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Ian Lang

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General Info

  • Genre: Acoustic / Americana / Folk

    Location Alsager, Northwest, Un

    Profile Views: 79323

    Last Login: 25/05/2012

    Member Since 11/10/2006

    Website www.nurseryrecords.com

    Record Label Nursery Records

    Type of Label Indie

  • Bio

    Ian Lang's latest release, The Whisper, is a superb collection of the finely crafted, beautifully arranged Anglo-Americana songs for which Ian has become widely known on both sides of The Pond. An inspired acoustic set of 11 songs make subtle reference to Lang's influences (Eric Taylor, Tom Waits, Dougie MacLean, Prine and Dylan) but shine vividly with their own light. A brilliant follow-up to Blood on a Pale Moon (2003) and Radio Days (1998), Ian's soulful voice is in perfect gritty contrast to the grace of the dancing melodies and sparkling crystalline production. Performances by a host of top musicians from the UK and North America mix it up here with textures of pedal steel, fiddles, dobro, mandolin, layered harmony and ethnic percussion. Ian is a gifted songwriter whose stories are told with rare intensity, wisdom and tenderness. Tales of a near-to-retired boxer (Between the Bells), a soldier who gives his life far from his home and the girl he loves (Button) and the impossibly tender Girl Who Chased Storms segue easily into a reprise of Lang's popular Radio Days, the darkly sensual Roses and Rust and the ultra-spooky O'Casey's Ghost. This is a collection of songs you will return to again and again always hearing something new. Musical contributions from UK artists Gavin Sutherland (Sutherland Bros), Chris Parks (Any Trouble) and Ollie Collins (Angie Palmer) sit quite comfortably next to those of Seattle Americana artists Nancy K. Dillon, Zak Borden (Rachel Harrington) and Paul Elliott (Michelle Shocked) bringing Ian's songs into full flower. The Whisper was recorded in truly innovative fashion in England, Scotland, Canada and the US. Thanks to connections formed via internet music sites such as MySpace and the ease with which e-mailing tracks over many miles and even oceans can be done in our time, you can hear first-hand how musical connections form and grow and how the power of music erases distance. Lang began releasing acoustic recordings of his original songs in the late 90's after having been front-man for 80's pop band Small Change. Indie label Swamp Records released a number of Small Change and Ian Lang albums and singles in Germany, Italy, France, Benelux (Belgium, Holland and The Netherlands) and Scandinavia. Jamie Records released Small Change's Still In Love With You in the US making Ian a label mate of the mighty Duane Eddy ! Ian toured Europe and America to support the Jamie and Swamp releases. In 1997 Nursery Records released Ian's first solo album, Primitive. Primitive's stark mood found many friends. In 1999 another set, Radio Days was released to critical acclaim. This album featured the talents of many fine musicians…..Chris Parks (Any Trouble) on lead guitar and Chris Cartlidge (Elvis Fontenot & The Sugar Bees) on fiddle, whistle and pipes. Ian's third album, Blood On A Pale Moon, released late 2003, moved his songwriting to new levels and added ethnic percussion from Chris Bastock (Backbeat Percussion Quartet) and haunting Alto Sax from Tracey Martin. Lang is currently based in The Midlands, England and performs whenever the mood strikes in the UK and America. Ians albums are available from nurseryrecords web site, cd baby and i-tunes. .......... Radio Days…..Ian Lang Ian Lang's collection of eleven self-penned numbers is delivered in his distinctive laid back style. On the title track, his vocal is complimented beautifully by Helen Carr's backing and it's with this second track that the album comes to life. Tight Lines features some magical finger picking from Lang which is joined by his hypnotic vocal and some of the best lyrics he has ever written. There's a distinctive country feel to Prospects on which Chris Cartlidge plays muted and understated fiddle, and we hear banjo and Helen Carr's beautiful voice (again) on The Moon and The River…..perhaps the best song here. An excellent album that Mr. Lang should be very proud of. … Micheal Kennedy (Taplas) ........ Came out of the blue ( well Stoke on Trent, England to be exact) and a surprise indeed this record. The website is scant on info. although it appears that Ian Lang was once front man for 80's band Small Change and an ex-member of Any Trouble plays on his discs. The vocal similarity to Austin resident Tom Ovans is almost scary but rather than imitation I expect it reflects this artists love for the Dylanesque timbre. The mood is overwhelmingly melancholy but the production whilst not expensive is fitting and mellow. 'Wheatland' has lovely dobro playing ( back cover shows the singer hunched over a national it appears) and has a great slow Tom Waits like feel. Worth seeking out the CD for this track alone. Occasionally the songs stray into sentimental Paul Brady territory but even there the playing and gritty vocal saves the day. 