|
I went solo again in 2003 with an album called Open Up. The title track was written in a cottage in Wales 10 years previously. The album was recorded at Andy Turner’s ProTools studio in Wolverhampton and includes the song Olivia, dedicated to my beautiful daughter born in 2001. The song features a flute solo by my friend Jon Hughes. Also on the album is the stomping Vann / O’Connell number ‘Just Another Teenage Dream.’ Radio interviews and more gigs followed and my website: alexvann.net was launched.
This was followed in 2004 with the album It All Falls Down, another ProTools product. A video of the song ‘It All falls Down’ was made. I was invited to do Steve Morris’s ‘Roots and Branches’ show on WCR (Wolverhampton Campus Radio) when I talked about my influences and played some live tracks.
In 2005 I invested in some home recording equipment and started work on recording some songs which I’d had in ‘sketch’ mode for ages. This resulted in the album ‘Riches Street’. I was invited by Gary O’Dea to appear as one of the acts at the Alternative Black Country Night Out, which has attracted much media attention including the BBC. It was at one of the ABCNO nights, on 22nd July at The Newhampton Inn in Riches Street, Wolverhampton that I launched the album ‘Riches Street.’
Lots of personal changes happened between 2005 and 2008 and my music took a backseat while I got my life on track. Throughout this unsettled period I continued to write songs which reflected the things I was going through. This resulted in a deeply personal and honest collection of songs which I am extremely proud of. Looking For Belvedere took over a year to record from May 2007 to June 2008. The title refers to an idealised place, more spiritual than physical, where complete happiness is finally achieved. The cover features a modernisation of MC Escher’s drawing entitled Belvedere which has impossible columns and perspectives (so read into that what you will).
In 2007 I got together again with Richard Smith and Colin Burchill from the SHOWGROUND days. Together with Nick Chad on drums we have created a new set of rock songs which we will be recording and touring with late in 2008. The band name is ZANZIBAR ….watch this space for updates.
|
