Ginger & Friends

This album represents ten years of recording outside of The Wildhearts family, but for me it represents even more than that. This album tells the story of the first steps I took alone in creating an independent personality for myself as a writer and as a father.

From Sonic Shake, a song that I wrote and demoed in Japan (I told the label people that I could play every instrument on the demo recording and the next day they booked me studio time. I’d never played drums before on a recording and I was really nervous. It was very exciting) and recorded in London just after meeting the mother of my first son. Soon after the recording was finished she was pregnant, and not long after that, my son, Jake, was performing onstage in Tokyo in front of a wild crowd singing his name. I’d sign autographs after the show, and Jake had signed the CD before me!

The band SilverGinger 5 were assembled to promote this album and our first ever shows were in Japan. I will never forget this period of my life. I was struggling with drug addiction and the Japanese fans showed me a more pure way of life through love and commitment, something that I am reminded of on a daily basis to this day.

After Jake’s mother and I broke up I went through a well documented depression that showed me the road to spirituality and enlightenment, and in this period the song The Man Who Cheated Death came to me via divine inspiration. The album that followed, Valor Del Corazón, was recorded in Willie Nelson’s studio in Austin, Texas, and allowed me to immortalise my feelings at the time. Since this recording I have been made aware of some amazing effects this album has had to its listeners, including someone who stopped themselves from committing suicide because of the song This Is Only A Problem. Surely the most significant compliment that a songwriter could ever be paid?

Life as a single man followed, and a period of promiscuity bore tracks such as When She Comes from the album Yoni, a record written about new beginnings and the scattered search for oneself amid the chaos of choice. The resulting album examines the theory that maybe too much choice is not necessarily a good thing. The confusion in songs like Jake and Black Windows shows a man coming to terms with limitations and, ultimately, morality.

Market Harbour followed Yoni as the journey continued towards the only conclusion that one is able to find in life, that of living in the moment and accepting tribulations as valuable, and wonderful lessons. Sorrow and loss are as much a part of this experience as happiness and discovery. In fact they are all part of the same process. It is impossible to have one experience without having them all.

The final two songs of this collection summarise this strange and educational decade for me. Freedom comes from finding happiness, happiness comes from understanding, understanding comes from experience and experience comes from things not going to plan. And just because things aren’t going to plan doesn’t mean they aren’t exactly how they should be.

Namaste

Ginger x

10 is released through Round Records on 10/10/10

This solo tour comes as a result of selling out the London birthday show so quickly.

Wildhearts fans around the Country always ask why only London gets a special Xmas/birthday show so I have decided to take the fun out on the road.

The Wildhearts are taking an extended break and it could be years before we perform again. Scott Sorry is back in US taking care of some important stuff and the rest of us have moved onto other things in the meantime.

The one thing that’s certain, however, is that the Wildhearts fans still want to hear the tunes. A Wildhearts show has always been about crowd participation and the whole social event. I miss playing the songs and I miss the audiences singing them back to me, so let’s get together this Xmas for a special show where we can all drink, yell, dance and go fucking nuts together.

I’m in, are you?

Oh, and don’t plan on going to work the next day. This is going to get VERY FUCKING MESSY INDEED.

I’m bringing Rich Jones (Black Halos/The Loyalties/Amen), Denzel (Ginger & the Sonic Circus) and Tom Spencer (The Yo Yo’s) with me so why don’t YOU bring some mates and let’s celebrate Xmas together singing those Wildhearts songs we’ve grown up with. Let’s sing them so fucking loudly that we cough up our own arses (And that’s loud, let me tell you).

See you there brothers and sisters.

Gx

Tickets go on sale September 17th and are priced at £12.50

Ginger & Friends will play a handful of dates in the run up to Christmas.

Following on from all the requests we’ve had after Ginger’s Birthday Bash sold out, we’re pleased to announce the following live shows to take place in the week or so before Christmas:

• Fri 17th Dec – London, Relentless Garage – SOLD OUT
• Sat 18th Dec – Sheffield, Corporation
• Sun 19th Dec – Manchester, Moho Live
• Mon 20th Dec – Glasgow, Garage
• Tue 21st Dec – Newcastle, Legends
• Wed 22nd Dec – Wolverhampton, Wulfrun Hall
• Thu 23rd Dec – Southampton, Talking Heads

The shows are being billed as ‘Wildhearts Set’, and says Rich Jones: “Expect a set that leans heavily towards Wildhearts material but also may have the odd surprise or two!”

Tickets will be on sale soon from the usual outlets, and we’ll update with links as we get them.