New album from Ben Glover, "one of Ireland's finest tunesmiths"

Album releasesAmericanaFolk
Written By Chris Singleton


Album release: Ben Glover, Do We Burn The Boats
Release date: August 13 2012
Label: BG Tunes
Listen: www.benglover.co.uk

"Ben Glover's records are a shining work of kindness and heart, and I am proud to have co-written a song with him" - Mary Gauthier, Singer/Songwriter

"He gives the listener reassurance and soul at a time when you thought those qualities were all used up." - BBC 

"One of Ireland's finest tunesmiths" - Hotpress

"It seems that Ben Glover is on the edge of greatness." - The Irish News

"Glover is our very own Bruce Springsteen with an Irish accent and shouldn't be missing in any record collection." State Magazine

Ben Glover is back with a fourth album, as emotionally graceful and expertly Americana as his previous three. And with even more songwriting maturity, his Springsteen-esque qualities and healthy Dylan twinge even more present, the critics’ early premonitions of greatness are even more justified.

Recorded in the heart of Nashville, Do We Burn The Boats was produced by Neilson Hubbard (Kim Richey, Glen Phillips, Garrison Starr) and features a track (Rampart Street) co-written by seasoned folk songstress Mary Gauthier. 

"I intended to record just five songs for an EP, but after three days in the studio we all felt that there was a momentum happening that we couldn't ignore. So we decided to go full steam ahead and cut ten songs and make an album," says Glover. "It all happened very quickly and organically, but I’ve learned that sometimes the creative process takes on a life of its own and when it does it’s best to follow it’s direction."

Glover has garnered rave album and concert reviews from across the globe and has toured extensively both as an opening act and a headliner. In the past year his touring schedule included dates in Belfast, London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dublin, New York, Brussels as well as dates at the famed Hotel Café in Los Angeles and sold out shows in the Nashville’s legendary Bluebird Café.

He hails from Glenarm, Co Antrim, a small coastal village 30 miles from Belfast, and splits his time between there and Nashville, Tennessee. He traded a law degree in for a music career and by all accounts it was a move that has paid off. 

‘I was always drawn to and continue to be attracted to artists of a poetic nature, or great storytellers — obvious names like Leonard Cohen, Van Morrison, and Paul Simon. And I've always had a great affection for country music; the Americana imagery always fascinated me. So people like Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson are important sources to me, as well. I suppose I am drawn to artists who had a very strong identity — maybe not the best singers in the worl, but ones who said important and meaningful things in their songs. Essentially, music has to come out of life, and if there's no life there is no music.’

Glover has toured and/or performed with Vince Gill, Buddy Miller, Jim Lauderdale, Mary Gauthier, Jason Mraz and Tift Merritt. His songs have been used in feature films such as Finding Joy and in hit webisode series Adults Only; he also penned the theme song for BBC N.Ireland sports programme The Championship.

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Chris Singleton
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