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Jess Hall Band | Play Shy EP
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Play Shy
Grace
Let It Be Known |
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The Jess Hall Band are set to release their debut EP 'Play Shy' on December 5 (Hitone Records) following a Radio One playlist through BBC Introducing. The EP is the product of little over a year's intense touring (including this year's Beautiful Days Festival) and recording between Jess Hall and Swindon childhood friends Alex Stone, Andy Vincent and Stef Pysanczyn.
'Play Shy' pulls together three tender and engaging tracks drawn from Jess & Alex's writing partnership, woven through with their signature dual harmonies, which recall the Angus & Julia Stone records which had so intrigued Jess as she grew up ('when I first heard their record I just played it over and over again'). The beguiling title track is the product of a co-write with Guy Sigsworth (Bjork and Madonna) and sets the tone for a high calibre debut. The jaded parting detailed in 'Let It Be Known' betrays a creative insight which far outstrips the youth of a band of no more than 18 years old, whilst soaring EP closer 'Grace' (written several years ago by a very, very young Alex) draws on the influence of the Iron & Wine and Fleet Foxes records in which the band immersed themselves, to spin a slow-burning but propulsive track.
An incredibly assured group for one so young, the Jess Hall Band are shaped by various musical apprenticeships that extend a fair way prior to their current age. Jess herself grew up in a musical household- with encouragement from a mother and grandfather (who both played piano & organ) she made tentative recordings of her own material in an improvised studio in the modest surrounds of her dad's garage. A fundamental fear of performing solo kept these tracks within the confines of the garage for several years, until an opportunistic 'liberation' brought the band into being; 'Alex, Andy and Stef were all playing together in a different band at the time, so I nicked them!' In the year that has passed since, Jess Hall Band have written, recorded and toured with a zealous work ethic.
'Play Shy' sees Jess Hall Band playing a strong opening hand, which points towards a promising future. Nonetheless it could all have been so different, had Jess perhaps succumbed to the dubious Rod Stewart records of her Dad's vinyl catalogue, or failed to appropriate his garage as her studio- 'I have no idea what else I'd do, I'm awful at everything! I work in a bar and I'm awful at that- if someone orders a cocktail I hide in the stairwell'. Hapless bartender maybe, but you sense that next time you see Jess Hall it won't be hiding behind a bar.
For more information log on to facebook.com/JessHallBand
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