Jinder
Encyclopedia
Jinder is an English singer/songwriter and Gibson
endorsed guitarist. He is best known for his folk-and-country-influenced solo work, and his brief tenure as frontman of harmony-driven trio The Mercurymen
. A musician from an early age, he turned his attention from piano to guitar at the age of 12, and began his career in songwriting in his early teens.
in 2002. The single entered the UK indie chart at #17, and the mainstream chart at #97, dropping out of the top 100 the week after. Following the band's departure from the label in 2003, Jinder left Candlefire in order to pursue other musical directions. During Jinder's time with Candlefire, he also continued his sporadic solo work, appearing live on a short solo tour and releasing solo recording The Dusty Roads EP. Memorable Candlefire appearances under the management of David Duggan's Mostly Music Management include their by-request performance at Coldplay
's aftershow party following their Madison Square Garden
show in New York City.
The album is currently out of print, but will be included in Din Of Ecstasy's 2011 reissue campaign.
, recording and releasing 'Road:Live EP', a five-track EP culled from various tapings of shows made during the Martin Grech tour. After nine months of recording, Willow Park, Jinder's first full-length solo album, was released on ultra-hip indie label Folkwit Records in June 2005, drawing critical comparisons with The Blue Nile
, Townes Van Zandt
and Ryan Adams
. The album posted excellent reviews and sales figures considerably higher than expected for a release on a small independent label. 2005 also saw Jinder touring extensively throughout the UK, making 23 festival appearances in the course of over 200 live dates played in support of the album.
Twenty Four Hours was soon pressed in greater number, but is currently out of print. It will be part of Jinder's scheduled re-issue of his entire back catalogue on Din Of Ecstasy in the summer of 2011.
", originally taken from a various artists compilation, Eccentric Elvis, released in support of children's hospice
charity Julia's House
in 2005.
The Three EPs is currently out of print, but will be part of Jinder's scheduled re-issue of his entire back catalogue on Din Of Ecstasy in the summer of 2011.
. Stylistically influenced by the likes of Crosby, Stills & Nash, Richard Thompson and John Martyn
, but driven by a folk-pop sensibility, the band recorded debut release The Keep Me In Your Heart EP in 2007, which was given a soft release by Flying Sparks Records in October of that year, but is currently out of print.
In early 2008, The Mercurymen were signed by Sony BMG to their Arista/RCA
imprint, and began work on their debut album Postcards From Valonia, which would be Jinder's sixth album, and was scheduled to be released in 2009, but alas the release was never to come to fruition, following the band's departure from Sony BMG in November 2008. The band toured extensively in 2008, playing nearly 150 shows, including touring with Deacon Blue
, Melody Gardot
, Level 42
, Sinéad O'Connor
and more, along with several memorable festival appearances, including an incendiary show at The Tartan Heart Festival at Belladrum, Scotland, and a lengthy headline tour of small venues during the summer.
The Mercurymen parted company amicably in July 2009, due in equal part to time constrictions placed upon the group by individual commitments, and the parting of ways from Sony BMG the previous November.
Since the release of Nine Cents From Benelux, Jinder has continued to tour extensively, promoting the album with a UK headline tour and various radio appearances. To date, Nine Cents From Benelux is Jinder's best selling solo album, outselling his entire back catalogue 2:1.
, an album of songs written by the aforementioned legendary Texan singer/songwriter. The album was cut in 2005, but has yet to see general release. It is being considered for release as part of the 2011 Jinder re-issue campaign by Din Of Ecstasy. Also unreleased is an album of random and unexpected covers, recorded by Jinder under the name "P.R. Dewhurst" in 2006. Some copies are in circulation, but it has never seen general release.
Dates sold out quickly for Jinder's March 'Micro-Tour Number One' at several auspicious venues in the UK, including The Stables in Wavendon Nr. Milton Keynes, Hotel Deux in Nottingham, The Green Note in Camden and The Winchester in Bournemouth. Other artists who shared the billing with Jinder for the tour included Lotte Mullan, Marcus Bonfanti and Jazz Morley.
More live dates will be announced shortly, with more information available at Jinder's official website, listed below.
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
endorsed guitarist. He is best known for his folk-and-country-influenced solo work, and his brief tenure as frontman of harmony-driven trio The Mercurymen
The Mercurymen
The Mercurymen were a British acoustic music project. They were signed by Arista Records in the UK in 2008. Their only album, Postcards From Valonia received a limited release in 2008. The project officially ended in 2009 after being dropped by their record label and splitting from their management...
. A musician from an early age, he turned his attention from piano to guitar at the age of 12, and began his career in songwriting in his early teens.
