Often things come full circle. As a child John William Richard’s love affair with music began as a classically trained musician, with hours spent studying both the piano and cello. However a lifetime has been spent elsewhere, from, amongst other things, fronting a new romantic group, managing artists, starting a label and running a nightclub. With the release of his debut album, Song for a Ghost, in 2021, John William Richard returned to the rigour of the Classical tradition, mixing that with flashes of contemporary electronica, creating something that is both intimate and breathtakingly cinematic.

“I think in film images when I write and as the world comes into focus the scene emerges and the internal director takes over. But really it was not until the tracks started coming that I got more confident in how it might work out. Song For A Ghost gave me the key to unlock the vision of an album based on memories from various childhoods mixed with a cinematic imagining of their performance. As the recording developed, the more focussed these all became”

Drawing influences from the likes of Olafur Arnalds, Erased Tapes and Erland Cooper as well as indie artists such as Wolf Alice and War On Drugs, much of the recording is done in his home studio in Bath. To get the piano sound he has decamped to the legendary Rockfield Studios in Wales.

Anyone buying a ticket before the event will be able to collect a CD copy of the current album, Song For A Ghost.

John William Richard - Song for a Ghost (Official Video) available here