WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR will bring their new album ‘Bleeding On The Soundtrack’ to venues across the UK this April.
WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR APRIL / MAY HEADLINE TOUR
17th April: Thekla, Bristol
18th April: The Deaf Institute, Manchester
23rd April: Heartbreakers, Southampton
25th April: Prince Albert, Brighton
26th April: Fat Lil’s, Witney
27th April: The Cluny 2, Newcastle Upon Tyne
1st May: The Hug and Pint, Glasgow
3rd-6th May: Kilkenny Roots Festival, Ireland
8th May: The Lending Room, Leeds
10th May: The RAFA Club, St. David’s
15th May: The Musician Pub, Leicester
18th May: The Old Bakery Studios, Truro
21st May: The Lexington, London
23rd May: Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
24th May: The Bodega, Nottingham
30th May: Red Rooster, Suffolk
Tour dates + ticket links HERE
William the Conqueror is the band put together by songwriter Ruarri Joseph, alongside his close musical conspirators Harry Harding (drums) and Naomi Holmes (bass) in the Winter of 2015. ‘Bleeding on the Soundtrack’ is the second album from the band, following the debut ‘Proud Distributor of the Peace’ (2017, Loose), in an abstract biographical trilogy inspired by Hermann Hesse’s book ‘My Belief’ which housed three separate essays on innocence, disillusionment and faith. In creating William The Conqueror, Joseph has found a vehicle to exorcise demons, and a freedom to draw on a personal history that he’d unconsciously skirted as a solo artist. The trio’s live performances have a boundless energy and rawness that has been captured on the record with the help of producer Ethan Johns (Ryan Adams, Kings of Leon, Laura Marling, The Jayhawks).
Lifted from the new album is recent single ‘Looking for the Cure’, a song about redemption. It’s raw, laid-bare song-writing but with an acerbic wit and an overall cathartic effect that turns a dark experience into something more hopeful, even joyous. As frontman Ruarri Joseph expands: “’Looking for the Cure’ started out as a mournful ballad about witnessing the process of recovery from addiction: the tragedy of searching for something that doesn’t exist. Then it dawned on me that if you’re looking, at least it means you’re alive to do so, and that’s a cure in itself.”
Mirrored in the song’s contrary message of joy is the bold, driven musicality of William The Conqueror. Ex-Atlantic singer songwriter Ruarri Joseph (guitar/vocals) is joined by Naomi Holmes (bass/vocals) and Harry Harding (drums/vocals) to deliver a brand of Americana that bleeds into heavier Southern rock, with touches of blues and influences in the youthful sounds of grunge and indie-rock. Looking for the Cure was recorded at Real World Studios, Wiltshire and produced by Ethan Johns.
Pre-order William The Conquerors forthcoming album ‘Bleeding on the Soundtrack’ HERE
2018 saw William The Conqueror play a string of triumphant performances at UK festivals, a showcase at Nashville’s AmericanaFest and more recently a headline gig at The Water Rats, London. This year the trio are set to play SXSW festival as well as UK shows including London’s AmericanaUKFest, and following their UK in-store trail this year will hit the road for an extensive UK headline tour in the Spring – dates below:
Bleeding on the Soundtrack is out now via Loose and available on CD, Vinyl and Digitally.
William the Conqueror is:
Ruarri Joseph (vocals/guitar), Harry Harding (drums) and Naomi Holmes (bass).
