Back in the heady days of 2007, long before social media was the reigning king of entertainment, when people still picked going out to live shows over streaming movies, there was a band that made a little blip on the heart monitor of the Medway music scene before disappearing almost as quick.
The Lovedays were a British pop band, in the retro meaning of the word “Pop”. With influences ranging from Brian Wilson and The Who, to Steve Winwood and Roy Wood, The Lovedays aspired to be part of the next generation of classic pop purveyors.
Their eponymous debut received 5-star notices as far afield as the US, with only self-distribution and promotion, along with noted appearances at The Cavern Club in Liverpool and Kennys Castaways in New York in 2009.
They took hiatus in 2010, for pastures new. Ben Jones, the frontman and leader of the band, moved to Austin, TX, where he is part of the roots duo, Beat Root Revival.
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REVIEWS
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Feted but doomed to niche appeal during their original lifetime, Kentish quartet The Lovedays wowed audiences on both sides of The Atlantic and released two albums of brash but thoughtful ’60s-informed guitar-pop before expiring.
Clearly their legacy proved inspirational enough for Greek label Green Cookie to gather six tracks from each album for this new collection, which, even a dozen years down the line, paints The Lovedays as keepers of a flickering Britpop flame while simultaneously betraying their Medway heritage.
‘The Sound Of The Streets’ revisits Cosmic Rough Riders’ spaced-out indie jangle to the tune of ‘So You Wanna Be A Rock ’n’ Roll Star’; ‘The Gypsy’s Daughter’ could be The Coral should they ever decide to have a Del Amitri phase; ‘Pound For Pound’ echoes El Goodo’s Spector homages.
It’s all heart-warming stuff, and never quite submerged beneath its influences. — Andy Morten, Shindig! #82 (March 2021)
THE LOVEDAYS ALBUM (CD release November 2008, 208 Records)
England past and times yet to come are all evoked from listening to The Lovedays, a four piece combo from Kent. Make no mistake, the quality contained within these 14 tracks places this set of songs into the upper echelons of great first LPs. The Lovedays wear their influences well: The Fab 4, Small Faces and Ray Davies to name but 3 are all in the boys’ debt but as with all the best artists they take, yet give so much more, creating their own unique sound in the process. And in front-man Ben Jones they have a songwriter of the first order with the priceless ability to weave magic with words and music.
HOUSE OF CARDS (CD release February 2010, 208 Records)
Highly prolific British pop genius Ben Jones has already four full-length records under his belt: two solo recordings and two albums with his band, The Lovedays. ‘House of Cards’ is The Lovedays’ second record and it is full to the brim with powerpop gems.
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CREDITS
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All songs written, arranged and produced by Ben Jones.
Engineered, mixed and mastered by Jim Riley at Ranscombe Studios, Rochester, Kent, UK.
Assistant Engineers: Rory Alderson, Brendan Esmonde.
Photography by Phil Dillon.
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SOCIAL MEDIA
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Webpage (Beat Root Revival): beatrootrevival.com
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/3tAatYcGfxMsfbheyPrOIo
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCrhvPOcAEhtNopfnZIl7z5g
Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=753091290
Wikipedia (Ben Jones): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Jones_(musician)
Twitter: twitter.com/thelovedays
Bandcamp: lovedays.208records.co.uk
Discogs: discogs.com/artist/1630939-The-Lovedays
- February 19, 2021
- Filed under: Announcement, Releases, The Lovedays