West Australian, Jason Ayres, releases his brand new EP titled ‘Got My Heart’ on April 1 and is set for a series of launch dates in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
Having released a string of EP’s since he began in 2007, Jason’s forthcoming EP titled ‘Got My Heart’ delivers a unique brand of alternative country. It is a new style of music that he’s dabbled in for this release but insists that he maintains his grass roots.
“It’s the first time I’ve got the full band back together after seven years of being a solo acoustic artist,” says Ayres. “I’m finally feeling free enough to write what my heart feels and this time it feels alternative country”.
An avid collector of vintage guitars having almost thirty in his collection, Jason recorded the EP in its entirety using a slather of vintage Gibson acoustic guitars that were built back in the 1940’s and 1950’s. He also wrote the EP in pieces whilst travelling the country on his last tour as he dealt with the breakdown of a long-term relationship, the result capturing his intense feelings and inevitably finding a fresh start to his life.
“It’s a record about breaking the pieces only to put them back together again. Albeit stronger, better and more uniform,” says Jason. “I came out of a ten-year relationship that was damaged and irreparable just twelve weeks before the wedding date. I hit the road with my guitar and made music for a while. With space from the chaos, and the damage dissipating in the rear view, I was able to dust myself off and focus on the future. Little did I know that the future held a new love.”
The South African born singer moved to Australia at age seventeen calling Perth his new home. It was this move that enriched his passion for music and encouraged him to first pick up a guitar.
“I arrived in a fresh country filled with strange accents, new words and zero friends. I stuck my nose into a local guitar shop I fell in love with a black acoustic guitar, and I was besotted with the instrument from that moment on.”
Jason cites Bob Dylan as one of his biggest influences: “with nothing more than a guitar and a voice, he was able to capture my imagination and made me rethink what music was and where it came from.”
With a strong focus on his music, Jason gained the support of Perth’s mainstream radio receiving airplay on the likes of 96fm and Mix 94.5 and ABC Radio. That, and his constant drive to perform live at every chance, Jason has grown a loyal following and garnered a reputation as one of Western Australia’s “hardest working solo performers” (Menu Magazine).
Having performed to sold out crowds in iconic music venues around the country, his intimate live show and eloquent stage presence have earned him spots supporting international chart toppers like Anastacia, Rick Astley, Hot Chocolate, Manhattan Transfer, Dionne Warwick, Blood Sweat & Tears, Leo Sayer, Steve Poltz, Gary Puckett & the Union Gap and Midge Ure (Ultravox), as well as Australian icons like Russell Morris, The Whitlams, Thirsty Merc, Kasey Chambers, James Reyne, Daryl Braithwaite, Mark Seymour, Jon Stevens, Ian Moss, Adam Harvey, Tex Perkins, Eurogliders, Black Sorrows, Mental As Anything, 1927, Pseudo Echo, James Cruikshank (The Cruel Sea), Wendy Matthews and many more.
Jason Ayres is hitting the road in April to launch ‘Got My Heart’ playing headlining shows in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Hobart and hometown Perth.
Jason Ayres – Got My Heart EP
Release date: 1st April 2017
Got My Heart Tour Dates 2017
1st April – Astor Theatre, Perth, WA
8th April – Club Voltaire, Melbourne, VIC
9th April – Red Rattler Theatre, Sydney, NSW
14th May – Republic Bar, Hobart, TAS
21st May – The Milk Factory, Brisbane, QLD