David Ford (musician)

David Ford

David Ford performing at The Ark in Ann Arbor, Michigan, 20 November 2008
Background information
Born 16 May 1978
Origin United Kingdom
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Years active 1996–present
Labels Independiente
Associated acts Easyworld

David James Ford (born 16 May 1978, Dartford, Kent) is a British music artist. He first achieved prominence with the indie rock group Easyworld, who released an independent mini-album, ...Better Ways to Self Destruct and two full-length albums on Jive Records before disbanding in 2004.

As a solo artist, he has released four albums to date, two of which were named "Album of The Year" in both The Sunday Times and Word Magazine. David has toured the world opening for such artists as KT Tunstall, Gomez, Elvis Costello, Ingrid Michaelson and Ray LaMontagne and he has played the UK Latitude Festival, Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits. Ford has also performed on Last Call With Carson Daly and Sun Studio Sessions. The Guardian called him “unmissable... one of Britain's best."

History

Early years and Easyworld

Having played in several local groups together through their school years, Ford - who went on to attend Manchester University - and drummer Glenn Hooper formed the band Beachy Head in Eastbourne in the late 1990s. Soon after, the band was completed by bassist Jo Taylor. The trio recorded several demos and an unreleased album as Beachy Head before renaming the band Easyworld. The new name for the band was taken from the line "It's an easy world" in their song Better Ways to Self Destruct.

From 2001 to 2004, the group released one mini-album, two full-length albums and several singles. After lacklustre sales of their final record, Kill the Last Romantic, Ford privately announced his intention to disband the group. After several short festival performances and radio appearances to promote their final single, How Did It Ever Come to This?, Easyworld announced their split in September 2004. Their last public performance was at the Staffordshire date of 2004s V Festival on 22 August.

Solo career

David Ford at The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ, May 2011

Almost immediately after Easyworld's dissolution, Ford began to play a sporadic series of intimate solo gigs, debuting a number of songs which would later appear on his first solo album. In 2005, he embarked on his first headline solo tour. Fan favourite "State of the Union" was released as his debut single on 26 September 2005, followed swiftly by his self-recorded debut album I Sincerely Apologise For All The Trouble I've Caused.

After a support tour with Starsailor and a sold-out headline tour in February 2006 and the release of his second single, "I Don't Care What You Call Me", David confirmed headline shows in Ireland as well as shows across the US and high-profile slots supporting KT Tunstall, Richard Ashcroft, Elvis Costello and Gomez. His debut was released in the United States in May 2006 by Columbia Records.

After supporting Suzanne Vega on her UK tour, Ford released his second solo album, Songs for the Road in August 2007.[1] He toured extensively to support the album in October 2007 and toured the US in May 2008. The album was released in the US on Original Signal Records on 1 April 2008. Ford released a cover of The Smiths' "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" as a bonus track.[2] His third studio album, Let The Hard Times Roll, was released on 3 February 2010.[3]

David released his most successful album to date, Charge, in the UK in March 2013, and America in June 2013. Charge was produced by James Brown, who had just completed Dave Grohl’s most recent Sound City project and is a big fan of David’s music. Brown agreed to produce and mix the new album on his kitchen table in Brooklyn, NY for the price of a few pizzas. Charge debuted on the UK independent Album Chart at #30 and peaked on the UK iTunes singer songwriter chart at #3 and the UK Top 40 Main iTunes Chart at #43. A review in The Daily Telegraph praised both the album and the accompanying tour: "His fourth solo album of smart, angry, witty, emotional songs delivered with raw-throated passion. Live, he is something to behold, a one man band looping up an acoustic storm…stirring and extraordinary."

In 2012, Ford's 2008 single I'm alright now was pitched to French singer Johnny Hallyday, and became a hit in January 2013 under the name 20 ans ("20 years") with French lyrics by Christophe Miossec. In February 2014, this song was awarded "Best Original Song" at the Victoires de la Musique awards, sometimes referred to as "the French Grammy's", with Ford and Miossec accepting the award on stage in Paris.[4]

Personal life

Ford is married to Emma Ellis.[5] He has stated that his favourite place to perform in the USA is Philadelphia, PA.[6]

Discography

Studio albums

Single releases

Single/EP Release date Label Format(s) Notes
"State of the Union" 26 September 2005 Independiente CD, 7", Download Accompanied by b-sides "A Short Song About Stars" and "A Short Song About Shoes"
"I Don't Care What You Call Me" 20 February 2006 Independiente CD, 7", Download Accompanied by CD b-sides "A Short Song Of Apology" and "Trying To Find My Feet" plus the 7" b-side "Can't Go Back"
"Go to Hell" 23 July 2007 Independiente 7", Download Accompanied by album track "Requiem" as the 7" b-side
"Decimate" 8 October 2007 Independiente 7", Download Accompanied by b-sides "The Boy Most Likely To" and "Decimate" (demo). The latter only available on Digital Download.
"I'm Alright Now" 20 January 2008 Independiente CD, 7", Download Accompanied by CD b-side cover of Leonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows" plus the 7" b-side "New York"
"Pages Torn From The Electrical Sketchbook Vol. #1" 26 September 2008 Self-released through MySpace page / iTunes CD, Download Contained the songs "Nothing at All", "How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love My Credit Card" (also known as "I Want More"), and "Down by the Sea".
"Pages Torn From The Electrical Sketchbook Vol. #2" 11 December 2008 Self-released through MySpace page / iTunes CD, Download Contained the songs "This City's Cold and I Could Use a Friend", "To Hell with the World" and "Song for the Republican Convention".
"Pages Torn From The Electrical Sketchbook Vol. #3" 1 January 2009 Self-released through MySpace page / iTunes CD, Download Contained the songs "Elizabeth", "Hurricane" and "Demons" (Piano Version).
"Panic" October 2009 Self-release CD Accompanied by b-sides "Making Up For Lost TIme" and "The Big Dumb Singalong"
"Austerity Measures" 1 February 2012 Self-release CD
"4.1" 12 September 2011 Self-release CD
"4.2" 5 August 2012 Self-release CD
"Tennessee E.P.(Recorded at Sun Studios - Memphis)" December 2012 Self-release CD
"Charge" 2013 Self-release CD

References

David Ford in Toronto
  1. ↑ Street Hows, Zoe (10 August 2007). "David Ford Songs For The Road Review". BBC. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  2. ↑ Covermesongsa.com
  3. ↑ "Let the Hard Times Roll - new album available". David Ford. 1 February 2010. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  4. ↑ Ingham, Tim. "British songwriter David Ford wins 'French Grammy'". MusicWeek. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  5. ↑ Ford, David. (2011). I Choose This. The Magnolia Label /Los Caballos Media Empire. p. 79.
  6. ↑ "About David". Retrieved 28 April 2012.

Notes

^ Brown, Marisa. Review of I Sincerely Apologise For All The Trouble I've Caused. Allmusic. Retrieved May 2006.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to David Ford.