various European countries such as in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland, and the album won British Album of The Year in 2017 at the BBC Music Awards.
We look forward to much more by this great artist. He may not look exactly like a man with huge amounts of soul. But when you listen, you hear it pouring out of him.
DISCOGRAPHY
EP's
Bluestown - November 2012
Dog 'n' Bone (co-release with Leaf Dog) - April 2013
Put That Soul on Me - July 2014
Wolves - October 2014
Disfigured - March 2015
STUDIO ALBUM(S)
Human - Human
SINGLES
Nobody with Leaf Dog - 2013
Hard Came the Rain - 2015
Human - 2016
Skin - 2017
As You Are - 2017
Grace (We All Try) - 2017
Broken People with Logic - 2017
AS FEATURED ARTIST
She with Stig of the Dump - 2016
The Apprentice with The Gorillaz - 2017
Up next?
MICHAEL KIWANUKA
Michael grew up in London, England, to Ugandan parents who had escaped Idi Amin's regime to the UK. Uganda under Amin was a seriously oppressive environment and its estimated that 100000 to 500000 were killed during his rule.
Michael's first stint as a musician was as a session guitarist before venturing into becoming a solo artist and putting out his own material, when he was picked up by Communion Records who released his first two EP's.
He had the good fortune of being the support act for Adele during two of her tours in 2011, which really helped put him on the map.
FIRST TWO EP'S - SIGNED TO COMMUNION RECORDS
During 2011 he was signed to Polydor records where he began work on his first full-length studio album, Home Again, which was released in 2012.
HOME AGAIN
The title track is full to the brim of bluesy tones, grounded over a 12/8 (or 6/8 depending on how you feel it) rhythm that rolls past like a train, and echoes the sentiment of "going home". Michael has a signature vibe when it comes to tempo, generally keeping it quite mellow, and it makes for beautiful, easy listening.
In 2014 he did a short 2-track EP titled You've Got Nothing to Lose, which he signed to Third Man Records.
YOU'VE GOT NOTHING TO LOSE
I have always found EP's that are so short to be a bit odd, but that's just me.
Cut to two years later, 2016, and Michael's signing another album to Polydor Records, titled Love & Hate.
LOVE & HATE
The title track is eight minutes long! It's not often that you get to hear a song that long. It's such an old-school vibe, with an awesome guitar solo by Michael himself. The song has such a pop sensibility, insofar as it is full of hooks and beautiful, easy chord progressions. I love in the video where the camera cuts to the view from the studio control room. Again a nod in the direction of the classic music video style.
Another great song of this album is:
COLD LITTLE HEART
Did you ever want it?
Did you want it bad?
Oh, my
It tears me apart
Did you ever fight it?
All of the pain, so much power
Running through my veins
Bleeding, I'm bleeding
My cold little heart
Oh I, I can't stand myself
Just...beautiful.
DISCOGRAPHY
EP's
Tell Me a Tale - April 2011
*iTunes Festival: London 2011 - July 2011
I'm Getting Ready - July 2011
You've Got Nothing to Lose - February 2014
STUDIO ALBUMS
Home Again - March 2012
Love & Hate - July 2016
SINGLES
Enjoy the music and make sure to leave a suggestion who you would like to see an article on.
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