Solo work and Candlefire
In the late 1990s, Jinder worked sporadically as a solo artist, before forming alt.indie four-piece Candlefire with Daniel Minshull, Rick Porter and Mark McComish. The band are best remembered for their UK chart single Sorrow Spreads Its Wings, released by One Little Indian RecordsOne Little Indian Records
One Little Indian Records is a London-based independent record label that rose from the ashes of punk record company Spiderleg Records. It was set up in 1985 by members of various anarchist punk bands, and managed by ex-Flux of Pink Indians Derek Birkett. The first success came with A.R. Kane and...
in 2002. The single entered the UK indie chart at #17, and the mainstream chart at #97, dropping out of the top 100 the week after. Following the band's departure from the label in 2003, Jinder left Candlefire in order to pursue other musical directions. During Jinder's time with Candlefire, he also continued his sporadic solo work, appearing live on a short solo tour and releasing solo recording The Dusty Roads EP. Memorable Candlefire appearances under the management of David Duggan's Mostly Music Management include their by-request performance at Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
's aftershow party following their Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
show in New York City.
Olas & Jinder
In the summer of 2003, Jinder joined forces with acclaimed singer/songwriter Nick Cull, AKA Olas, touring extensively together and releasing critically lauded duo album The Best Of Days Ahead as Olas & Jinder on independent label FrontSide Records in April 2004.The album is currently out of print, but will be included in Din Of Ecstasy's 2011 reissue campaign.
Return to solo work and the release of Willow Park
In summer 2004, Jinder amicably parted company with Cull and entered the studio to begin recording debut solo album Willow Park. During this time, Jinder also toured in support of singer/songwriter Martin GrechMartin Grech
Martin Grech is a Maltese-English singer, songwriter and musician from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.-Career:He first achieved critical acclaim after his falsetto track, "Open Heart Zoo" was featured on a Lexus advert on British television in 2002...
, recording and releasing 'Road:Live EP', a five-track EP culled from various tapings of shows made during the Martin Grech tour. After nine months of recording, Willow Park, Jinder's first full-length solo album, was released on ultra-hip indie label Folkwit Records in June 2005, drawing critical comparisons with The Blue Nile
The Blue Nile
The Blue Nile is an adult alternative/pop band from Glasgow. The music of The Blue Nile is built heavily on synthesizers and electronic instrumentation and percussion, although later works featured acoustic guitar more prominently.-Early years:...
, Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
John Townes Van Zandt , best known as Townes Van Zandt, was an American Texas Country-folk music singer-songwriter, performer, and poet...
and Ryan Adams
Ryan Adams
David Ryan Adams is an American alt-country/rock singer-songwriter, from Jacksonville, North Carolina. Initially part of the group Whiskeytown, Adams left the band and released his first solo album Heartbreaker in 2000...
. The album posted excellent reviews and sales figures considerably higher than expected for a release on a small independent label. 2005 also saw Jinder touring extensively throughout the UK, making 23 festival appearances in the course of over 200 live dates played in support of the album.
I'm Alive
In 2006, Jinder kept up the intensity of his live schedule, and also recorded sophomore solo album I'm Alive, produced by former Candlefire collaborator Stephen Darrell Smith. Released in May 2006, just 11 months after Willow Park, the album showcased Jinder's understanding of Americana, and displayed a more bluegrass and country/folk influenced direction. I'm Alive garnered even more critical plaudits than its predecessor, also finding extensive support and playlisting at regional radio stations around the UK. The album turned out to be the last that Jinder would record for Folkwit Records, with Jinder amicably parting company with the label in late 2006 to begin establishing Din Of Ecstasy, his own record label.Twenty Four Hours
In early 2007, whilst still in the process of setting up his record company Din Of Ecstasy, Jinder reacted to his new freedom to record and release whatever and however he wished by setting himself a new challenge. The challenge was to write, record, package, press and release an entire new album within 24hrs. Starting work at 8am on a Sunday in early January 2007, the record came together quickly, with ten songs being written within seven hours. Recording began at 3:30pm after a short break, and was wrapped up by 7pm. The artwork took a further two hours to complete, and twenty five copies were pressed up and made available to buy via the internet by 11:30pm, meaning the entire project was finished, from conception to commercial release, within 13 hours...It has yet to be established whether this is the fastest production and release of an album to date.Twenty Four Hours was soon pressed in greater number, but is currently out of print. It will be part of Jinder's scheduled re-issue of his entire back catalogue on Din Of Ecstasy in the summer of 2011.
The Three EPs
Summer of 2007 also saw the limited-edition release of The Three EPs, a compilation of Jinder's first three EP releases- The Dusty Roads EP from 2001, Road:Live EP from 2004, and the street-team-only The Years Of Winter EP from 2005. Also included as a bonus track was Jinder's elegiac take on the standard "Always On My MindAlways on My Mind
"Always on My Mind" is an American country music song by Johnny Christopher, Mark James and Wayne Carson, originally recorded by Brenda Lee in 1972.Allmusic lists over 300 recorded releases of the song in versions by dozens of performers...
", originally taken from a various artists compilation, Eccentric Elvis, released in support of children's hospice
Children's hospice
A children's hospice is a hospice specifically designed to help children and young people who are not expected to reach adulthood with the emotional and physical challenges they face, and also to provide respite care for their families.-Services:...
charity Julia's House
Julia's House
Julia's House is a children's hospice located in Corfe Mullen, Dorset, England. It is the first and only hospice in Dorset for children with life-limiting conditions. The majority of the children who are cared for by Julia's House are unlikely to live beyond the age of 18. The hospice costs £1.9...
in 2005.
