Greener the Grass Press

As its the dawn of the day we release the single, heres some of the press we've got over the last couple of days. I'll add them to the press bit of the site when i work out how to do that!

Anyway:

From the List 23rd May:

“Glasgow duo Doghouse Roses do the melancholy country folk ballad with guile and grace. ‘Greener the Grass” is unashamedly Sandy Denny- tastic which is fantastic (4/5)”.

Scottish Sunday Mail 25th May

“Glasgow based Doghouse Roses are Paul Tasker and Iona Macdonald. I knew nothing about them but this single stood out because of the sheer lovliness of the vocals, especially of Iona. It’s a folky/blues track worth checking out (4/5)”

And from www.folking.com

This two-track single from the Glasgow-based duo, Doghouse Roses (guitarist, Paul Tasker and vocalist, Ioan Macdonald), precedes the release of their album, How've You Been (All This Time)?, scheduled for release later this year.
As an introduction, the two tracks show both where Doghouse Roses might go and, tellingly, where they have come from in terms of musical influence. The title-track offers bohemian folk-pop flavours, with Paul's supple guitar augmented by lusciously understated string arrangements and uncluttered percussion. Iona's beautifully unadorned voice breathes a breezy, effortless soul into the song, lending a captivating, heartfelt charm.
The second track, "Years," is a home recording that basks in a starkly acoustic splendour, where Paul's intricate guitar melody recalls the ghosts of some of the well-crafted folk fretwork of the 1960s and 1970s, whilst Iona's voice rings with a similar clarity and unfussiness to that of an early Sandy Denny.
Whichever furrow Doghouse Roses choose to plough, be it looking forward or looking back, their musical future is destined to be an interesting one, and their debut album can be eagerly anticipated.

Suddenly Single

verything seems better in summer, which is mostly true, and after a long dark winter of slaving over a hot computer it seems that our new single has only 7 more days and it's ready to go. The 1st track (or A-side in the old money) is called Greener the Grass and is a fine flowing yarn about the Grass always being Greener on the other side. Well it is, and it isn't if you see what i mean. The B-side is called years and isnt available or ever going to be available on any other recordings, and so far is getting more airplay than than the A-side (in the old money), so there you go.

Anyway, its released in the official way, on May the 26th which is Monday and will be on itunes from then. You could always pre-order at website our myspace for a good old fashioned lump of CD.



You can have a listen to both tracks on our website Last FM page


So thats about it...should probably mention that the download costs 99p per song, or whatever it is that itunes charges and the CD is 2 pounds but includes Rod Scotts' lovely artwork.

Anyway, if you have a chance to listen, we hope you like it and maybe see you about soon


p.s postage on the CD is 50p or ten bob as we used to say

Cheers

Paul

Social Networking: Myspace, facebook, bebo and the rest

I’ve been looking around a lot recently at various networking sites as new ones seem to be springing up every day. This probably isn’t the case but it certainly seems like that, and for every site that springs up there are dozens of anti networking site dismissing the commercialisation of webspaces where the content is mostly provided by people uploading their own content onto personal pages. Whilst I would hate to offer unqualified support for, well, anything really, it’s due to networking sites that Doghouse Roses really got our start.

I had been playing gigs up and down Scotland in pubs and small clubs for years, and a lot of these venues are run and owned by people that keep music alive at the grass roots level. Until recently I didn’t realise how lucky we are in Scotland to have venues like the Market Bar in Inverness, or Cafe Drummond in Aberdeen, who are open to giving new artists a gig and paying for the performance. Likewise, there are a few promoters and music clubs who will put a gig on, and ensure that the artists are paid, for nothing more than the love of music. I and many other musicians are indebted to these people as these are who keeps the whole music world turning and allow musicians to tour and develop their craft.

However, back to the point here, and it was due to the sending of a couple of messages on myspace that Iona is now in Holland rehearsing with the Willard Grant Conspiracy Pilgrim Road Orchestra for their European tour starting in Manchester on Wednesday, which could be interesting as I think there may be a football match on there that day. I seem to remember reading something about that anyway. The tour will take in Edinburgh, London, Paris, Berlin, Basle, and Amsterdam among others. As this is essentially a Doghouse Roses blog it would be foolish of me not to mention that DR merchandise will be available at the gigs.

Our single seems to accumulating a little bit of momentum ahead of it release on the 26^th with a few plays on good old auntie BBC already and hopefully more to come. For anybody who will be around Glasgow on the 28^th of May we are playing at Glasgow Americana Festival with Belle & Sebastians’ Stevie Jackson, and Glasgow songwriter Stephen Macguire. The Americana festival is organised and promoted by the Fallen angels Club who are firmly in the category I was taking about above, and the Glasgow music thing is all the better for it. Tickets for this show will be available in adavance form us and if your interested in coming along, please get in touch with us via our website or myspace. We also have a show the night after at the Green Note in London NW1…..Tickets for this will be available on the door and please get in touch if you would like any further info.

I hope it’s a sunny where you are as it is in Glasgow just now….winter seemed to give spring a miss this year and go straight to summer!