My Soundtrack of 2014

I spend a lot of time listening to music, albeit mostly on headphones or in the car these days due to a rather boisterous little lad that's been living in my house for the last year. 

In 2014 I feel I've come across some really excellent new music, it's been a bit like being 17 again and really believing in it all over. So I wanted to share with you an eclectic mix of 10 great acts that have added to the soundtrack of my year.  And so, in no particular order....

1. Foy Vance Closed Hand Full of Friends (Joy of Nothing)

2. James Bay When We Were on Fire (The Dark of the Morning)

3. Craig Alan Hughes Private Polly (Silhouettes & Photographs)

4. Shaun Church East Cape (Demo EP)

5. Lost Gravity What Goes Around Comes Around (Lost Gravity)

6. Vienna Ditto Liar Liar

7. Michael McArthur Desire

8. Manchester Orchestra Cope (Cope)

9. Josh Ritter Hopeful (The Beast in it's Tracks)

10. Damien Rice It Takes A Lot To Know A Man (My Favorute Faded Fantasy)

Onwards & Upwards

2014 has been a busy year for me. I released my third solo album Snakes & Ladders which I'm really pleased with and performed at more events, gigs and weddings than ever before so I must be doing something right!

High Hopes from 'Snakes & Ladders'

A really big thank you to everyone who has booked me, bought my album or left nice comments about my music. I really do love being a musician and all the new places and people it introduces me to. I have a couple of gigs left this year. One at the idyllic Swan Inn at Horning (Fri 19 Dec) and a New Years Eve knees up at the ever so friendly White Hart in Rocklands.

Over the last couple of months I've taken some time out with my family and have been working on new cover songs for next year and have a few original songs written for what I'm sure will end up being album #4 once I get some studio time organised. Here's a demo of one of those called, 'Grounded'.

Thanks for listening and see you 2015!

"Let the universe know what you want and work towards it while letting go of how it comes to pass."

Jim Carrey

Easter Sunday Update

A busy year it has been so far for me ; balancing both becoming a Dad and working hard on my solo music career now settled in Norwich has made for a pretty exhausting but very fulfilling few months.

NEW ALBUM

On the recording side of things I've been really enjoying a far less pressured recording experience for the tracks I've chosen so far for, 'Snakes & Ladders'. I think because there is no real reason for me making this album other than for the joy of making music it's just working out really well for me. Here's a few music vids I've made for the songs so far...

Runaway Trains by Jonny Goode

High Hopes by Jonny Goode

Crossfire by Jonny Goode

Snakes & Ladders CD Cover Artwork

LIVE

I'm happy to say I'll be making an appearance towards the end of the Norfolk & Norwich festival in May. They've added an extra day to support local artists and I'm really pleased to be involved with this one and to get the opportunity to sing some of my own songs live. Myself and good friend and drummer Matt will also being opening up the Bury St Edmunds Beerhouse Festival on May 23rd and this is surely going to be a fun night! I'm playing monthly at The Bell Inn in St Olaves too which is a really lovely pub on the river. All gig details can be found on the link below...

Gig List 2014

THANKS

A really big thanks to everyone who supports me online, has found me busking, gigging and those of you who have bought my music. It really does mean a lot.

Jonny

www.jonnygoode.com

Norwich busker celebrates album release

If local Singer/Songwriter Jonny Goode's face were a little familiar, you'd be forgiven for not quite being able to place why. 

Throughout this year, in between many lengthy home recording sessions for his new solo album, 'Flying Past the Stars on Silver Wings' Jonny has been busking regularly around Norwich. “It's a great way to get back to basics,” says Jonny. “Recording can easily turn into an elusive pursuit of perfection and that's usually about the point I walk away and do something else!” 

Since it's release the album has been gathering momentum. “It's been so nice to receive a lot of positive reviews, especially ones from local press.” Online columnist for the EDP, Alex Preiss recently praised the album enthusing that “he [Jonny] could take any of these songs right into the charts; a shining example of why your local music scene is always worth investigating.”

Jonny's upcoming launch party will be held at The Bicycle Shop on St. Benedicts in Norwich. “We [Jonny and Nigel] just walked in and as soon as we saw the venue we thought, ‘Wow, this place is perfect’”. Jonny’s friend and fellow songwriter Nigel Ashcroft will also be performing some songs from his new record and Jonny is looking forward to an opportunity to share the stage with some good friends and perform songs with a band rather than acoustically. It’s gearing up to be “a very special night.”

The event takes place on Sunday 8^th December with live music starting from 8pm. Tickets are £3.50 and available from the UEA box office or via a link on Jonny's website www.jonnygoode.com

Alexandra Glacet

info@alexandraglacet.com

Vintage VSA590

I'll start by saying I've owned a lot of electric guitars. Some of the better ones include a Tokai Strat, Fender Nashville Tele, Epiphone Les Paul (early 90s Japanese) and a  Gordon Smith GS 1. These have all since been sold on, ebayed and gone to new homes ; such is the life of a singer/songwriter!

The relevance of mentioning these is that I've never acquired an electric guitar, new or second hand that felt remotely as quality as the 590. Put simply it feels like home. The neck is so easy to play and incredibly comfortable, intonation is set perfectly and the guitar's looks are spot on. I'm a big fan of the Elliott Smith/John Lennon sound and the 590 does this in style. It's everything I would have expected from either an Epiphone Casino or Gibson 330 and after some research the 590 certainly has a couple of tricks up it's sleeve in comparison. The 'Wilkinson' P90's sound fantastic. The Grover machine heads offer excellent tuning stability and I'd take them everyday over the style used on the Casino. The 590 also has a wooden block running through the body (unlike most p90 equipped semi's) which helps feedback issues especially when using some drive on stage and comes in an attractive black hard case.

Sonically the guitar has such a warm rich rhythm sound which I've never been able to totally achieve with other electrics and toggling to the bridge pick up provides a slightly hotter lead sound. On top of all this, jhs and the Vintage brand are a very supportive and approachable company and come across as very committed to producing high quality instruments for musicians who do not yet have rock star bank budgets. I am now the owner of a Vintage acoustic and electric and will continue to sing the praises of these great instruments and look forward to using my new addition on my next album and sharing the stage with it.

www.jonnygoode.com

http://www.jhs.co.uk/vintagesemi.html