Xander Rawlins

Alexander "Xander" Rawlins is a popular singer-songwriter whose career started while he was a British army officer serving in Afghanistan. He was a 2014 BBC Introducing Artist and is well known for his songs "We See You" and "1000 Miles Apart". He will soon be releasing a new EP. He is a founding member of Soldier in Blue.

Career

Xander Rawlins, also known as Alex Rawlins (full first name Alexander), attended Bedford School,[1] Bedford, England and Oxford Brookes University. After graduation from University, he attended The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst commissioning into the Grenadier Guards in 2007. In 2009, he deployed to Afghanistan where he was a platoon commander with 30 men under his command.

BBC Three television broadcast a documentary series entitled Our War: 10 years in Afghanistan. The second episode of the 3-episode series contained coverage of Captain Alex Rawlins filming and interviewing his men from 1st Battalion, the Grenadier Guards about their experiences, and captures events surrounding the loss of Private Jamie Janes, a soldier from his battalion, who had died on 5 October 2009 stepping on a landmine .[2] Janes' death became a turning point in the British public's awareness of the human cost of Improvised explosive devices (IEDs).[3] The documentary Our War won "Best Documentary Series" and "Best Multichannel Programme" at the Broadcast Awards 2012.[4]

Rawlins began writing and recording music as a teenager. He co-created music with lifelong friend and fellow Devon inhabitant, Sam Phillips, under the name "The RawLips". In 2005, whilst at University in Oxford, Rawlins formed the band "Pulling Claudia" (later changed to "The Rawlins") with Phillips on lead, brother Digby on keys, Henry Latham on drums and Ben Dimond on bass. In 2009, Rawlins, while still in Afghanistan started singing in his platoon made band "The Renegade Irritations", also lovingly nicknamed "The Helmand Philharmonic"[5] as lead vocalist and guitarist to entertain the soldiers. He played songs on his guitar, ukelele and a cornet to a "captured audience" of soldiers. "Helmand Philharmonic" was reference to Helmand Province in Afghanistan, where he was serving. Although he sang some cover versions of known songs requested, he would include in his repertoire original self-authored songs like "The City", "Oh Staff Sergeant", "1000 Miles Apart" and others he would pen during free hours during military service. He has played all over Europe and the US and is currently based in los Angeles preparing for the release of a new EP.

"1000 Miles Apart"

"1000 Miles Apart"
Single by Xander Rawlins
Released 13 December 2010 (on iTunes)
Format Digital download, CD single, EP, promo
Writer(s) Xander Rawlins
Xander Rawlins singles chronology
"1000 Miles Apart" "We See You"

Rawlins started writing 1000 Miles Apart in England and finished it while on the front in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in Christmas 2009. A tribute to Jamie Janes, it was about a soldier being far away in the battlefield and longing to be home for Christmas.[6] The recording with extra footage from the battalion soldiers themselves was meant to be sent by them to their families and friends. The song caught on by word of mouth and became extremely popular. So Rawlins had the idea of releasing it as a possible Christmas charity hit in Christmas 2010.

The song was subject of an online social networking campaign mainly through Facebook to become the Christmas Number One in the United Kingdom for 2010.[7] All proceeds were pledged to Army Benevolent Fund The Soldiers' Charity (ABF)[8] and to the Combat Stress charity for serving men and women suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other mental health issues.

After release

Rawlins was stationed back in his home country and served at Windsor Castle. He has now left the Army and is in the process of preparing his debut EP[9] in Los Angeles and is set to be released in the near future.

Soldier in Blue

In 2012 Rawlins founded Soldier in Blue * alongside fellow soldier Charlie Rotheram, a former Captain in the Light Dragoons. Soldier in blue is a consultancy firm specialising in providing serving and ex-service personnel and their dependants to the entertainment industry as extras and advisors. They have worked on such productions as Les Miserables , Monuments Men , Our World War , Fury , Testament of Youth and upcoming films Suffragette

In popular culture

British Forces Broadcasting Service radio and television, the British Forces News and mainstream news networks and newspapers promoted the release of 1000 Miles Apart as a contender to the aspired #1 on Christmas, also with interviews with Xander Rawlins and footage of the video. He was a featured BBC Introducing artist in 2014 and is currently in Los Angeles preparing for the release of a new EP.

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

  1. ↑ http://www.bedfordschool.org.uk/default.asp?page=825&news=1555&va=
  2. ↑ "Guardsman Jamie Janes killed in Afghanistan". Communique. Ministry of Defence. 7 October 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
  3. ↑ Part of BBC3 documentary Our War: 10 years in Afghanistan featuring footage from Captain Alex Rawlins work on YouTube
  4. ↑ BroadcastNow Awards 2012 shortlist revealed
  5. ↑ "The Grenadier Guitar man: Xander Rawlins fought the Taliban, now he's battling to be the new James Blunt". Sarah Oliver (London: The Daily Mail). 15 November 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  6. ↑ "Video: Xander Rawlins - 1000 Miles Apart". Daily Telegraph (London: Telegraph Media Group). 1 December 2010. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  7. ↑ "Soldier hopes for Christmas number one". Associated Press. AFP. 1 December 2010. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  8. ↑ ABF Soldiers Charity
  9. ↑ "UK Soldier Takes On X Factor For Xmas No1". Sky News. Sky Television. 2 December 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2011.

External links