Release Date: 24th February, 2023
Folk Rock artist Ian Roland releases a momentous album, ‘The Wood Wide Web‘, entangling all who listen in a spell-binding celebration of the natural environment and our place within it. Beginning its journey in the spring of 2020 and created over the last three years, the project skilfully reflects on the connectivity between humanity and nature. Enjoy finger-picked 12 string guitars, captivating melodies, rousing string sections and powerful backing vocals throughout this project as Roland shares each attentively written song. Roland was particularly inspired by the complex underground web of roots and fungi helping to connect trees and plants to one another to share nutrients and more, in a ‘Wood Wide Web’. From songs written as if from the perspective of a tree (‘Gold In The Dust’), metaphors about corporate control (Giant!’), to songs acknowledging the ‘indescribable beauty of the natural earth’ (‘Beyond Words’)’, the album never misses a moment to galvanize listeners. In Roland’s words, the project is designed to highlight “the power of nature to rejuvenate, sustain and enrich all life, including our own, if only we gave it the chance to do so”. ‘The Wood Wide Web’ was arranged and produced with the help of Roland’s violinist and gigging partner Simon Yapp, as well as brought to life by the many talented musicians on board. Listeners can also look forward to spectacular video accompaniments for tracks including ‘Beyond Words’, ‘Gold in the Dust’ and ‘Nothing Could Grow There’. With cinematic instrumentals, vivid lyricism and ethical grit and determination, this album is a truly absorbing listen sure to move many music fans.
Brighton based Ian Roland is a multi-instrumentalist and singer songwriter that has had his fair share of milestones since his early twenties, where he spent time working for Parkgate Recording Studios in Sussex. From the heady heights of driving artists like Ian McCulloch (Echo & The Bunnymen), and Paul Heaton (Housemartins, Beautiful South) around the Sussex countryside, it was not long before he met and partnered with talented composer and producer Tim Cross (musical director for projects with Mike Oldfield, Hall & Oates, The Skids, The Adverts). In the space of 20 years, the pair would work together on countless musical projects. Endeavours spanned from composing for CITV and Channel 4 to working on albums for Dana Gillespie, TV Smith, and music publisher JW Media Music. More recently, Roland has been working with violinist Simon Yapp and cellist Brione Jackson. In 2020, the trio signed a production music deal with Indiesonics (Warner Chappell, BMG) for their first album ‘Double Rainbow’. With the release of ‘The Wood Wide Web’ Ian is well on the way to a bundle of recognition and he has a series of launch gigs coming up with Simon Yapp, to support the new album release https://ianroland.com/live . Be sure to give his latest release a listen!
Influences/
The Waterboys, The Kinks, Jason Isbell, Cat Stevens
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