The first EP for IVOR S.K., in April 2016, ‘Delta Pines’ went straight to No. 2, with a bullet on the Australian Blues and Roots Charts and, remained in the Top 25 until September. The 2nd single ‘Missus Green’, kept the home-fires burning up the airwaves, whist he was soaking in the spiritual homeland, performing his music in some of the most historic venues in New Orleans. Returning home in October for performances at the Sydney Blues Festival as special guest for the amazing ‘Diesel’ and, dates with singer/song writer Rick Price on his ‘You Are Not Alone’ tour, completed 2016 on a major high.
IVOR’s highly anticipated album ‘Montserrat’ is now complete and to wet your appetites in March, the digital single ‘Take The Good – With The Bad’ was released. Radio gravitated to the new single immediately and, it took out the No. 8 spot on the AMRAP Regional Charts on March 27.
Now, his debut album ‘Montserrat’ is to be released independently on April 28, featuring 10 cuts that travel the gamut of the blues and all of its closely related tangents. ‘Montserrat’ introduces a new sonic landscape with fresh instrumentation while keeping to Ivor’s trademark stripped back simplicity. He plays all the instruments on the album, which lends itself to a collective of blues genius.
‘Montserrat’ kicks off with the title track, an ode to the picturesque Caribbean island, in the form of a slinky jump blues showcasing lyrical flair with stinging lead guitar work. This West Indian flavor fares up again on the Cuban tinged reggae track, ‘I Been Had’, but not before traversing the chain gang stomp of ‘Don’t Say Goodbye’ and, the humorous country blues of ‘Ain’t No Cross’. ‘Take the Good with the Bad’ is the epitome of swampy, while ‘It’s Raining’ changes the pace, bringing in some slow burning acoustic soul. ‘Take Me Back to New Orleans’ and ‘Murder Tonight’ exemplify the albums diversity, the former an uncompromising slice of Big Easy funk, the latter a chilling tale told over a chugging boogie. The album ends with a one-two acoustic punch, starting with the only instrumental, the sweetly southern ‘Indianola’, and ending with the wry story telling of ‘Good Mawnin’ Judge’.
‘Montserrat’ is a watershed moment in the career of Ivor S.K., displaying diversity not only as a musician, but also as a song-smith in an evolution that takes his talent and passion for keeping the blues alive another step forward. At just 26 years of age, there’s plenty more to come.
A young singer/songwriter and a superbly talented blues artist, his dark, smoky voice and liquid guitar stylings have impressed media and legendary musicians alike. IVOR plans to return to the U.S. to tour his new album in late May and balance the U.S/Australian musicians’ lifestyle with the endless Summer…..
Rave reviews for his debut EP ‘Delta Pines’ here:
“I’d never have guessed that Australian Bluesman Ivor Simpson-Kennedy wasn’t born in Mississippi – his blues are that good! I’m not sure what about Ivor I like best, his gravelly authentic bluesvocal or his smooth guitar pickin’ and slide. Some might argue that his songwriting is his most impressive talent. Taken together the sound is of that of a performer three times Ivor’s 26 year age.” – Doug Spike, Blue Monday Monthly
“Listeners fall into his work, losing themselves in the sparsely recorded and produced compositions, traveling a timeless road that opens before them. Ivor Simpson-Kennedy has laid down a marker that establishes him as someone with incredible ability and potential.” – Barry Kerzner, American Blues Scene
Show on:
Saturday April 29 – Hawkesbury Paddlewheeler Windsor – as special guest for Fiona Boyes
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