David Ford (musician)
Encyclopedia
David James Ford is a British
singer-songwriter
, currently living in Eastbourne
, East Sussex
. He first achieved prominence with the indie rock
group Easyworld
, who released an independent mini-album, ...Better Ways to Self Destruct
and two full-length albums on Jive Records
before disbanding in 2004.
in the late 1990s. Soon after, the band was completed by bassist Jo Taylor. The trio recorded several demos and an unreleased album as Beachy Head before renaming the band 'Easyworld'. The new name for the band was taken from the line "It's an easy world" in their song Better Ways to Self Destruct.
From 2001 to 2004, the group released one mini-album, two full-length albums and several singles. After lacklustre sales of their final record, Kill the Last Romantic
, Ford privately announced his intention to disband the group. After several short festival performances and radio appearances to promote their final single, How Did It Ever Come to This?
, Easyworld announced their split in September 2004. Their last public performance was at the Staffordshire
date of 2004s V Festival
on 22 August.
.
After a support tour with Starsailor
and a sold-out headline tour in February 2006 and the release of his second single, "I Don't Care What You Call Me", David has confirmed headline shows in Ireland as well as shows across the US and high-profile slots supporting KT Tunstall
, Richard Ashcroft
, Elvis Costello
and Gomez
. His debut was released in the United States
in May 2006 by Columbia Records
.
After supporting Suzanne Vega
on her UK tour, Ford released his second solo album, Songs For The Road
in August 2007. He toured extensively to support the album in October 2007 and toured the US in May 2008. The album was released in the US on Original Signal Records on 1 April 2008. Ford released a cover of The Smiths
' "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
" as a bonus track. His third studio album, Let The Hard Times Roll
, was released on 3 February 2010.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, currently living in Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
, East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
. He first achieved prominence with the indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
group Easyworld
Easyworld
Easyworld were a British indie alternative rock/pop band hailing from Eastbourne, consisting of David Ford on vocals, Jo Taylor on bass and Glenn Hooper on drums, active between 2001 and 2004...
, who released an independent mini-album, ...Better Ways to Self Destruct
Better Ways to Self Destruct
Better Ways to Self Destruct is the 2001 EP by easyworld, an Eastbourne-based indie rock band. This was the band's second release, after their "Hundredweight" single, and this EP contained that earlier single, a new version of b-side "You Make Me Want To Drink Bleach" and 5 new songs, all recorded...
and two full-length albums on Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
before disbanding in 2004.
Early years and Easyworld
Having played in several local groups together through their school years, Ford - who went on to attend Manchester University - and drummer Glenn Hooper formed the band Beachy Head in EastbourneEastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
in the late 1990s. Soon after, the band was completed by bassist Jo Taylor. The trio recorded several demos and an unreleased album as Beachy Head before renaming the band 'Easyworld'. The new name for the band was taken from the line "It's an easy world" in their song Better Ways to Self Destruct.
From 2001 to 2004, the group released one mini-album, two full-length albums and several singles. After lacklustre sales of their final record, Kill the Last Romantic
Kill the Last Romantic
Kill the Last Romantic was an album released by Eastbourne based indie-rock 3-piece Easyworld in 2004. It yielded two singles - "2nd Amendment" and "'Til the Day", though the label specified that the third single would have to be a newly written song, as there were no others on the album which the...
, Ford privately announced his intention to disband the group. After several short festival performances and radio appearances to promote their final single, How Did It Ever Come to This?
How Did It Ever Come to This?
"How Did it Ever Come to This?" was the last single released by the British band Easyworld. It did not appear on their second and final album Kill the Last Romantic, because it had not yet been written. The band's record label Jive decided the band should record a new track as it was felt none of...
, Easyworld announced their split in September 2004. Their last public performance was at the Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
date of 2004s V Festival
V Festival
The V Festival is an annual music festival held in England during the penultimate weekend in August. The event is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and...
on 22 August.
Solo career
Almost immediately after the band's dissolution, Ford began to play a sporadic series of intimate solo gigs, debuting a number of songs which would later appear on his first solo album. In 2005, he embarked on his first headline solo tour. Fan favourite "State of the Union" was released as his debut single on 26 September 2005 and followed swiftly by his self-recorded debut album I Sincerely Apologise For All The Trouble I've CausedI Sincerely Apologise For All The Trouble I've Caused
I Sincerely Apologise For All The Trouble I've Caused is an album by singer-songwriter David Ford released in 2005. The album is Ford's solo debut....
.
After a support tour with Starsailor
Starsailor (band)
Starsailor is an English post-britpop band, formed in Leigh, Warrington and Greater Manchester. By 2009, they had four charting albums and ten Top 40 singles in the UK since 2001.-Early history:...
and a sold-out headline tour in February 2006 and the release of his second single, "I Don't Care What You Call Me", David has confirmed headline shows in Ireland as well as shows across the US and high-profile slots supporting KT Tunstall
KT Tunstall
Kate Victoria "KT" Tunstall is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist from St Andrews, Scotland. She broke into the public eye with a 2004 live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on Later... with Jools Holland...
