Ashley Naylor – Guitarist For Paul Kelly, The Church, Rockwiz And Others – Releases New Solo Album
Melbourne musician Ashley Naylor plays guitar in The Church, The Stems, Paul Kelly, the RocKwiz Orkestra and for a host of other artists. He is the beloved guitarist, songwriter and singer of ’90s Triple J faves Even, leader of instrumental outfit Ashley Naylor Spaceship and co-conspirator in a number of other acts including The Grapes and The Ronson Hangup. In the midst of a huge arena tour with Paul Kelly, he breaks substantial ground in a new phase in his career with the release of his new solo vocal album Alexandria Sunset.
The new solo vocal material follows Naylor’s acclaimed instrumental solo guitar album Soundtracks Vol. 2 and the birth of his new solo band Spaceship and is Naylor’s first vocal solo recording in over a decade. Primarily song focused rather than a vehicle for Naylor’s guitar playing, Alexandria Sunset is the first solo album on which Naylor himself plays and sings every note himself since 2004’s Four Track Mind and it’s a much more evolved record than that was. It digs deep into the classic stylings of the late ’60s and ’70s that Naylor has always loved. As the artist himself says, “I’m an indie artist hung up on classic rock”.
“I’ve been working on three separate albums in recent years,” continues Naylor. “This one finished itself first once I committed to the idea that it would consist of songs I recorded all the parts for on my own. Much of what I do is in a collaborative environment; this album is a deliberate move into a very singular musical world I’ve created. These songs were recorded in spare quiet moments which informed the intimacy of much of the material”
Latest single As Good As Gold follows two album previews released last year. Donovan Dreams, an ode to the legendary ’60s Scottish psychedelic folkster Donovan (Mellow Yellow, Hurdy Gurdy Man, Sunshine Superman etc.) continued in the heady tradition of Naylor’s sublime work on Even’s massively-acclaimed double album Reverse Light Years, while A Blue Sky was more plaintive, highlighting Naylor’s superb 12-string guitar and way with melody. As Good As Gold is both trippy and plaintive.
The three songs together reveal just part of what is a varied and rich work from an artist whose abilities continue to grow and whose wide-ranging work with some of today’s finest artists – in addition to his ever-expansive listening habits and his inability to let his guitar leave his hands – continues to enlarge his pallet. Naylor adds, “This album is an unfettered foray into my own rock fantasy, where guitar solos are long, songs take detours, and the audience would just sit and listen to the music. I believe the true essence of this album will reveal itself over time”
While currently on tour with Paul Kelly and with a run with coming up, Naylor will focus on his own music when opportunity arrives. Keep your eyes peeled for dates over coming months.
ASHLEY NAYLOR’s ALEXANDRIA SUNSET IS OUT NOW ON EL RENO MUSIC.
ORDER CD OR DIGITAL RELEASE, OR LIMITED-EDITION BLACK, ‘MELLOW YELLOW’, GOLD, BLUE AND GOLD 180 GRAM VINYL PRESSINGS, HERE