The Three EPs is currently out of print, but will be part of Jinder's scheduled re-issue of his entire back catalogue on Din Of Ecstasy in the summer of 2011.
The Mercurymen
In the summer of 2006, following the sessions for I'm Alive, Jinder joined forces with fellow singer/songwriters Gavin Wyatt and Simon Johnson to form harmony-driven trio The MercurymenThe Mercurymen
The Mercurymen were a British acoustic music project. They were signed by Arista Records in the UK in 2008. Their only album, Postcards From Valonia received a limited release in 2008. The project officially ended in 2009 after being dropped by their record label and splitting from their management...
. Stylistically influenced by the likes of Crosby, Stills & Nash, Richard Thompson and John Martyn
John Martyn
John Martyn, OBE , born Iain David McGeachy, was a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a forty-year career he released twenty studio albums, working with artists such as Eric Clapton and David Gilmour...
, but driven by a folk-pop sensibility, the band recorded debut release The Keep Me In Your Heart EP in 2007, which was given a soft release by Flying Sparks Records in October of that year, but is currently out of print.
In early 2008, The Mercurymen were signed by Sony BMG to their Arista/RCA
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
imprint, and began work on their debut album Postcards From Valonia, which would be Jinder's sixth album, and was scheduled to be released in 2009, but alas the release was never to come to fruition, following the band's departure from Sony BMG in November 2008. The band toured extensively in 2008, playing nearly 150 shows, including touring with Deacon Blue
Deacon Blue
Deacon Blue are a Scottish pop band formed in Glasgow during 1985. Their name was taken from the title of the Steely Dan song "Deacon Blues". The band consists of vocalist Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh, keyboard player James Prime and drummer Dougie Vipond....
, Melody Gardot
Melody Gardot
Melody Gardot is a Grammy-nominated American singer, writer and musician in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, though she considers herself a "citizen of the world". She has been influenced by such blues and jazz artists as Judy Garland, Janis Joplin, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Stan Getz and George...
, Level 42
Level 42
Level 42 are an English pop rock and jazz-funk band who had a number of worldwide and UK hits during the 1980s and 1990s.The band gained fame for their high-calibre musicianship—in particular that of Mark King, whose percussive slap-bass guitar technique provided the driving groove of many of the...
, Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
and more, along with several memorable festival appearances, including an incendiary show at The Tartan Heart Festival at Belladrum, Scotland, and a lengthy headline tour of small venues during the summer.
The Mercurymen parted company amicably in July 2009, due in equal part to time constrictions placed upon the group by individual commitments, and the parting of ways from Sony BMG the previous November.
Nine Cents From Benelux and the return to solo work
January 2009 saw Jinder return to the studio to complete new album Nine Cents From Benelux which was released through Din Of Ecstasy Records on 29 June 2009. On completion of the record, Jinder embarked upon a solo UK tour, sharing a bill with fellow singer/songwriters Marcus Bonfanti and Lotte Mullan, which saw the three artists playing various venues on the UK roots music circuit. The tour drew excellent turnouts and garnered extensive praise in the media.Since the release of Nine Cents From Benelux, Jinder has continued to tour extensively, promoting the album with a UK headline tour and various radio appearances. To date, Nine Cents From Benelux is Jinder's best selling solo album, outselling his entire back catalogue 2:1.
Unreleased albums
To date, Jinder has recorded eight albums, two of which remain unreleased. One is Brother Flower: Jinder Sings The Songs Of Townes Van ZandtTownes Van Zandt
John Townes Van Zandt , best known as Townes Van Zandt, was an American Texas Country-folk music singer-songwriter, performer, and poet...
, an album of songs written by the aforementioned legendary Texan singer/songwriter. The album was cut in 2005, but has yet to see general release. It is being considered for release as part of the 2011 Jinder re-issue campaign by Din Of Ecstasy. Also unreleased is an album of random and unexpected covers, recorded by Jinder under the name "P.R. Dewhurst" in 2006. Some copies are in circulation, but it has never seen general release.
2011 Live Shows
After an extended period of seclusion in 2010 spent writing the followup to 'Nine Cents From Benelux', in January 2011 it was announced that Jinder was to play four week-long UK 'Micro-Tours', at quarterly intervals throughout the year, starting in March and concluding in December.Dates sold out quickly for Jinder's March 'Micro-Tour Number One' at several auspicious venues in the UK, including The Stables in Wavendon Nr. Milton Keynes, Hotel Deux in Nottingham, The Green Note in Camden and The Winchester in Bournemouth. Other artists who shared the billing with Jinder for the tour included Lotte Mullan, Marcus Bonfanti and Jazz Morley.
More live dates will be announced shortly, with more information available at Jinder's official website, listed below.