The Motives featuring Matt Taylor Debut Album Released June 2012 CAT. No. BECD0112 UPC 643157420620 June 2012 sees the European release of the long-awaited debut album from the Motives, featuring one of the UK’s finest contemporary blues guitarists Matt Taylor alongside the cream of the crop of british musicians; Andy Graham, voted bass player of the year 2010 & 2011 in the british blues awards; Jonny Dyke, a stalwart of both the UK blues and session scenes; Roy Martin whose drumming has been heard on countless albums and stages the world over. Coming together as The Motives they deliver their eponymous debut album of inspired original Rhythm & Blues, a potent cocktail of American and British influences, from 40’s New York, 50’s Chicago and 70’s LA, delivered with the kind of attitude last seen in the blues players of 60’s London. Many parallels can be drawn between The Motives sound and that of their 60’s predecessors, such as a love of the blues without being chained to its conventions and fiery, passionate musicianship coupled with a songwriting sensibility that at once pays homage to the roots of the music and steers it in new, often unexpected directions. The Motives sound unlike any other band on the current international blues scene. Songwriting duties are mostly handled by Matt, two tracks in collaboration with Mark Butcher (former cricket star turned blues & soul singer/guitarist) with one of two non-Taylor compositions written by and in tribute to Matt and Jonny’s old friend, the much missed Kevin Thorpe. Another track ‘Gangsters’ was written by ‘Baker Street’ saxophone star Raf Ravenscroft, whose own band Matt played in some twenty years ago and from which Matt remembered the song. The icing on the cake comes in the form of an inspired guest appearance from british blues supremo Ian Siegal on the track ‘The Rules Don’t Apply’ in which Ian voices the devil himself. In Matt’s own words, “the songs on this album represent my favourite aspects of rhythm’n’blues. On tracks like ‘Never Tell a Lie’ and ‘Find Another Love’ there’s a good mix of Chicago blues and big band swing influences with a Chicago/Texas mix on ‘Leap of Faith’. ‘The Rules Don’t Apply’ takes it’s lead from Benny Goodman’s Orchestra, with it’s Gene Krupa-esque drumming and unison guitar and organ lines mimicking the rasp of a horn section. Also much apparent is the sound and feel of 60’s London with beat and bluesrock prevalent in the tracks ‘Cookie Jar’, ‘If You Were Gone’ and ‘Nature’s Cruel Design’. However, as urban sounding as we have generally been on this album you can’t help but let a little rural flavour seep in with a strong Little Feat country-funk influence on ‘Looking for the Way Home’ and even a hint of gospel in ‘After All This Borrowed Time’”. Contact The Motives: UK – email: info@the-motives.com, Tel: 07916 125163. Netherlands – promotion: Hans Broere, email: hans@broerepromotion.nl, Tel: +31 (0)187 846 050 – Distributed by Sonic Rendezvous, Tel: + 31 (0) 72 567 3030. Germany – Promotion: Marco Linke, CMM promotions, email: marco_linke@cmm-online.de, tel: +49 (0) 5151 / 81 94 26, distributed by Soulfood Entertainment, tel: +49 (0)40 854 196 14. Band Member Biogs: Matt Taylor has made four albums under his own name and several others in collaboration with British Blues heavyweights Long John Baldry and The Snowy White Blues Project who he has been working with since 2008. As a session musician he has worked with a wide variety of artists including European and US tours with French superstar Patricia Kaas, TV & radio work with Take That’s Gary Barlow, live work with Tony Hadley and TV appearances with Belinda Carlisle, Shelby Lynne and Lulu. He has backed artists as diverse as Jamie Cullum, Shane McGowan, Tony Christie and Joe Bonamassa, his career taking him to as far-flung places as the Middle East and Siberia. Recently Matt also produced Mark Butcher’s debut album Songs from the Sun House. Jonny Dyke first made his reputation with Brit-blues heroes Out of the Blue (led by Kevin Thorpe), going on to work with US bluesmen Larry Garner and Bob Kirkpatrick and the legendary Memphis Horns. Pop session work followed including appearances with Victoria Beckham and Dolly Parton, UK tours with Elkie Brooks and two world tours with Patricia Kaas, playing in China, the USA and Russia including a performance for President Putin’s birthday at The Kremlin. Jonny has also toured the UK and Europe with folk-pop singer Amy Macdonald, Judie Tzuke, Coco Montoya and the Ruf Records Blues Caravan, Ben E King, Gary US Bonds and The Overtones, as well as at various times lending his talents to such blues artists as Jon Amor, King King and Meena Cryle. Andy Graham grew up in South Wales and did a degree in classical music but has always been happiest playing bass in a band. Voted ‘Best Bass Player’ two years running in the 2010 & 2011 British Blues Awards he has played with Ian Siegal since the mid ’90s, being the constant in various band line-ups alongside Ian, playing all over Europe. He has also worked with Imogen Heap and Martine McCutcheon (playing with both at their Hyde Park performances for The Princes Trust in front of a crowd of 150,000), Grace Solero, Dana Gillespie, Lee Sankey’s Cool Grey 5ives and international blues artists including Phil Guy and Sugar Blue, amongst others. Roy Martin collaborates with Matt once again having already worked together in The Snowy White Blues Project. They met in 2003 whilst touring with Patricia Kaas with whom Roy has worked since 1997, traversing the globe many times. Prior to that Roy spent 5 years living in New York where he had the opportunity to work for a wide variety of artists including Aretha Franklin and David Sandborn. More recently he has been working with with James Morrison and Thea Gilmore and in the past has shared stages or studios with artists as diverse as Barclay James Harvest, Jack Bruce, Joan Baez and Robert Palmer.