'Highclere Hotel' has a lovely 'pedal steel' sound shimmering behind the melody but as the sleeve insists one not present maybe one of the eclectic lineup of instruments that includes djembe and caxixi ( what that? ed!). That instrumental leads into the more upbeat 'Big Sky' which seems jauntier after the preceeding melancholy. A touch closer to Mike Scotts 'Fishermen Blues' phase and a heart looking northwards I feel as the fiddle saws in and out. In my years reviewing singer-songwriters from these Isles I rarely come across someone who could hold a candle to the very best especially the likes of Scotland's Michael Marra. Well Ian Lang would still shine with his own light if held close to those flames. I don't give praise to UK 'americana' artists often but this guy is the real deal and needs support check his CDs out forthwith! Stoke on Trent's very own Leonard Cohen....well crafted as Wedgwood but coloured dark as blood. ....."I saw a scarecrow in the pouring rain.....livng on faith and alcohol"( 'Protocol')....thank god for surprises like this.....a true trailer star if ever I heard one. SDB 'Flying Shoes' 17/03/04 .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .......... ...... .......... THE WHISPER ... Singer-songwriter Ian Lang from Cheshire England is not a new face, but he was still an unknown name to me. Lang has been active since 1997. His songs include beautiful stories, which brings with it a heavy lump of emotion in his slightly rusty voice. Interestingly, Lang continues to improve.Blood on a Pale Moon from 2003 could look forward to positive reviews from the English press. The fourth CD The Whisper is now out. It was recorded in the Nursery Studios in England. Together with Gavin Sutherland (Sutherland Bros), Chris Parks (Any Trouble), Ollie Collins (Angie Palmer), Zak Borden (Rachel Harrington), Paul Elliott (Michelle Shocked) and singer Nancy K. Dillon Ian Lang has delivered a top performance. What a beautiful album! With a very sparse backing of fiddle, pedal steel, dobro, mandolin and vocals of Nancy K. Dillon Ian builds from the acoustic opener Under The Sun with the proper tension. He loses no time with the intensity of his lyrics. As producer Ian has chosen a very small and penetrating sound. He knows his strong written repertoire, accompanying his acoustic guitar, an intimate atmosphere. The Whisper deeply moved me from beginning to end. Ian Lang will find many listeners with his intense performances. Give him that chance. http://www.altcountryforum.nl/ ........ IAN LANG The Whisper (Nursery Records) (4 ****) To cut a long story short: After covering the period 1979-1986 It Was What It Was (With Small Change) Primitive 1997, Radio Days 1998, Blood On A Pale Moon from 2003 Tight Lines in 2006 the sixth of the British bard Ian Lang, is an excellent CD. With a galaxy of guests including Gavin Sutherland (Sutherland Brothers), Chris Parks (Any Trouble), Ollie Collins (Angie Palmer), Zak Borden (Rachel Harrington), Paul Elliott (Michelle Shocked) and Nancy K. Dillon . Shows him active from the Midlands. Lang shows his influences as Eric Taylor, John Prine and Bob Dylan. Like his influences he writes not only very beautiful songs, he uses them on numerous occasions to provide beautiful short stories. About an almost retired boxer in the song Between The Bells. Or about a life far from home and leaving his loved one far away, in Button, These are some of the many highlights here to dwell on. Sublime songs which Lang elegantly expresses a preference for the imported product Americana but with undeniable links to his British influences. The result, call it Anglo-Americana, whatever it is of a timeless beauty. A real must therefore! ........ Before I looked at Ian Lang's bio, I had already decided there was a definite influence from Bob Dylan and John Prine. Then I saw that, indeed, Prine is an influence. Therefore, I won't surprise you when I tell you that "The Whisper" is a gritty recording that is about the fragile underside of life. Lang's voice is careworn with smoke and drink. His is like soft, wet gravel that is built for a thoughtful drive through the music – a sad listen with noir shadows cast over a slow, lush decaying atmosphere. It's easy to let go and get lost in the music without feeling bad about feeling bad. You might think of this recording as a solitary drinking album; the kind where you sit alone in the corner booth of a sparse, neighborhood bar. If you can picture a musician playing on a lonely stage, the image in your mind might be Lang. His craft is decidedly Irish in influence as it is filled not only with melancholy, but mandolins and fiddles that make these the kinds of songs that creep into the listener's mind; even when not really listening. An excellent example of the kind of storytelling Lang likes to present it in the cut, "The Girl Who Chased Storms." The title alone made me want to jump right to this song. Its lyrics are sparse and augmented by the heartbreaking musical arrangement that puts us in the shoes of a desperate dreamer – maybe junkie – who inhabits every "down and outer" story you've ever cried for. So this is the dark and dirty low down stuff none of us likes to face. It will do to your ears what "A Requiem for a Dream" will do to your eyes, as you let your mind wander into ugly landscapes that disturb as much as they inspire. Therefore, I'll sum up by saying that fans of dark storytelling should give Ian Lang a listen. Christy Claxton - Stave Magazine ........ Ian Lang - The Whisper (Nursery Records) Formerly of 80s outfit Small Change, Lang's been called Stoke On Trent's very own Leonard Cohen, presumably by someone who inadvertently misfiled his Dylan albums in Cohen sleeves and never noticed. Truth is, variously recorded in Vancouver, Seattle, Scotland and Staffordshire, with Any Trouble guitarist Chris Parks, Gavin Sutherland and Americana singer Nancy K Dillon among those contributing, none of these 11 acoustic songs sound remotely like Cohen, musically, vocally or lyrically. They do, however, bear testament to the role of Dylan, Guy Clark and John Prine among Lang's influences. Indeed, down to the raspy voice and kissed by pedal steel, the opening Under The Sun sounds like Bob at his most tenderly romantic while the melancholic What About You and the bluesier Roses And Rust are equally mined from the same seam. Elsewhere Clark and Prine's colours can be heard streaking the bluegrassed fisherman's love lament Rollin ' Home and the crystalline, guitar ringing folk-country Radio Days while a spooked O'Casey's Ghost bears witness to Tom Waits storytelling and the lovely The Moon And The River nods gently to the tune of Let It Be Me. However, as both writer and singer, Lang's much more than a mirror of his influences. Listening to that sepia burnished, cracked and nicotine stained voice is like curling in front of a crackling log fire, his melodies curl like fireflies in the night sky and his narratives of love steadfast, battered or lost ease open the heart to lodge in your soul. Listen to Between The Bells, a poignant trad folk flavoured snapshot of a worn down ageing boxer facing the final rounds of his career. If Springsteen hadn't been around it would have been a perfect theme song for The Wrestler. Then, set to fiddle, dobro and mandolin backing, Button tells of a young soldier dying and buried far away from home and the girl whose coat once held the button around his throat, The Girl Who Chased Storms rewrites She's Leaving Home in a Canadian winter, and, harmonica and squeezebox adding melancholy, What About You calls upon Antony and Cleopatra and Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn as testament to love's endurance. It's an artist and album that deserves to be heard far and wide. Time to start a whispering campaign....Net Rhythms .......... Rootstime Belgium....... This short epistle is being typed while The Whisper once again is being played on my old, faithful CD player. This album has many beautiful songs to digest. Rarely are there songs of beauty like that of Ian Lang, a British singer-songwriter who has a lot of years on the counter. In 1997, Ian's first solo album released by Nursery Records, a record company more or less having been set up to give his music to the rest of the world. Previously, Ian Lang known as frontman of Small Change, a pop band mostly in the eighties which rather caused a furore. Now there is The Whisper, Successor to the 2003 released Blood On A Pale Moon and already his fourth solo album. This CD contains eleven acoustic songs which undeniably show Lang's ability. Inspired by soul mates like Taylor, Waits, Prine and Dylan. And to make a bold statement , in moments they are by no means inferior to his influences. The music shows he is assisted by a host of guest musicians that many Americana fans will know. Acoustic guitar parts are supplemented with masterly played pedal steel, fiddle, dobro, mandolin and percussion and backing vocals are the beautiful vocal contributions of Nancy K. Dillon. The album The Whisper was recorded in England, Scotland, Canada and the United States . That Ian's guests reside in these countries means of course he is no stranger to them. It is certainly nice to hear bands recording songs using things like e-mail with other MySpace found musicians . Ian is a gifted songwriter, that's for sure. The stories he tells in his songs are punctuated by wisdom and tenderness. In Between The Bells there is a boxer who meditates on his past life, while Button sketches the story of a soldier far from home while his love is left behind. The dark and sensual Roses and Rust is probably my favourite song, both lyrically and musically, though all eleven songs on The Whisper are worth a listen. Believe me when I say that this collection of songs will have you playing them over again. Lang currently lives in the English Midlands and plays both in Great Britain and the U.S., depending on how he feels. We can only hope that the man quickly crosses the Channel again. (Lewis) Rootstime.

  • Members

    Musicians on 'The Whisper' are... Ollie Collins....bass. Chris Parks....guitar. Bob Knetzger....steel guitar, dobro. Zak Borden....mandolin. Wes Weddell....mandolin. Paul Elliott....fiddle. Ian Cameron....fiddle. Gavin Sutherland....vocals. Nancy K Dillon....vocals. MJ Bishop....vocals. Eva Tree....vocals. Nick Barber....squeezebox. Chris Bastock....percussion. Chris Cartlidge....fiddle. .......... .. .. ..

  • Influences

    Eric Taylor, Tom Waits, Jeffrey Foucault,Joe Purdy,The Sutherland Brothers, Dougie MacLean, John Prine, Nic Jones and, the incomparable Bob Dylan! .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ........Visit ..No Depression........ .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ........Visit ..FLYINSHOES AMERICANA MOTEL........ ...... ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ....................

  • Sounds Like

    A bloke with a guitar !

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