When you’ve won national and international awards for your songs, releasing new material can be daunting. Not so for Tamborine Mountain based (Queensland, Australia) singer-songwriter John Harley Weston. His new album 'Welcome Back To Reality’ (June 2008) is even more essential. Welcome back to the essence of great songwriting; strong melodies, teasing hooks & coherent lyrics that inspire & uplift. It’s all wrapped in hook driven, laid back, acoustic guitar-based rock, seasoned with folk.
In a time when much of today’s music scratches the surface of ‘reality’ Weston’s writing is reminiscent of the message songs of Ben Harper and Bernard Fanning. From the cajun-flavoured first single ‘Whatever Makes You Happy’ to the Sheryl Crowesque ‘Believe In Yourself’ on to the epic self-discovery song ‘Welcome Back To Reality’. It continues with ‘Let Your Life Begin,’ revealing shades of Paul Rodgers, through the bluesy ‘Wouldn’t Miss A Day’ and on to the Johnny Cash styled ‘Righteous Son’ about Australian, Van Nguyen, hanged in Singapore for carrying drugs. There are also tones of vintage Neil Diamond (one of the most successful songwriters of all time despite his taste in dinner jackets). Comparisons aside Weston’s style is individual. The album includes an intimate cover version of the Aussie classic, 'Waltzing Matilda,'.
2 songs off the album (Believe In Yourself & Waltzing Matilda) were chosen by Channel 7 Network Television to be added to their Beijing Olympics playlist. A potential audience of 5 million Australians. A multi-instrumentalist, Weston engineered, produced and performed 90% of the album himself…….and funded 100% of it. Now that’s an independent artist! To add that final touch of class the album was mastered and pressed by Sony, Sydney. Check out great quotes below from big names in music.
PAUL PITICCO (manager of one of Australia’s biggest acts – Powderfinger & Bernard Fanning) says 'Congrats mate. DIY has worked great for you .....you should write a "how to" book. It has been great to watch it grow. Here's to your continued success'.
MARK HOLDEN - (Australian Idol judge, music producer, songwriter)
‘Hi John.....really good site you have for listening - excellent material - good onya...'
KHALIQ GLOVER (Los Angeles grammy award winning recording/mixing engineer for Prince, Justin Timberlake, John Mayer, Christina Aguilera, Santana, Sting, Marcus Miller) He says, ‘Wow, you sound great. Great songs and craftsmanship and your singing is spot on..'
Weston's first album 'Hope Harbour' (2004/5) picked up serious awards. In Australia where the Scotsman’s now based he won the Australian National Songwriting Contest 2005 (rock category) with 'Last Days Of Summer'. He received highest level honourable mention from Billboard World Songwriting Contest (2006) for the humanitarian lament 'Brothers and Sisters' and in 2006 made top 20 at the notoriously difficult Unisong Intl Songwriting Contest...the comp that gave birth to Bonnie Raitt , Jimmy Buffet, Mick Fleetwood, Indigo Girls, Burt Bacharach. Weston was also voted in top 5 best singers in the world by major U.S. music publisher Dale Kawashima (previously Creative Director Sony Music Publishing L. A. and head of Michael Jackson's ATV).
John moved from Glasgow to Australia's Gold Coast in 1997. In 1999 released ‘Road To Victory' for Brisbane Lions AFL team (Aussie Rules) in conjunction with Festival/Mushroom Records. In the UK in the early 90’s as lead singer with Scottish band ‘Frontier’ he spent his musical apprenticeship working with some of the best e.g. Gary Katz (Steeley Dan producer), Ian Kewley (Paul Young’s M..D) & members of Paul McCartney's band.
As a solo artists John’s supported Duran Duran, Lighthouse Family, John ‘Swanee’ Swan. Indigo Girls, Gun. John Harley Weston is endorsed by Takamine Guitars, D’Addario guitar strings & Neumann Microphones.
More at http://www.johnharleyweston.com