Stories from the Lockdown - Giles Read

London-based Giles Read has been compared with Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley, Davy Graham and Donovan and does indeed possess the magic of a wondrous minstrel with a softly beguiling voice singing (folk) “tales of hardship and hope” accompanied by the the masterful chime of his sophisticated guitar-work, which at times reminds me of the folk-rock maestro himself - Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull).

As the album name suggests, Giles tells a number of tales from the imagined perspectives of those affected most by the Covid19 pandemic and its forced Lockdown including worried tenants, an elite swimmer training for the Olympics, an anxious student, a homeless man and front-line key worker as well as the more positive viewpoint of the environmentalist.

Each song has a character (and tuning!) of its own and the whole experience is a peaceful oasis from a composer who knows his craft and has a natural understanding of how to put the right chords and bridges together to transform the pain into beauty and banish the gloom with a

spark of light.

The album was mixed by Chris Hill (Tom Hickox, Tim Dickinson, Arch Birds) with artwork by Will Hart at Subliminal Vision.

And all power to Giles as he is also hoping to raise funds from the sale of his album to support musicians and venues via the Music Venue Trust’s Crisis Fund so we invite you to head over Bandcamp now and donate to “Stories from the Lockdown”. Otherwise available on all digital platforms.