Darren Black announces new album

Darren Black

Playing With The Truth from Darren Black is released on his own label on 4 September 2020.  Darren Black is a Welsh singer/songwriter who sprung to acclaim after recording his debut album at legendary folk fiddler Dave Swarbrick’s house. From there he has gone on to release several more albums featuring other notable folkies and acclaimed dobro player Lennie Harvey. He has also guested on other recordings including Naomi Bedford’s Tales From The Weeping Willow alongside Paul Heaton, Alasdair Roberts and Justin Currie. He was also a member of the Black Peak with Deborah Peake. Folking.com said of him, “Black possesses everything you need in a great folk musician” This album sees Darren teaming up with Stewart Prosser and Robert Sword.

Stewart Prosser is a trumpet & flugelhorn player and brass arranger. He spent several years as Paul Weller’s sideman in The Style Council, playing on such number one-selling albums as Our Favourite Shop, as well as on top five singles, and touring and recording extensively with the band. More recently, he co-produced, co-arranged and played on classical chart topping album In A South Downs Way.

Robert Sword is a composer, arranger and musician. As well as being the pianist and string arranger for Damian Montagu’s number one classical album, In A South Downs Way, also featuring actor Hugh Bonneville, he has released several albums of original piano compositions. He is also a guitarist and songwriter for the folk-rock band Sandtimer and pianist/arranger in Celtic band Head North.

The final world on such an ambitious and uncompromising album should go to Darren Black himself:

“We live in unsettling times. An age where nothing, and everything, is to be believed. Fake news, fake leaders, fake promises built on little but vanity and self gain. Nothing is seemingly out of bounds, especially if it means garnering popularity. The internet; all-consuming for some, and a medium through which communication, compassion and exchange are facilitated. But also a place from which cowards can hurl their poisonous missiles under inscrutable anonymity. 2020 is the year we left an institution which helped shape our lives and our livelihoods over two generations. We must however strive to be optimistic, so much good can still be found on this planet. We need to re-model and reconnect, in so many ways.”

These and other related notions of freedom, identity and education are what Playing With The Truth is about. Lend an ear.

Artist’s website: http://www.darrenblack.net/

‘The Clown’ – official video:


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