Roddy Frame - Western Skies

Roddy Frame is set to release a brand new album on May 29th and is undertaking a full UK tour throughout May and June followed by European Dates in late summer.

The album, Roddy’s third solo release, is titled “Western Skies”. It follows a similar pattern to 2002's brilliantly received “Surf” released on the Redemption label in the UK. The 11 tracks feature delightfully soulful, emotive vocals from Roddy, expertly crafted songs and Roddy's accomplished, immaculate guitar work.

Whereas “Surf” was an entirely solo effort, “Western Skies” was recorded and co-produced with Jeremy Stacey in his Chelsea studio with Roddy playing guitars and occasional bass, Jeremy playing drums and other instruments and some additional bass from Mark Neary. There is more light and shade than on “Surf” but it's still an old-style "back to basics" record, all recorded on tape with nothing digital in sight. 

The title track was originally a collaboration with Radio 1's Rob da Bank.  Roddy wrote a lyric and melody for a track that Rob had written with his partner Mr Dan and released under their collaborative name, Lazyboy.  Roddy's version is a slowed down, complete reworking of the song. 

The forthcoming tour sees Roddy going out on his own, playing both acoustic and even electric guitar. Roddy has been building up his one-man show over the last few years, mixing both current and old material. In 2003 he performed acoustically at the Glastonbury Festival for the first time and in 2004 had a headline slot at the Cambridge Folk Festival.  Last year, he played a month long residency at Ronnie Scotts and the forthcoming tour is by far the most extensive since touring as Aztec Camera in the nineties. 

Aztec Camera was essentially a band in name only with Roddy Frame the leader, singer, songwriter and guitarist.  The group signed to Glasgow's seminal Postcard label when he was just 16 and he scored his first major hit with "Oblivious" taken from his Rough Trade debut album “High Land Hard Rain” in 1983.

"Somewhere In My Heart" was a huge hit in 1988 and he continued to work as Aztec Camera into the mid-nineties, working with a diverse range of people including Mick Jones of the Clash, Tommy Lipuma and Japanese composer, Ryuichi Sakamoto. Roddy then released his first solo album, The North Star in 1998.

One man, one voice, one hell of a record! (Mojo)

A reminder that one of Britain's finest songwriters is still on quietly magnificent form. (Uncut)

A songwriter's masterclass (NME)

The boy wonder matures.  Surf already sounds like a classic (Scotsman)

Wonderfully understated. One of his best records  (Observer)