ALEX MCEWAN RELEASES HIS SOPHOMORE ALBUM
‘IN A WORLD WE DON’T KNOW’ OUT NOW
INCLUDES THE NEW SINGLE ‘BEE IN A HONEYPOT’
“His voice, a confident, flexible and powerful instrument, is his strongest card, investing every word he sings with the kind of conviction that’s required when handing out pearls of hard won wisdom.” – Mojo
“A warm, enriching voice and a deft way with a lyric that cuts right to the heart.” – XS Noize
“We look forward to what McEwan does next.” – Maverick
“All three singles set high expectations for McEwan’s new material and the album will definitely be one to watch out for.” – Americana UK
Twenty years ago, Alex McEwan released his debut album ‘Beautiful Lies’, landed an airplay hit with the Radio 2 playlisted ‘Make A Wave’ and toured the UK as guest to Katie Melua. It’s only now, however, that a second chapter is opening up in his career as today he releases his eagerly anticipated second album ‘In A World We Don’t Know’ with the new single ‘Bee In A Honeypot’.
The new single ‘Bee In A Honey Pot’ opens the new album and sets the tone for an album that celebrates the joy of unexpected second chances in life, triumphing over adversity and throughout it, Alex wears his heart on his sleeve. ‘Bee In A Honey Pot’ is an effortlessly lovely and timeless single and shows how Alex has honed his craft to write classic love songs over the years.
“It’s a song about time and how limited our time on earth is,” explains the singer/songwriter from Glasgow. “About feeling free, and about the person you love. And given what we’ve all been through in the last three years, it speaks to a desire to feel free again, like we were as kids. But it’s also a love song to my wife.”
Alex’s first foray in music came at a relatively late stage in life. He had spent some of his twenties working as a supply teacher in some of the toughest schools in London but his life spiralled downhill as he sunk into depression following the death of both his mother and grandmother in quick succession. He resorted to busking around London to make a basic living, supplemented at a particularly low point by selling The Big Issue. During this time, he witnessed first hand the many scenarios that led to his acquaintances living rough – often due to some combination of mental health issues, addiction, the lack of a support network and sheer bad luck. While many passers-by were supportive, he also remembered how many people could be hostile or even violent to those who had already fallen to the fringes of society.
The more Alex busked, the stronger his talents became. Eventually he was able to travel throughout Europe, mixing busking and bar gigs as he travelled across the continent, his guitar usually being his only companion. After getting his life back on track and performing in Nashville and Los Angeles too, a bigger opportunity arose when he was approached by a stranger after a gig at the 12 Bar Club, who was in the process of setting up a new independent label that had a distribution deal with Universal. Alex was definitely interested, but wise enough to know that nothing is set in stone until a deal is signed.
So it wasn’t long until he was back busking on the Circle Line. As the train approached High Street Kensington station, Alex was approached by Puff Daddy’s personal assistant. He was sufficiently impressed to invite Alex to perform at a showcase that team P-Diddy were holding at Kensington Roof Gardens, and Alex arrived ahead of his set to find the venue packed with industry big hitters. Suddenly there was a buzz around this previously unknown Scottish singer-songwriter, and the man he had met at the 12 Bar Club moved quickly to complete a deal that would change shape the next few years of Alex’s life.
Life had other plans after Alex’s first rush of success. He instead returned to a regular life, initially by returning to his work as a supply teacher, his voyage into music a distant memory, an unlikely story to share on rare occasions. In the years that followed, he always saved some money whenever he could to have something to fall back on, just in case circumstances took him back to where he was in his late twenties. The feeling that he could’ve done more in music lurked at the bottom of his mind, but that was all in the past. And then…
Alex and his wife were in a late night bar on holiday. An open mic night was in full swing, and she convinced him to step up to play a song. A roar of enthusiasm greeted his performance which reminded Alex of being on stage at Hammersmith Apollo all those years ago. It was a nice moment, but it was just a boozy open mic night. But the next day he was repeatedly stopped by strangers who wanted to tell him how much they enjoyed his performance. It was the first step that inspired Alex to start writing songs again – and once he did, he realised that those songs were better than those he had written for his debut. Using the money he had saved, he started releasing new music in 2022 and the reaction was strong enough – including a Record of the Week at BBC Scotland – to convince him to commit to releasing an album. And so album number two, ‘In A World We Don’t Know’, is out now – almost twenty years to the date since his first record was released.
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