Press Release Renegade Anglo-Americana

The heart of America and the spirit of adventure are explored in two incredible collections of songs, The Girl With The Rattlesnake Heart and Reliance, and a new book. Based upon the songwriter, author and vagabond Steve Bonham’s trek through Appalachia and the forests of Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina, followed by a road trip from Asheville to Nashville and New Orleans, this is spirited, maverick music with an edge and a heart.

The Girl with The Rattlesnake Heart takes a few simple ingredients and spirits them up into edgy, raw 'moonshine' music. It’s Renegade Americana … songs like the title track, ‘Last in Line’ and ‘The One I Loved Before’ conjure up an America of brooding landscapes; the outlaw and the rebel, the lonesome battle against fate. A land where the ghosts of the Cherokee wander along ‘The Trail of Tears’ and a motorcycle roars into a desert sunset in ‘The Ballad of the Dragon’s Tail’. These are songs of dark memories and courage – this is acoustic music at full throttle.

Status: Online EP available on Apple Music / iTunes etc. now. Whole collection available as download and CD from www.artisan-creative.com. LP released June 23rd

Reliance keeps its feet close to the dirt music of the backwoods; a mix of self-composed and favourites of the band played with a jug of whiskey at their side. It’s music of the silver dollar and a fire under the stars. Dylan’s ‘The Girl from the Red River Shore’ meets the ‘Moroccan Song’ – a tale of a Californian girl hiding out in the Sahara Desert. ‘Emeline’ the riverboat chugs away from the troubles of the world and the vagabond leaves his bag behind the couch. And somewhere on a broken porch swing, the poet sits watching ‘Hummingbirds’ and remembers the girl by the sea. It’s a collection of songs where the surprising intimacy of banjo, Cajon, guitar, tuba and sometimes piano rings true. And where, in the end, Diamond and the Gambling Man hit the long-lost trail.

Page 2 Renegade Anglo-AmericanaStatus: Online EP available on Apple Music / iTunes etc now. Whole collection available as download and CD from www.artisan-creative.com. LP released June 23rd

A Beautiful Broken Dream: The Gone To Look For America project.

A chance remark by singer songwriter Joe Henry, appearing with Billy Bragg, set Steve Bonham (ever the vagabond philosopher) off on a literal and metaphorical exploration of the myth, music and moonshine of America. The Gone To Look For America project is a powerful, witty, moving, idiosyncratic collection of songs featured on the albums above. Many of the songs were co-written with fellow band members in The Long Road. As well as the two albums above Steve has also written a ‘trail journal’ called A Beautiful Broken Dream which will be published in July and to be officially launched at Wigtown Book Festival in September.

In these times, when many find America bewildering and disconcerting, The Gone To Look For America project is a timely reminder of the potency of the soul and spirit of this enigmatic land. The music was recorded at the famous Woodworm Studios in Oxfordshire, England during Autumn / Winter 2017/2018.

Steve Bonham & The Long Road

Renegade Americana, Anglo-American, Roots? It’s hard to pin down the compelling, distinctive high energy music of Steve Bonham and The Long Road. It’s a swampy brew of styles mixed from both sides of the ocean, characterised by sharp lyrics, great melodies and the fab sound of acoustic instruments being played with passion and purpose. It’s a kind of music that appeals to the outlaw in us all. It features as fine a bunch of rogues as ever hit a recording studio. As well as Steve Bonham, who has been described as the songwriter’s songwriter; The Long Road consists of Chris ‘The Bishop’ Lydon on piano and tuba, Kev Moore on bass, guitar and drums, and John Humphreys on guitar, resonator, banjo and fiddle.

more

Page 3 Renegade Anglo-AmericanaSteve Bonham – The Vagabond Philosopher

Wide brimmed hat. Long dark coat. Guitar slung on back. 21 years on the road. A hundred thousand miles and half a thousand hotel rooms. From the Berlin Wall to Atlas Mountains, from the Sahara Desert to the streets of Hong Kong: a memory brewed in the long simmering soup of people and place. A man who has learned to watch and to listen, to walk and talk in the ebb and flow of meeting and parting. He is a chronicler of the human spirit in words and music. Steve Bonham is a storyteller, a published author, an inveterate traveller, for decades a songwriter and musician and an award-winning psychologist. In various guises he has released over 10 albums; four books - the last of which was called A Little Nostalgia For Freedom – and the first Mystery play for 500 years.

https://www.artisan-creative.com/gone-to-look-for-america.html

Photographs

Website www.vagabondphilosopher.com / www.artisan-creative.com

Facebook page www.facebook.com/stevebonham01

Twitter https://twitter.com/stevebonham01

Instagram www.instagram.com/tstevebonham01

Email info@artisan-creative.com

Review copies of The Girl With The Rattlesnake Heart and Reliance : go to

https://www.artisan-creative.com/music-store.html and enter G2LFAREV at checkout for both collections.

For sample chapter of A Beautiful Broken Dream https://www.artisan-creative.com/book-store.html

more