JosephDowling
Joseph Dowling
London
Biography: After the break up of my band, the perennial outsiders 'No Hope Astronaut', I started writing material chiefly for my own pleasure, with no expectation or pressure outside of trying to create something I enjoyed to play. Where it would lead was no longer important, and whether people liked the music I made became secondry behind whether I liked it, and maybe that's what was missing all those years spent struggling in vein to etch out a path as a rock musician. In many ways it was like going back to the start, as a beginner. I had to begin learning again, and the world of acoustic guitars and techniques was not one I was overly familiar with. Now I am unable to rely on the power and volume of distortion and amplification I feel that every note, and every word becomes important, as there is nowhere to hide. I recorded five of my songs with Ed Woods in March of 2010, and these became the Solitaire E.P. The recording was done over two sessions, there are no overdubs and it is just me and the guitar. I got to use a stunning 1940's Gibson acoustic and I am very happy with the sound. Some of the songs are single takes, and some required one or two edits, but the overall feel is very intimate and spontaneous, which is what I wanted. Since then I have been writing and playing in fits and spurts, with several new songs doing the rounds. Keep up to date with any gigs I have coming up over on the facebook page. xx