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Ever since
bulldozing his way onto the scene with unforgettable tracks like
'Cuddly Toy' and 'Family Man' in the late 80¹s, Andrew Roachford's
maverick take on music has spread far and wide. As the first artist
to sign a staggering seven-album deal with Columbia Records, it
heralded the beginning of something big. "Getting signed and
being a black British artist gave me a sense of pride," enthuses
Andrew.
2003 introduces
the new sound of Andrew Roachford. The new album 'Heart of the Matter'
features a more soulful R'n'B production style, which has evolved
from a career spanning over ten years and was mainly prompted by
time recently spent in Philly where much of the album was written
and produced.
Like any artist
worth their salt, Andrew Roachford¹s music is the result of
many things. Raised in south London to West Indian parents, as a
child of the 70s and 80s, it's no wonder that his music sounds the
way it does. Influenced by everyone from Curtis Mayfield and Al
Green to The Roots, D'Angelo and Jill Scott, Andrew's formative
years were also spent listening to Radio One, reggae and jazz. Pinpointing
the beginning of his musical career as a child he vividly remembers
being mysteriously drawn from his bed to play the piano in his living
room. "There was always a piano in the house and I just got
up and started playing even though I¹d never played before.
There was something quite surreal and magical about it." Looking
at Andrew Roachford's family history, though, it shouldn¹t
come as any surprise.
Born into a
musical dynasty, his uncle Bill Roachford was a virtuoso saxophonist
whose claims to fame includes teaching Ronnie Scott and Femi Kuti
how to play Sax. The musical ball really started to roll however,
when Andrew hit the road with his uncle. Playing gigs on the jazz
circuit in those days, gave him a good grounding for things to come.
"I got lucky enough to start gigging when I was about 14. I
was in the middle of that whole jazz scene which was an interesting
education. It taught me musically, how to listen and how to entertain.
My uncle always told me that you had to give people a show."
All of Andrew's
albums to date: 'Roachford' 1988, 'Get Ready' 1991, 'Permanent Shade
of Blue' 1994 and 'Feel' 1997 all reached gold status in Britain.
He was also Columbia's biggest selling domestic act for over ten
years. As if any more proof were needed, the fact that Andrew Roachford
has been approached by such luminaries as Michael Jackson and Chaka
Khan to write songs, speaks volumes.
Although Roachford
is reluctant to categorise his music, others have attempted to define
his sound. But the release of 'From Now On' in 2001 Andrew Roachford
definitions began to change again. With re-mixes by T Smoove of
Underground Solution and Sunship, the outfit responsible for Sweet
Female Attitude's 'Flowerz', provided yet another step in a new
direction. However one of his most successful collaborations to
date has been courtesy of the Full Crew: When we did the remix of
'Insecurity', the response was amazing- the DJ's went mad for it.
They were actually coming to our studio's asking for it, and it
was changing hands for £50 a time, so it was no surprise winning
the Echoes Remix of The Year Award say the Full Crew.
Soul man, musician
and poet Andrew Roachford has become many things to many people,
but no matter what category you put him in, he¹ll always find
someway of getting out of it. Never allowing himself to be pigeon
holed, Roachford¹s latest album 'Heart of the Matter' explores
yet another musical avenue.
Following a
two year break Andrew Roachford returns with an album which heralds
a marked change in musical direction and one that will surprise
many. Released on M3 records, a record label set up by Andrew with
his management, the self written and produced 'Heart Of The Matter'
perfectly showcases Andrew's talents as a jazz and classically trained
pianist, consummate soul vocalist and producer as well as the songwriting
prowess that has been well documented by critics, fans and fellow
artists.
The new sound
of Andrew Roachford has resulted in an album that has the energy
and impact of a debut piece of work. This beautifully crafted album
is a perfect mixture of upbeat soulful tracks as well as jazzy laidback
tunes. Its smooth production allows Roachford to display his superb
vocals at its simplest and best, particularly evident in tracks
such as 'Walk On' and 'The Music'.
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