, Richard Ashcroft
Richard Ashcroft
Richard Paul Ashcroft is an English singer-songwriter. He was the lead singer and occasional guitarist of alternative rock band The Verve from their formation in 1990 until their split in 1999, and continues as a lead vocalist working with guitars and keyboards...
, Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
and Gomez
Gomez (band)
Gomez are an English indie rock band from Southport, comprising Ian Ball , Paul "Blackie" Blackburn , Tom Gray , Ben Ottewell and Olly Peacock . The band is distinguished for having three singers and four songwriters, employing traditional and electronic instruments...
. His debut was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in May 2006 by Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
.
After supporting Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Nadine Vega is an American songwriter and singer known for her eclectic folk-inspired music.Two of Vega's songs reached the top 10 of various international chart listings: "Luka" and "Tom's Diner"...
on her UK tour, Ford released his second solo album, Songs For The Road
Songs for the Road
Songs For The Road is the second solo album by singer-songwriter David Ford, released on download in August 2007. The physical release was released on the 15th October 2007. A charts website listed "Decimate" as a chart-topper in Croatia, but has been debated as the single was never released as a...
in August 2007. He toured extensively to support the album in October 2007 and toured the US in May 2008. The album was released in the US on Original Signal Records on 1 April 2008. Ford released a cover of The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
' "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
"There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" is a song by the British alternative rock group The Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. It was originally featured on their third album The Queen Is Dead , and was released as a single in 1992, five years after The Smiths split up...
" as a bonus track. His third studio album, Let The Hard Times Roll
Let the Hard Times Roll
Let The Hard Times Roll is the third solo album by singer-songwriter David Ford, released on February 15, 2010.-Track listing:All songs written by David Ford.# Panic# Making Up For Lost Time# Waiting For The Storm# Surfin' Guantanamo Bay...
, was released on 3 February 2010.
Studio albums
- I Sincerely Apologise for All the Trouble I've CausedI Sincerely Apologise For All The Trouble I've CausedI Sincerely Apologise For All The Trouble I've Caused is an album by singer-songwriter David Ford released in 2005. The album is Ford's solo debut....
(2005) - Songs for the RoadSongs for the RoadSongs For The Road is the second solo album by singer-songwriter David Ford, released on download in August 2007. The physical release was released on the 15th October 2007. A charts website listed "Decimate" as a chart-topper in Croatia, but has been debated as the single was never released as a...
(2007) - Let The Hard Times RollLet the Hard Times RollLet The Hard Times Roll is the third solo album by singer-songwriter David Ford, released on February 15, 2010.-Track listing:All songs written by David Ford.# Panic# Making Up For Lost Time# Waiting For The Storm# Surfin' Guantanamo Bay...
(2010)
Single releases
| Single/EP | Release date | Label | Format(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "State of the Union" | 26 September 2005 | Independiente | CD, 7", Download | Accompanied by b-sides "A Short Song About Stars" and "A Short Song About Shoes" |
| "I Don't Care What You Call Me" | 20 February 2006 | Independiente | CD, 7", Download | Accompanied by CD b-sides "A Short Song Of Apology" and "Trying To Find My Feet" plus the 7" b-side "Can't Go Back" |
| "Go to Hell" | 23 July 2007 | Independiente | 7", Download | Accompanied by album track "Requiem" as the 7" b-side |
| "Decimate" | 8 October 2007 | Independiente | 7", Download | Accompanied by b-sides "The Boy Most Likely To" and "Decimate" (demo). The latter only available on Digital Download. |
| "I'm Alright Now" | December 2007 | Independiente | CD, 7", Download | Accompanied by CD b-side cover of Leonard Cohen Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships... 's "Everybody Knows" plus the 7" b-side "New York" |
| "Pages Torn From The Electrical Sketchbook Vol. #1" | 2008 | Self-released through MySpace page / iTunes | CD, Download | Contained the songs "Nothing At All", "How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love My Credit Card" (also known as "I Want More"), and "Down By The Sea". |
| "Pages Torn From The Electrical Sketchbook Vol. #2" | 2009 | Self-released through MySpace page / iTunes | CD, Download | Contained the songs "This City's Cold and I Could Use a Friend", "To Hell with the World" and "Song for the Republican Convention". |
| "Pages Torn From The Electrical Sketchbook Vol. #3" | 2009 | Self-released through MySpace page / iTunes | CD, Download | Contained the songs "Elizabeth", "Hurricane" and "Demons" (Piano Version). |
| "Panic" | 2009 | Self-release | CD | Accompanied by b-sides "Making Up For Lost TIme" and "The Big Dumb Singalong" |
External links
- Official Site
- Abandoned Independiente Site
- Fan Site
- http://twitter.com/davidfordisdead David Ford's Twitter account (verified via his Myspace blog)
- David Ford interview and review on Record Overplayed webzine
- David Ford Interview on Sidewalks EntertainmentSidewalks EntertainmentSidewalks Entertainment is a long-running, weekly American television series that is a combination of a talk show, magazine show and variety show featuring celebrity interviews, music, artistic and novelty acts, and rising performers...