Shadowman announce self-titled debut album and share new single, "Don't Assume"

The project has emerged from a shared creative vision from Presley, Hillier, and Perry, who have combined their experience in songwriting, production, and radio broadcasting, respectively. New track "Don't Assume" follows previous single "Flowers".

Speaking about the song, Perry shares: "I've played a Fender Rhodes alongside John J Presley for a while now, and the riff we got for this tune was the one I'd been waiting for. There's something the bass of a Rhodes provides that just can't be replicated, really. Lord knows I've tried, but every time I went back to my 54-key heavy HEAVY beautiful Rhodes.

"The tone is so malleable, and it cuts through so well in its own silky way. We always imagined punchy late-night Chicago horns on this in the middle 8, and Pete Wareham just got it right away. There's a glint in the eye with the lyrics on this one... and sadly, since we wrote it, some of the lyrics have become very of this moment on the world stage. Suffice to say... we find war abhorrent and wish for a peaceful, respectful world".

Discussing how the project and album came to be, Presley says: "Shadowman, both as a collective and the resulting album, started as an experiment. After one particular tour, I bought a new acoustic guitar and started to write the bones of these songs with a real focus on songwriting rather than the tones and sounds, as I had before. This guitar (a 70s Guild) almost seemed to arrive ready to play them... Sometimes that happens with a new instrument. Weeks of writing followed, and I then took them to Ben Hillier to pad out with drums and track at his studio, Agricultural Audio. My longtime collaborator and wife Danielle Perry joined us for those, and we carved them into the Shadowman album with engineer Dan Crook."

"John came to the studio with some of his new demos. I’ve always loved his singing, and I was blown away by the songs - the space and freedom in there - and by Danielle’s voice," Hillier adds. "I never knew she could sing! The sessions were fast, reactive - trying to grab the first inspiration. Always in the first three takes. Dan Crook captured everything on 2" tape from the first note we played. Pete Wareham and Marcus Hamblett added extra colour and depth with their unique sax and brass textures. Then, to finish the production, we had to nurture that fresh energy. Careful not to straighten out the creases or lose the detail. Never flatten the dynamic or over-elaborate".

Shadowman artwork

Shadowman tracklist

"You Are The Love"
"Don't Assume"
"New York In Spring"
"FLOWERS"
"Wedding Singer"
"On Fire"
"Waiting On The Old Songs"
"Look At You Now"
"Blonde"
"Summer Sun"