Once a treasure of the folk circuit, Ruarri Joseph has been leading a double existence, after 4 studio albums, the singer created William the Conqueror and hit a vein of creativity recording 3 albums of new music in his shed.
“I want people to hear the stories from a different perspective. After three years of keeping William in the dark, I want to switch things up. Ruarri can go off the radar it’s William’s turn now.”
It’s underlined in bold by the wisdom and wit of a lyrical slipstream that is, in turn, commanded by a scuffed leather baritone – a combination that keeps the listener engrossed, informed and mystified in equal measure.
Bursting with retro-infused energy, there are a myriad influences, underpinned by a taste for good, old-fashioned roots. One minute it’s a hushed JJ Cale that somehow finds its way to an angry Jim Morrison or a late-70s Dylan; the next it’s a grunge era Pearl Jam via Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits.
What is undoubtedly unique is ‘William’s’ rich, earnest voice and the poetic nuance of a man clearly wise to the complexities and hardships of love and life.
